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| Eleanor Roosevelt oil on linen 20 x 16 * | |
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams" Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt: diplomat, humanitarian, activist and one of the most beloved and respected women of the 20th Century.
Women leaders need to be acknowledged!
A revelation came to me while working in the Studio that women's leadership in American history needs to be recognized and honored.
These women were and are brave, determined, passionate and visionary...they are leaders!
Women that come to mind are Eleanor Roosevelt, Harriet Tubman, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Amelia Earhart, Olivia de Havilland, Helen Coley Nauts, Sonia Sotomayor, Rosa Parks, Toni Morrison, Susan B. Anthony, Nellie Bly, Clara Barton, Dolores Huerta and Oprah Winfrey to name a few.
For the honorary portraits I will carefully research these distinguished and exceptional women.
Each oil on linen portrait will be carefully composed considering significant details, color, composition and the most relevant time in their lives to be captured on canvas.
In the past, I had the honor of being commissioned to paint Helen Coley
Nauts, an advocate and visionary in the field of early Cancer Immunology and Gloria Steinem, a ground breaking woman's rights advocate, Catherine Lorillard Wolfe, a major philanthropist and supporter of child welfare, and Supreme Court Justice
Sonia Sotomayor a champion of equal rights.
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| Helen Coley Nauts Gloria Steinem Sonia Sotomayor |
I will start this exciting project with the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, "R.B.G" Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, a fierce and dedicated advocate for the advancement of gender equality and women's rights.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg has shaped the course of our nations' history through her convictions and voice for dissent. In 1993 she was the second woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg has shaped the course of our nations' history through her convictions and voice for dissent. In 1993 she was the second woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
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| Ruth Bader Ginsburg oil on linen 20 x 16 |
"I would like to be remembered as someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability." Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Moving forward with my project of portraits of American Women Leaders.
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| Dolores Huerta, oil on linen, 18 x 14 |
Dolores Huerta, Civil Rights Leader
"Yes we can" are the most important words to Dolores Huerta. Inspired by her mother to become a feminist and a force for social justice, Dolores has devoted her life for workers equality. She co-founded, with Cesar Chavez, the United Farm Workers Association (UFW). She has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of farm workers thru organizing boycotts and legislation.
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| Susan B. Anthony, oil on linen, 18 x 16 |
"Men their rights and nothing more; Women their rights and nothing less" Susan B. Anthony
Susan B. Anthony, Americas greatest woman suffragist, was a pioneer crusader for woman's rights and social reform. The 19th Amendment to the constitution, granting the rights for women to vote, became a reality mainly due to her tireless campaigning and efforts.
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| Rosa Parks, oil on linen, 18 x 14 | |
"If you don't stand for something you will fall for anything" Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks is considered the "mother of the Civil Rights Movement". Rosa Parks was an American civil rights activist whose refusal to give up her seat to a white person on a public bus precipitated the 1955-56 Montgomery Bus Boycott in Alabama. Her actions, on the bus, became the spark that ignited the civil rights movement in the United States.
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| Olivia de Havilland, oil on linen, 18 x 14 |
"One must take what comes with laughter" Olivia de Havilland
Olivia de Havilland, described as "Satin and Steel" was a 2 time Academy Award winner and the last major leading actress of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Olivia passed away in 2020 at 104 years old. But she was much more that a wonderful, beautiful and versatile actress...she was a fearless and tough. She took on the movie studios when they had complete control over their stars. Backed by the Screen Actors Guild, she took Warner Brothers to court in 1943 when they penalized her for turning down roles. The California Supreme Court ruled in her favor in what is now known as the De Havilland Law. All actors today are indebted to her efforts.
Harriet Tubman oil on linen 21 x 17
"Every great dream begins with a dreamer." Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman, the "Moses of her people" was an escaped slave, who was courageous and committed to helping other slaves regain their freedom as a "conductor" on the Underground Railroad. She was never caught and never lost any of her "passengers." Harriet was also a Union spy, scout, nurse, abolitionist and early supporter of women's suffrage. I chose to portray Harriet as a younger woman. People usually see an image of her as an old woman...she was only 5 feet tall, but, what that small mighty woman accomplished!
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| Clara Barton, oil on linen 20 x 16 |
"I may sometimes be willing to teach for nothing, but if paid at all, I shall never do a man's work for less than a man's pay." Clara Barton
Clara Barton, the "angel of the battlefield," was the founder of the American Red Cross, teacher, nurse, abolitionist, founder of the National First Aid Association of America and an ardent supporter of women's suffrage.
I will be adding more original oil portraits honoring American Women leaders in the near future.
To learn more about Harriet Tubman and her oil portrait development, visit my blog page:
https://susandurkee.blogspot.com/2021/01/harriet-tubman-moses-of-her-people.html
To learn more about Eleanor Roosevelt and her oil portrait development, visit my blog page:
https://susandurkee.blogspot.com/2021/01/eleanor-roosevelt-most-beloved-woman-of.html
To learn more about Clara Barton and her oil portrait development, visit my blog page:
https://susandurkee.blogspot.com/2021/01/honoring-with-portraiture-clara-barton.html
To see more of my portraiture and larger versions of these portraits please visit my website: www.susandurkee.comThank you for taking the time to visit my blog and learn more about these exceptional women leaders! |
