Bedford Portrait Artist Fascinated by Faces

Ever since she was a child, Bedford portrait artist Laurel Stern Boeck has been fascinated by faces.

"It was something I always loved doing. When I was a child, put a crayon in my hand and I would draw people," Boeck said. "I like to figure out each feature – the eyes, the nose – and also capture the whole expression."

Boeck said she has painted about 100 officially commissioned portraits of politicians, businessmen, families and individuals.

She recently completed a portrait of Retired Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, which will hang in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. She is currently painting the official portrait of the U.S. Congressman from California Tom Lantos and Judge Judith Kaye of the New York Appellate Court.   

Boeck's portrait entitled "Roger" will be exhibited beginning today at the Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists' Faces of Winter Festival in Stamford, which meets every two years and brings together some of the most talented artists in the world of portraiture.  

Boeck begins the process by meeting with the subject to get to know them and capture their "unique essence," which will help her determine the pose, lighting, costume, setting, and expression she will use. Then she will photograph the subject in a variety of poses and lighting combinations. If time permits, she will do a couple of live sketches.

The first meeting can take several hours, and from start to finish completing a portrait takes about a year, she said. Depending on the scope of the portrait, her fee begins at $15,000 to $30,000.

"I enjoy getting to know the person, whether I talk to them or not. Studying their face lets me know what kind of person they are," Boeck said.

"I find that I try to empathize, put myself in that person's place. If someone is smiling I smile. When they're tough, I try to act tough," she continued. "I don't know if other artists do that. It's like acting. Some artists put themselves in the subject. I try to start acting like the subject."

Boeck said her dream job would be to paint Hillary Clinton, who she met when her portrait of another politician was unveiled.

"I was too shy to approach her then. But she knows who I am and lives just one town over [in Chappaqua]," Boeck said.

The mother of two also teaches at the Katonah Art Center teaching her students technique while encouraging them to embrace their own style.

"I love teaching," Boeck said. "I had a great teacher and I would not have been able to learn the skills I needed to learn without him."

Boeck's classes include students of all skill levels, from beginners to professional artists.

Her more experienced students will often help newer students, Boeck said, and she mentored two students who went on to exhibit in galleries and sell some of their work.

Her goal, she said, is to guide all of her students to the "next level."

The Faces of Winter Festival's opening reception begins at 7 p.m. on Friday at the University of Connecticut in Stamford. Exhibiting artists, including Boeck, will be available to answer questions about their work and to explain the process of commissioning a portrait.  

The Festival will continue with two days of classes and panel discussions. Boeck's demonstration will be held on Saturday and she will participate in panel discussions on both days. Artists of all levels are invited to attend and take classes.

The public is welcome to attend the Winter Festival free of charge.  Pre-registration is required at the CSOPA Web site.

To find out more about Laurel Boeck, visit her Web site here. 

To find out more about classes at the Katonah Arts Center, visit here.