"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.
These women were and are brave, determined, passionate and visionary...they are leaders!
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 |
Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Collection Grace Church, NY . |
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.
Moving forward with my project of portraits of American Women Leaders.

Olivia de Havilland oil on linen 20 x 16
"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!

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 have also started oil portraits of Dolores Huerta, Rosa Parks, Mary Harris Jones (Mother Jones), Susan B. Anthony, Oprah Winfrey, and Amelia Earhart.
I will be adding these finished oil portraits and more to this post 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! |