This concludes my year-long biweekly studio blog. Thanks for your positive response to the details of my portrait process, inspiration and career achievements. If you are landing on this page for the first time, I invite you to browse the posts below to learn about my lifelong passion for portraiture.
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Dr. Arthur Kleinman Harvard Portrait Encore Ceremony
In a previous blog post, I detailed my portrait sittings with notable Harvard Professor Arthur Kleinman. First unveiled in Boston at Harvard’s Department of Global Health & Social Medicine, the portrait now hangs in the University's new LEED-certified Tozzer Anthropology Building in Cambridge, MA. Shown at right is a moment from that encore unveiling ceremony. Also shown is the 5.75 x 7.75” preparatory head study of Dr. Kleinman that I painted from life in his office during one of our initial sittings. Such oil studies are a useful reference tool for me back in the studio while working on the larger portrait, as their immediacy helps capture the likeness and personality of my sitter.
Jay Marsden Portrait Boston's Favorite Train Conductor
Although I painted his portrait over a decade ago, I'm most often asked about my sittings with Jay Marsden, 4th-generation conductor on the Boston railroad. Commuters relied on his warmth and quick wit to brighten their trek in and out of city. He'd often ask passengers to choose an exotic dream location he'd then announce as the train's "final stop." At Christmastime, he was known to dress as Santa Claus and hand out candy canes en route!
At the time of Jay's retirement in 2005 after 36 years of service, I was fortunate to paint his portrait and learn more about his amazing legacy. It was an honor to hold the heirloom railroad watches and keys that had belonged to his father and grandfather. Just before Jay's brother and fellow conductor Zeke passed away in 1991, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) dedicated Engine #1921 in Zeke's honor. The engine made a fitting background for Jay's portrait.
Jay is such an asset to the city of Boston, The Boston Globe ran a feature on his career to mark his retirement. I'm quite pleased to have had my portrait of him accompany that article, and am proud to consider Jay a friend. Those who feel his absence on the train should know that while Jay misses them, too, he is thoroughly enjoying his retirement!