New York Unveilings...

The verdict (and picture) is finally in...my unveiling last week of Mr. Christopher Forbes (of Forbes Magazine) by the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry in conjunction with The National Trust of Scotland's gala, A Celebration of National Treasures, honoring Mr. Forbes.

The portrait, 34" x 40", was unveiled in front of around 3oo at the ritzy Metropolitan Club, a night to remember beautifully organized by The Trust complete with Highland jinks and jigs of whiskey.

My second unveiling of the week was at The Players' Club of New York for its "Hall of Fame Collection" organized by club Art Committee Chair, Mr. Everett Raymond Kinstler, N.A., pictured here giving the address at the evenings festivities including dinner and entertainment by some terrific theatre performers. www.everettraymondkinstler.com Mr. Kinstler is the country's foremost portrait painter 'extraordinaire' with portraits of seven US presidents under his art belt. I am blessed to have studied with this great man for the last seven years. His art, friendship and art direction changed my life.

The Players was founded in 1888 by famed actor Edwin Booth as a gathering place for theatre and film greats. It became legendary. The portrait collection honors past and present members of The Players.

My newest portrait for the club's collection, which includes paintings by John Singer Sargent no less, was of actor-playwright Howard Lindsay (and president of The Players for many years). It is my fourth portrait for The Players, something I hold dear. There were 16 esteemed artists also unveiling into the collection that night including Michael Shane Neal, Dawn Whitelaw, Holly Metzger, Jason Bouldin, Wende Carporeale, and Loryn Brazier,

Angela Lansbury Wins Her Fifth Tony!

So many congrats to Ms. Angela Lansbury who picked up her 5th Tony Award last night for her role in Blithe Spirit at the tender young age of 83 years-old.

As I watched her elegant presence on stage picking up "Best Featured Actress" , I felt honored to have painted this legendary performer for The Players' Club in New York, recently unveiled this April. 

I couldn't take my eyes off her face to be honest on TV last night. And was really glad I had chosen to paint her in pearls as she so often seems to wear those. She also seems really quite tall and of course very elegant in her dress and carriage.  I am hoping my 16 x 20 head and shoulders somehow caught that!

I read Ms. Lansbury's authorized biography before starting the painting, She has had one helluva career. From old Hollywood to present. From Broadway's  "Mame" to TV"s iconic Jessica Fletcher on "Murder She Wrote". Ms. Lansbury, who has a love for gardening even has a rose named after her. That's why I chose to put that floral scarf on her in my portrait knowing her penchant for green fingers.

Ms. Lansbury is a reminder to us all who choose to be in The Arts that a lifetime of hard work, dedication, and practicing your craft to perfection is what it takes.  Talent like she has sure helps but one just knows she has also had her share of knocks in the tough world of theatre, film and TV. Cream rises to the top. And the other good news, evidenced by Lansbury's win in her eighth decade s last night,  is that those of us who want to, can go on for years and years with our performances for the sheer love of what we do.

BRAVO!!!  

For the record: Angela Lansbury won her first Tony Award for leading actress in musical in 1966 for "Mame": again for "Dear World" in 1969: another in 1975 and 1979 for "Sweeney Tood": culminating in 2009 for Blithe Spirit.

Angela Lansbury Unveiled into The Players' Club.

My portrait of actress Angela Lansbury has just beenunveiled into The Players' Club of New York Hall of Fame permanent art collection organized by the prestigious club's Art Committee Chair, portraitist extraordinaire Mr. Everett Raymond Kinstler, N.A. (see adjacent pic)

WHAT A NIGHT IT WAS! ... And yes, that is a  Sargent painting above my head in one of the photos below which I find rather amusing! This club has one helluva collection which I am proud to be part of. Not that I am close to a Sargent or anything!

Previous portraits of mine in the collection include Norman Rockwell and My Fair Lady's Rex Harrison, also a thrill to paint.  A total of  22 prominent portrait artists from around the country were unveiled in this 'go-around' for the Hall of Fame collection. 

They include Dawn Whitelaw, Michael Shane Neal, Holly Metzger, Ed Jonas, Gordon Wetmore, Wende Caporeale,  Tom Donohue,  Burt Silverman, Lynda Kyser Smith, Loryn Brazier, Dot Svenson, David Beynon Pena,  Basil Baylin, Irene Hecht, Kyle Keith, Ian Factor, Joel Spector, Betsy Ashton, Joe Rubinstein and of course the incomparable Everett Raymond Kinstler, N.A.

I have to say, Mr. Kinstler's portrait of Christopher Plummer for the collection reminded me why I first fell in love with this great man's work. It is EVERYTHING a portrait should be and it took my breath away. Reminded me how much work I have to do. 

And once again, Mr. Kinstler's 'better half', as we say in England, the ever-so elegant and witty Mrs. Peggy Kinstler had donated her considerable time to produce a lovely color keepsake program of the evening which went quickly on my studio wall.  I smile when I look at it.

The Players Club was founded in 1888 by the famed actor Edwin Booth, also painted by Sargent, sadly no longer in the art collection, who envisioned  a club which would bring actors into contact with men of other professions such as academics, artists, and others in the world of business.  Women were admitted  as members in 1988.

The club's walls ooze with history as well as the GREAT paintings. There is the Lucille Ball Loo(aka restroom)  for starters but we won't go there! You can almost hear the clink-chink of ghost dry martinis from the past,  guzzled down by Broadway's greats along with a waft of smoke-filled rooms as actors of old drag on the requisite cigarette before it was not cool to do that. I can only imagine the intrigue, drama, talent, fun, diamante jewelry and lacquered hair 'up-does' that these legendary club walls  have been host to.

The club's executive director Mr. John Martello once again co-ordinated with Mr. Kinstler to arrange the commissions from artists all over the country, and put on a fabulous inductee evening filled with wine, dinner and divine song, with performances by Anna Bergman and Sarah Partridge, much to the crowd's enjoyment, many of whom had flown somewhat exhausted from a busy weekend at The Portrait Society of America annual  conference in D.C. including Mr. Kinstler  and Mr. Gordon Wetmore (chairman of The PSA). 

The energy in the room lifted every ones' spirits. Among the greats taking the stage this night were also Christopher Plummer,  see pic, theatre legend Marian Seldes,  and Pam Singleton.  Angela Lansbury is currently appearing in the Broadway smash, Blythe Spirit, and had two shows that day.

I return to my studio today inspired by it all...to be in the company of such greats of the theatre and painting arts. The club just hosted another spectacular night in its long history and I am thrilled to bits that a bit of 'me' is on its walls. I may even run out and get an up-do. NO martini though.