International Artist June-July 2025/No. 163

Welcome to the June/July issue of International Artist! Portrait artists are gifted in understanding human expression, beauty and capturing the essence of the subject—whether it be the emotion in the eyes, the posture and movement, or the lighting and how the entire image speaks to the viewer. The Portrait Society of America is a longstanding partner of International Artist. In fact, if you are a member of the Portrait Society, your membership comes with a subscription to this magazine. The team at International Artist Publishing could not be more proud to support these master painters and portrait artists globally. In May, the Portrait Society of America had their annual Art of the Portrait Conference in Washington D.C. Our own Editor, Alyssa Tidwell, attended the event and came back with amazing…

Recently, I started meeting up with a good friend of mine at roughly the same time and place every week to work on our art together. The idea—no matter what we worked on, no matter how big or small, tame or wildly experimental—was to simply create something. I liken it to having a gym buddy. Sometimes you might feel like skipping out, but there’s someone waiting for you, expecting you to show up. So you do. And through that accountability and sheer consistency, you find yourself trying new things, going down new artistic avenues and having more fun than ever. It’s wonderful because I get to see what she’s working on, which sparks new ideas in me and encourages me to take on things I hadn’t considered. All the while,…

Daniela Werneck Texas, USA, Let the Light In, watercolor on Aquabord, 24 x 18” (60 x 45 cm) Grand Prize is a four-page editorial feature in American Art Collector magazine Natural Flow Daniela Werneck started creating human sculptures from shells she’d find on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro as a child. That innate love of creation propelled her into the art world as she grew up. “I have always enjoyed observing the human figure and its body language,” she says. “My paternal grandmother had a collection of statuettes that I would spend hours just admiring every time I went to visit her.” When the artist turned 16, her father enrolled her in private drawing classes, which she attended for seven years. “I learned a lot from my teacher,” Werneck reflects.…

California, USA Intuition //Wound, charcoal and graphite on board, 30 x 22” (76 x 55 cm) My Inspiration Familiar experiences inspire my work. These experiences are meaningful slices from the larger world, revealing the layers of humanity. Many of us have undoubtedly felt a drop in our stomach, a bubble in our throat, or our eyes well up with tears at some point in our lives. I draw attention to these moments to take the wind out of their sails, as if to say that we are complex beings who share in our happiness and grief. It is an extension of my inner world to yours, inviting you to look within our shared experience. My Design Strategy Much of my design process involves first interpreting emotions or experiences and designating a…

New Brunswick, Canada Veil, graphite and ink on paper, 18 x 12” (45 x 30 cm) My Inspiration During the time I began working on the concept for Veil, I found myself reflecting on how we never truly show our authentic selves to others. Instead, we present different versions of ourselves to different people, depending on the circumstances and the nature of our relationships. While others may perceive what they believe is the real you, there is always a layer between who you truly are and the version you choose to portray. My Design Strategy The design for this drawing was heavily inspired by an older self-portrait I created a few years ago, which I felt was a raw and honest representation of myself at that time. I used the reference…

Oregon, USA, Medusa, oil on linen, 36 x 24” (91 x 60 cm) FINALISTS Each receives an Award Certificate and a one-year subscription to International Artist magazine PLUS having their work seen worldwide by international galleries looking for new talent. Finalist My Inspiration The inspiration for the painting of Medusa originated from the Greek myth that included Perseus as the hero, Pegasus, the winged horse, and Medusa. In some versions of the myth, Medusa was originally a beautiful priestess who was raped by the sea god Poseidon in the temple of the goddess Athena. The part of the myth I chose to paint was the immediate aftermath of the trauma. Most artwork of her depicts the curse of Athena. The image of a hideous creature with serpents for hair, whose gaze…