Portraits
by Drew Kopf:
I have been fascinated by the human figure and
the humane face and have marveled at the ways that artist have been able to
capture the likenesses of their subjects. The images of famous statesmen and
monarchs on coins; the faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham
Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt carved into the face of Mount Rushmore; great
photographs of Joseph Karsch; and portraits in pen and ink, pencil, watercolor,
pastels, charcoal and oil paints capture my eye and make me ask, “How
did he do that?”
There is something about showing someone a portrait of them
that has captured not just their likeness but a certain way that they look
or are that is very rewarding to me. I want to depict the essence of a person
at a certain moment in time; the glint in their eye that tells a story of
what they are like; their self-confidence, their inner strength, their warmth;
their vulnerability; their humility; their frustration; their pain; their
wonderment; their greatness; in short, their humanity.
I have been sketching people informally since the year 2000
after a trip to Paris France when we visited as many museums as we could and
reveled in the talent we kept witnessing. Perhaps it was because we realized
that the chance of our returning to see these works of art again soon, if
at all, made us want to see as much as we could and to linger in front of
them as long as time permitted. Our complacency at home in the United States
allows us to put off the pleasures of visiting museums as often as we might
were we to know that we might miss something if we did not take advantage
of the easy availability of such wonderful works of art.
The same is true of trying
my hand at painting on my own. But, I approached it in a cavalier manor; using
it as a sort of easy substitute for the joys I got from directing plays years
ago. But, the more I painted the more I wanted to paint better. My library
of painting related books grew. My sisters and my mother helped launch me
into a more formal study by giving me a gift certificate to the Long Island
Art League. Since then my pursuit of the portrait has been more directed.
Below are ones I have culled from the many sketches and painting that I made.
I place them here as much, if not more for myself to see than for others.
But, I do hope you see something in them that makes you ask, “How did
he do that?” And, if you do, I would then encourage you to try it yourself.
It is a wonderment.
| Portraits
by Drew Kopf |
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| Barbar
Adler |
| Medium:
Graphite on paper |
| Size:
8" x 9-1/2" |
| Unframed |
| Created:
September 24, 2008 |
| Signed:
Drew Kopf '08 LR |
| Private
Collection |
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| Bernie
Udell |
| Medium:
Graphite on paper |
| Size:
9" x 12" |
| Unframed |
| Created:
April 12, 2008 |
| Signed:
Drew Kopf 2008 LR |
| Private
Collection |
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| Judy
Garfinkel |
| Medium:
Graphite on paper |
| Size:
9" x 12" |
| Unframed |
| Created:
April 6, 2008 |
| Signed:
Drew Kopf 2008 LL |
| Private
Collection |
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| Paul
Petrosky |
| Medium:
Watercolor on paper |
| Size:
8" x 10" |
| Framed |
| Created:
March 22, 2008 |
| Signed:
Drew 2008 LR |
| Private
Collection |
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| Title:
Lady in a White Sun Dress with Flowers |
| Medium:
Oil on Canvas |
| Size:
16" x 20" |
| Unframed |
| Created:
2007 |
| Signed:
Drew Kopf '07 LR |
|
Artist's Collection |
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| Title:
Philip in Profile |
| Medium:
Oil on Canvas |
| Size:
14" x 11" |
| Unframed |
| Created:
2006 |
| Signed:
Drew Kopf '07 LL |
| Artist's
Collection |
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| Title:
Philip |
| Medium:
Oil on Canvas |
| Size:
15 " x 19" |
| Unframed |
| Created:
2006 |
| Signed:
Drew Kopf '07 LL |
| Artist's
Collection |
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| Walter
Markowitz at Belmont Racetrack |
| Medium:
Pencil
Paper |
| Size:
6"
x 6" |
| Framed |
| Created:
July 20, 2000 |
| Signed:
DGK monogram LC |
| Inscribed:
Walter Markowitz 7-20-00 Belmont |
| Artist's
Collection |
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