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THE ART OF THE PORTRAIT

First Place Sculpture Second Place
Sponsored by: Portrait Society of America, Synappsys Digital Services, Sponsored by: Portrait Society of America, Michael Harding Art Materials
The Artist Magazine and Turtlewood Palette and Turtlewood Palettes
Alicia Ponzio Casey Childs
San Francisco, CA Pleasant Grove, UT
Portrait Study I: Mr. Koch, plaster on wooden base, Phyllis VanderNaald, oil on linen, 20 x 16" (51 x 41 cm)
20 x 10 x 10" (51 x 25 x 25 cm)
My Inspiration: I was asked to paint Mrs. VanderNaald’s portrait but
My Inspiration: Portrait Study I: Mr. Koch is a study in preparation for was forewarned that she may be apprehensive about the process. As
a larger two-figure composition I was working on at the time called soon as she stepped into my studio, I could see she seemed nervous and
Echo Chamber in which two subjects are engaged in an argument. The I mentally prepared for the worst. We chatted for a moment to take both
composition deals with barriers to communication, and in it I asked our minds off the task at hand, and while she told me about herself and
the model, Terry Koch, to portray a stern, dogmatic nature...to draw on her family she relaxed into a beautiful pose. The awkwardness was gone
feelings of anger and portray the aggressor in the conversation. and I was able to capture a sweet, sincere moment with her that can only
happen between artist and sitter.
My Path to Art: As long as I can remember, art has been my main
interest; though after high school, I took a different route for various My Path to Art: I have loved drawing from an early age, and it was
reasons and became a nurse in the United States Navy. I gravitated back during my first “real” art classes in college when I knew I wanted to
toward art during my last years in service and began pursuing it more become a painter. However, after continuing my education and receiving
seriously after discharge. When I discovered sculpture, I was overcome my BA at Brigham Young University, I was enticed by the notion of a paid
with a desire to learn as much as possible and enrolled full time in the profession and took a graphic design job. I worked in graphic design for
Florence Academy of Art sculpture program. Currently, my studio is 10 years, and now paint professionally full time. I remain grateful for that
located in downtown San Francisco and I work mainly in bronze and design job, as the background and knowledge it yielded helped my work
plaster and continue to develop my work both in portrait and figure. to grow and improve over the years.

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