Emotional Elegance

Today I am featuring a guest blogger: Sara White! Sara is an Illustration Major at Rhode Island School of Design. Her post will fill you in on the history and background of portraiture which is the major theme of my new collection of paintings….

Portraiture, the artistic representation of a specific individual, dates back to the sculptures and paintings of ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. After these civilizations were conquered and Europe became a largely Catholic empire during the Middle Ages, the art of portraiture became almost entirely religious.

However, beginning in the late 1300’s, Europe emerged from the proverbial Dark Ages into a rebirth of the arts sponsored by wealthy patrons we know as the Renaissance. These works were almost always created with oil paints on canvas, allowing for bright and luminous colors that we associate with classic portraits such as Leonardo’s “Mona Lisa.” When a client was interested in commissioning a piece, they worked with the artist as a sketch was created with concepts for color, lighting, attire, and positioning. Ultimately, the final portrait was not only an aesthetic piece of art, but also functioned as a way for individuals to be remembered as they wished in a world without modern technology.

To this day, photography has become the strongest example of the legacy of portraiture. Pomm is interested in revitalizing this classic method of portraiture in her newest collection. She will be producing new oil paintings where she skillfully creates pieces with an “emotional elegance” that nods to both the Renaissance and the era of Impressionism.

Thank you Sara!

Next up: a modern portrait.

Love, Pomm

About pommfineart

Pomm was born in Los Angeles but was raised by her French mother and grandmother and had a truly bi-cultural upbringing. Her mother, who was born in Paris, read a novel by French authoress Colette in which one of the characters was a little girl named Pomme. She loved the name, which means “apple”, and took the “e” off to ensure correct pronunciation. While at college, Pomm moved to France and studied art in Aix-en-Provence. In Europe, Pomm fell in love with the Old World architecture, particularly in the southern regions of France where the sun and flowers inspired her to return again and again. When she returned to America, Pomm made a firm decision to be an artist and attended watercolor classes with Scott Moore in Laguna Beach. She found that she loved the medium. Pomm created and perfected a unique style using only translucent watercolors applied in many layers that allowed her to paint the strong colors, light, and shadows that create the feel of Europe in her paintings. Within each work is Pomm’s artist “hidden apple”, the artist’s signature of authenticity and assurance of her high standards and exceptional quality of art. In 2001, Pomm channeled her artistic talents towards honoring and helping others. After the Sept 11, 2001 tragedy, Pomm created “Unspoken Courage”, a painting which celebrates the unselfish heroism of all those who helped during the attacks. From late 2003 until now, Pomm has created a series of oils that explore the spirit and motion of other artists in the creation of their art. Her work depicts people creating art of all forms, ranging from traditional to informal. Recently, Pomm took the opportunity to travel the world with her husband, a pilot. She recalls that, “in each country we visited, I (experienced) as much of the native culture as I could. Seeking out the artists from these different cultures, it was wonderful to see how they expressed their lives through art.” Throughout all of this, Pomm has remained an active member of Artists for Human Rights International. This is a group formed with the higher purpose of bringing artists together under the common goal of a raised awareness of every human’s basic rights. As the Director of Visual Artists, Pomm has helped to organize three exhibits in New York and Los Angeles while building membership and support for the group.

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