July 2011
A fantastic review of the “Nadine’s Couples” show at The Brill Gallery” was just published in Artscope Magazine.
Down the hall, the Brill Gallery hosts “Nadine’s Portraits,” four paintings by Nadine Robbins, who currently focuses on double portraits of gay and lesbian couples. Robbins has an exceptionally sensitive eye for gesture and body language, and her oils are memorable records of the bond and affection between these sitters.
Evenly divided between male and female couples, each work is 4 X 6 feet. All are clothed except “Molly and Zoe,” which showcases Robbins’s ability to create visual magic. Although betraying their photographic sources, these paintings possess an energy and immediacy that evoke an authentic presence. You get to know these people — the hallmark of successful portraiture.
June 2011
Alexandria Times: “In the Flesh 3” Target Gallery’s newest exhibit looks to get at what’s behind our hides
April 2011
Poets and Artists: The collaboration Issue
RHINEBECK ARTIST’S SUCCESS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM’S LEADING PORTRAIT EXHIBITION, THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF PORTRAIT PAINTERS FOR SECOND YEAR IN A ROW.
For the second year in a row, Hudson Valley New York portrait painter Nadine Robbins has had a portrait accepted into one of The United Kingdom’s most prestigious shows. Selected from amongst a 1000 entries, her painting entitled “Acacia and the Bowman” from “The 8 portrait peaces” project was accepted into the 2011 Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition and will appear alongside paintings by some of Britain’s leading portrait artists. The Royal Society of Portrait Painters holds an annual open submission exhibition in central London each year, a rival to the National Portrait Gallery’s BP Portrait Award.
The exhibition hosts commissioned portraits of celebrities and major public figures completed throughout the year by members of the society, as well as outstanding work by non-members, like Nadine, selected through open submissions. This year’s exhibition will be on display at the Mall Galleries near Trafalgar Square from May 5-20, 2011
May2011
Mall Galleries, London SW1 and Rhinebeck, NY, USA
Since 1891 the Society has been devoted exclusively to the art and development of portrait painting. The selection of work on display, both from its members and the open section make it the perfect destination for those wishing to commission a portrait. Portraiture is a fascinating barometer of current trends and holds a mirror up to nature in reflecting life in contemporary Britain and beyond.
Prizes awarded by the Society are the Ondaatje Prize for Portraiture, the Prince of Wales Award for Portrait Drawing, the Changing Faces Prize and the de Laszlo Foundation Prize. The winner of the third Bulldog Bursary, awarded by the Society and sponsored by the Bulldog Trust, will also be announced.
Over 100 portraits, including Nadine Robbins’, will be hung in this exhibition which is one of the year’s top art events held in the center of London at the Mall Galleries. Its continued popularity is testament to the unique and enduring qualities of painted portraiture and the valid practice of commissioning painted portraits by institutions and individuals.
About the artist, Nadine Robbins:
The daughter of a gifted artist, Nadine Robbins absorbed her mother’s French influence, spending much of her childhood painting in the land of Picasso & Matisse. After returning to the U.S. & receiving her BFA at the age of 20, she worked at Citibank’s communications & Chase Manhattan Bank’s marketing divisions in NYC. Nadine was an integral part of the award-winning design team that redeveloped Citibank’s international identity.
Utilizing this experience, Nadine founded Namaro Graphics developing & leveraging communications for Fortune 100 & nonprofits. Namaro received more than 50 design awards for her work from organizations such as Creativity, the American Graphic Design Association, Art Direction magazine, & The Big Book of Logos. In addition, she has been published in various publications including American Corporate Identity, Creativity, & GD USA.
Her background in design & photography has led her back to painting & to her current focus on portraits with a touch of humor. There is an intimacy with her subjects that is unique which reveals much about their inner aspect.
Nadine’s current project is a series of life-size paintings called “8 portrait Peaces.” Each painting starts with an interview of select subjects & sets the stage for the concept & spontaneous moment that is used for the photography she works from. The entire process is documented on her blog that is devoted to her emerging new career as a portrait painter accepting commissions.
In 2010, one of the portraits from this series “The Rolling Buns” was accepted in the Royal Society of Portrait Painters’ annual show in London & another “Acacia & the Bowman” was just accepted for the same 2011 show.
Nadine’s art has been recognized & shown in group shows in NY at The Arts Society of Kingston, The Art Guild of Manhasset, The Gallery Mona Lisa, & The Woodstock Artist Association Museum & in London at the Mall Galleries. Her work has also been featured in publications such as Poets and Artists, Roll Magazine, InsideOut & The Times Herald-Record.
For further information about the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and their annual show, please contact:
Amelia Redgrift, Marketing and Press Officer
020 7968 0955 / 07859 039 679
press@mallgalleries.com
For further information about the artist please contact:
Nadine Robbins in the USA 00 1 845-233-0082
dino@Nadinerobbinsportraits.com
August 2010
Roll Magazine Feature story (published by permission):
Let’s, er, face it, we all like to look at faces. Humans seem to be programmed to respond to portraiture, be it modern photography, or like they did it back in the day, painted by an artist. What’s the most famous painting in the world? A portrait of some Italian girl named Mona. There’s something to looking and seeing somebody looking back at you; in the case of portraiture, often across hundreds of years. But portrait painting is unfortunately becoming something of a lost art thanks to digital technology, where the human image can be captured and transmitted in milliseconds, instead of weeks. So why even bother? Painting takes soooo long, nowadays we’ve got Photo Booth to Facebook to printer in….bing.
Nadine Robbins—a.k.a. Portraitgirl—might have some answers to that, as she has surely cast her lot with her choice of subject matter. With her recent “Eight Portrait Peaces” series, she has found an artistic voice in the direct reproduction of interesting couples, often capturing the synergy between the painted partners that reveals much about what is so great about love, the human spirit, and the more permanent reality of paint on canvas. All with a healthy dose of compassion and humor jpegs do no justice to. (Read the full Roll Magazine Article)
March 2010
“The Rolling Buns” from the “8 Portrait Peaces” project has been accepted into the prestigious 2010 annual competition of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters. It will be on view in London from 5/6-21, 2010. For the full story, read the press release which was picked up and featured in several publications including HV Biz as their feature article and the Times Herald Record.
February 2010
Oranges and Sardines, liked my work so much they published me again!
September 2009
A wonderful publication called Oranges and Sardines, a commercial free publication about art and poetry available online and in print form for your coffee table, asked me if they could feature me! Twittering pays off. It should be out in September.
July 2009
Honoring a great man and beloved family member: the story behind the posthumous portrait of Bob LeHane
Rhinebeck, NY/United States – July 7th, 2009. Several years ago, Nadine Robbins included a few of her portraits in “The Bad Dog Show”, a series of photos of objects that Nadine’s dog had chewed and decimated when just a pup. That’s when Mark Cerbone first saw her paintings. Impressed with her work, he kept her in mind over the next few years for a portrait he wanted to do of his father in law, Bob LeHane, as a surprise gift to his wife Meg.
But sadly, Bob LeHane passed away in 2008 before Mark had the opportunity to commission Nadine to do the painting. Determined to surprise his wife, he approached Nadine earlier this year to discuss a posthumous portrait. She told him that this would be a great tribute to Bob and that Meg and her family would enjoy the portrait for years to come.
“Meg’s father, Bob, was a remarkable force and presence within the family, among each of the six children, and their families as well. Meg, in particular, was very close to him; family lore had it that she was his favorite—an opinion that she and everyone else took as fact, which Bob of course, never would condone” said Mark.
So Nadine and Mark started by gathering photos in the search for that one image that would capture Bob’s essence. Mark also brought shots of Meg as a child to help tell the whole story. The first photo, one of Bob, stood out. It was from Mark and Meg’s wedding where he is joyfully toasting the couple. The second photo, one of Meg, was a small black and white photo of a young Meg with chubby cheeks and big blue eyes.
A combination of both shots was just what Nadine needed. “I scanned both images and using my Photoshop skills, I was able to convincingly place Meg’s childhood photo in Bob’s hand. It instantly became a powerful and touching image” said Nadine. So after a full size review of the composition, Mark gave her the go ahead to start the final painting. “Knowing Bob’s history made a huge difference in the energy of this portrait. I connected with Bob. I connected with his relationship with his daughter. I was proud of the result and I knew Mark would be too”.
Mark came by several months ago to see the painting and clearly was delighted and anxious to get it to his wife. “The amazing thing about Nadine’s portraits is the way she goes beyond just depicting how the person looks, but expressing a view of what they’re thinking, a sense of what they’re feeling. You not only end up with an image of what the person looks like from the outside, but what they must be like on the inside–not just the person, but the personality”.
“When I unveiled the painting for Meg and her brother Johnny a couple weeks ago, their faces lit up, full of joy, echoing the joy on the face of their father in the painting. I knew Mark had hit a home run for his wife and her family” said Nadine.
So, Nadine sent them off with a bottle of Veuve Cliquot so they could toast this wonderful man they called dad. Bob now hangs in Mark and Meg’s living room. They can see him every day and enjoy his spirit. Nadine and the Cerbone’s like to think that it’s kind of like having him there.
Nadine Robbins is a full-time portrait painter living and working in Rhinebeck, NY.
July 2009
Susie Linn and Micheal Lalicki’s portrait accepted to the Arts Society of Kingston Heads Up Portraiture show. Their portrait is in a new show at the Arts Society of Kingston from the 4th of July to the 28th. I went over with them to check it out and to get a shot of both of them with the portrait.
March 2009
Crabby Cakes painting was selected to be in a Juried show at The Art Guild in Manhasset.
November 2008
Roll Magazine, The New American Gothic, feature portrait page.
June 2008
Inside Out Magazine, The Hudson Valley 100, featured as one of 20 Hudson Valley 2-D artists
