International Artist – June-July 2019

The Portrait Society of America 41

Evert Ploeg
Connectivity - A Portrait of Prof. Michael
Crommelin AO,
oil on linen, 114 x 137 cm (45 x 54")

INSPIRATION
I start each project with a commitment to
creating a narrative and finding what is unique
and individual about the sitter and then
portraying them in a contemporary and modern
light. In my first meeting with University of
Melbourne Law Professor Michael Crommelin.
I discovered, it was Crommelin’s vision and
leadership that contributed to a successful
transition to the current law school building,
which features large, expansive and impressive
glass windows. Later during our meeting, I
remembered him saying “connections...to be
connected with what was happening not only
within the walls of the law school but to be
universally connected to the outside world.”
This became the mantra of my narrative and
challenged me to develop a composition that
was engaging, thought-provoking and echoed
Crommelin’s sentiments.

DESIGN AND COMPOSITION
Our first meeting together was for lunch and
Crommelin talked about how the law school,

faculty and students should see themselves

in the broader society; they should be

“outward looking,” inclusive and diverse. The

initial design concepts were prepared with

multiple Photoshop layers; this gave me an

excellent pre-visual, as I wanted to include

the law building with its large, expansive and

impressive glass windows and the buildings

needed to be reversed in the reflected glass.

Crommelin visited my studio in Sydney

for two life sittings to complete the colour

rendition directly on the artwork. I had him

gaze upward and outward, much like the

captain of a ship, bringing his crew to the

future. Choosing twilight as a time setting

created the extra drama and contrast, with the

office lights giving the impression of things

happening, people working, electrical energy,

communicating...a connectivity.

Casey Childs
Adoration of the HiFi II (diptych) oil on linen,
47½" each (121 cm)

INSPIRATION
I was asked to create two paintings for a
music-themed floor on a new cruise ship being
built for Holland America Line. They contacted
me after seeing a painting I did in 2015 with
a similar musically inspired composition. I
was excited for the opportunity to explore
that idea further and visually expand on that
concept from years ago.

DESIGN AND COMPOSITION
I used the inspiration and composition from
my earlier painting as a jumping off point.
That earlier composition made reference to
classical religious tondo paintings and was
also round shaped to resemble a record, all

supporting the idea of the spiritual quality of

music. These two new pieces also included

the traditional gold leaf in a circular/halo

form that emanate and transition out into

an equalizer bar, referencing the power and

spiritual connection music can bring.