Andrea lives in Munich, Germany. She works full time as a commission portrait painter and figurative artist since 2008, and gives lectures about the foundations of traditional fine art painting. Andrea received a classical art education at Atelier Felicitas Meißer, studied on the ‘Master of Fine Art’ program at San Francisco’s Academy of Art University (AAU) and had the chance to learn from masters like Ted Seth Jacobs, David Leffel or Max Ginsburg. Her artwork was exhibited international and recognized with an international talent prize and a silver award in portrait painting.
Since September 2023, Andrea supports the Portrait Society of America by volunteering as the State Ambassador to Europe.
Letter from the PSoA State Ambassador to Europe
Dear European Members of the Portrait Society of America,
Welcome to the 3rd issue of our European Members Newsletter and thank you for your contributions. While the last year we have continued to build up a community of artists in Europe, united by their passion for fine art portraiture and figurative artwork. In particular, our online meetings via Zoom have become a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas, make connections and build friendships. We had many interesting and inspiring conversations, as well as lively discussions on a wide range of topics such as art business, shipment of fine art, art galleries or the working process of creating art. Many thanks to all participants for attending and especially for your active contribution to our community. And I would also like to invite everyone else who has not yet attended a meeting, to come along and profit from our exchange. Connecting with other artists, sharing knowledge and supporting each other is a valuable benefit for us all. I’m very grateful that the Portrait Society of America offers us, as international members, this unique opportunity through their State Ambassador Program.
Andrea Steinbauer
The PSOA European Members Newsletter is a fine art newsletter with contribution from European members of the Portrait Society of America for the European members, compiled and written by the PSOA State Ambassador to Europe, Andrea Steinbauer.
Author of the Newsletter: Andrea Steinbauer Contact: https://andysteinbauer.com/fineart/contact.html https://www.portraitsociety.org/state-ambassadors
Information about the Portrait Society: https://www.portraitsociety.org/ Membership: https://www.portraitsociety.org/join
Contributors: Aapo Pukk, Phoebe Stewart Cater, Ruth Fitton, Charles Moxon, Rosanna Gaddoni, Ginny Page, Fernando Garcia-Monzon, Alexandra Telgmann
Copyright: All contents and images of this newsletter are copyright by the authors/artists of the artworks.
Layout & Design: Andrea Steinbauer
Cover Artwork: Rosanna Gaddoni
‘Flora’, charcoal on paper
Members Only Competition 2024 Congratulations European Artists
Category: Commissioned Portrait
Aapo Pukk (Estonia)
Finalist
Title: General Martin Herem
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 46x33.5 inches
Phoebe Stewart Carter (UK)
Finalist
Title: Katarina
Medium: Oil on linen
Dimensions: 100 x 85cm
Phoebe will be a Next Generation Guest Artist at the 27th The Art of the Portrait conference in Washington, D.C. this year. More information on page 11.
Category: Non Commissioned Portrait
Charles Moxon (UK)
Finalist
Title: Joni with Doggie
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 16x12 inches
Find out more about Charles on page 13.
Ruth Fitton (UK)
7th Place
Title: Precipice
Medium: Oil on linen
Dimensions: 75x90cm
Ruth will be a Faculty Artist at the 27th The Art of the Portrait conference in Washington, D.C. this year. More information on page 11.
Category: Outside the Box
Rosanna Gaddoni (Netherlands)
Finalist
Title: Flora
Medium: Charcoal on paper
Dimensions: 19 x 26 inches (48x66cm)
Category: Animals
Rosanna Gaddoni (Netherlands)
6th Place
Title: Pecus
Medium: Charcoal on paper
Dimensions: 19 x 26 inches (48x66cm)
Category: Still Life
Ginny Page (Denmark)
Finalist
Title: The Departure
Year: 2024
Medium: Oil on panel
Dimensions: (H)36 x (W)30 cm
Find out more about Ginny on page 12.
About the painting:
Ginny’s painting “The Departure” carries a personal story of importance to her.
“Painted as a tribute to a dear friend who sadly lost her battle for cancer in November 2023. Her last words to me were that the song “The Rose” was to be played at her funeral and that she would always be with me in my garden. The rose is from my own garden and was the first to bloom again. The glass was bought on a trip to Sweden together. The tiny bee leaving the painting represents her departure and the waterdrops symbolize sorrow and loss but also hope.”
Inspiration Drawing in Museums
To draw in a museum can be a valuable experience and it’s an effective way to learn from old masters. By analyzing and copying their paintings or sculptures, you’ll gain a lot of information and knowledge about their approach in composition and storytelling, value structure, color harmony or creative problem solving.
In Europe, we are fortunate to have a large number of important museums that preserve our unique art history and make it accessible to the public. This allows us as artists to benefit from the extensive cultural heritage of our ancestors, from antiquity to modern times, in a special way.
Drawing in a museum is also a good way to improve your artistic skills, not only for art students. To draw from life under the pressure of a watching public can be daunting. However, mastering this situation will offer a gain in self-confidence and artistic abilities. If you might not know how to get started, doing limited time studies (brief 5 minutes gesture studies), can be a good way to begin. It also helps to practice focusing on the essential instead of getting lost in small details.
Since museums usually have specific rules for conservation and security reasons, you should always ask for permission and which materials will be allowed to use before showing up there to draw. From my experience, graphite or colored pencils and a small sketchbook will be acceptable for most museums.
Photo by Andrea Steinbauer: Gesture drawing with sanguine
Photos by Andrea Steinbauer: Museum Alte Pinakothek, Munich
By Andrea Steinbauer
Cast drawing by using the method of the Charles Bargue “Drawing Course” from 1873.
Drawing after casts and sculptures is a classical practice in the traditional academic art education and makes it easier to start with drawing from life. The immobility of the cast permits extended studies without having to worry about the model moving or needing a break. And since they are usually white, they provide an easier reading of the values of light and shadow on their surfaces.
by Andrea
1/ 2: Depicting the cast as a simplified outline of points, lines and angles to make it easier to measure, 3: adding value shapes
Photos by Andrea Steinbauer: Cast drawing at the Museum für antike Abgüsse, Munich
Images
Steinbauer:
News from Members
Exhibitions, Workshops and Other
News
Fernando Garcia-Monzon (Spain)160th “Salon Des Beaux-Arts” in Paris
On Oct. 9th 2024 Fernando’s portrait “Man on a white shirt” was accepted to the 160th “Salon des beaux-Arts”. The Salon is organized by the “Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts” and was exhibited in Paris at the magnificent “Réflectoire des Cordelieres” from Dec. 11th to 15th. The work attracted great interest. An uncomplicated arrangement but deep in its message.
Alexandra Telgmann (Germany)Award & Exhibition Mall Gallery, London
Alexandra’s painting “Golden Ocean Reflection - Dolphin” received an award from the International Realism Guild USA: Best Animal and Wildlife. Her painting was exhibited at the Mall Gallery in London at the Society of Wildlife exhibition.
Image by Fernando Garcia-Monzon: “Man on a white shirt”, Conté crayon on Canson paper, 50 x 80 cm, 2022
Images by Alexandra Telgmann: “Golden Ocean Reflection - Dolphin”, 70x70cm, Oil and 24ct of goldleaf on aluminium panel (right), Alexandra at the exhibition in London (left)
Image by Fernando Garcia-Monzon: Interested visitors at the Salon in Paris
Ruth Fitton & Phoebe Stewart Carter (UK) -
27th The Art of the Portrait Conference - Washington, D.C.
Every year, numerous portrait artists from all over the world gather at The Art of the Portrait conference to learn from an excellent faculty and exchange ideas with like-minded people. This year, two members of our community will be part of the event as well; Ruth Fitton as Faculty Artist and Phoebe Stewart Carter as a New Generation Guest Artist. If you plan to attend the conference, make sure not to miss Ruth’s and Phoebe’s appearance.
The conference will take place in Washington, D.C. from May 8-11, 2025. If you can’t attend the conference in person, it’s possible to participate virtual through the online live-stream as well.
Find more information about the schedule and registration online https://www.portraitsociety.org/2025-conference
Zoom Members Meetings
During our regular online meetings via Zoom, we have already had numerous very interesting conversations and discussions on various topics. In February, Fernando Garcia-Monzon produced a short video to show us how he moves his artwork to exhibitions around Europe.
Our next Zoom meeting: April / May 2025
The date will be announced in the email news-updates.
Images:Fernando Garcia-Monzon‘s video, zoom members meeting
Images Portrait Society of America: Conference 2024, Face-off Frances Bell, Demo Mary Whyte & Michael Shane Neal
Members Spotlight
Ginny Page (Denmark)
Shedding light on the essential and recording personal diaries in paint whilst it still exists in the now has always been Ginny’s true obsession. Many of her paintings include hidden symbolisms which often refer to the transience of life in general.
Ginny Page (SWA) b. 1963 in England. Studied at Lincoln College of Art and Design (1980), and now residing in Denmark since 1985 where she has worked as a fulltime professional realist oil painter for more than 35 years specializing in portraits, still life and figures.
Her style is naturalistic, and her motifs are painted with intense observation and accuracy for the subject. She has a passion for creating complex illusions in paint, such as reflections and distortions in old glassware, silver, and porcelain. Many of her still life paintings include insects, delicate water droplets, shells, broken eggs, or other beautiful intricate organic forms. Her “life sized” figures are often clothed in silk or lace to illustrate fragility and beauty together with the human form. Her painting technique involves building up multiple layers of thinned oil paint using a very limited palette inspired by the Renaissance masters.
In her later, slightly surrealistic works, Ginny makes use of other traditional painting techniques including “embossing“ and gilding techniques using gold, copper and silver leaf with patination effects.
Ginny’s work has been exhibited in England, Netherlands, Italy, USA, Denmark, Spain, Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Sweden. Her artwork also received recognition in several international art contests e.g. by the International Artist Magazine, Art Renewal Center, or The Royal Society of Portrait Painters (RP) and her painting “The Departure” was a finalist in the Portrait Society of America’s Members Only Competition 2024 (view on page 7).
Photo by Ginny Page
Charles Moxon (UK)
Charles Moxon is a contemporary British portrait painter based in London, New York and Mexico City. Born in the United Kingdom and spending part of his formative years in the south of France, Moxon discovered a passion for the arts at the age of seven. He honed his craft through formal studies in Aixen-Provence, Camberwell College of Arts in London, and extensive self-study, mastering techniques inspired by the great art historical masters.
Moxon’s signature style draws from the painters of the 17th century, incorporating classical techniques of light, clarity, and the meticulous use of underpainting and glazes. His portraits are defined by their precision, timelessness, and emotional depth, reflecting a commitment to capturing the individuality of each sitter. Through careful attention to composition, wardrobe, and gesture, he creates works that resonate with intimacy and connection.
Moxon has worked with a range of notable sitters, including Harriet Harman MP, England and Chelsea footballer Roy Bentley, British entrepreneur Levi Roots, and Olympic athlete Colin Jackson CBE. Highlights include exhibiting at the National Portrait Gallery in London as part of the BP Portrait Award in 2016 and 2020, with the latter featuring his portrait of Sharmadean Reid MBE.
In 2022, Moxon received a Certificate of Excellence from the Portrait Society of America and exhibited at the Royal Society of Portrait Painters Exhibition in London. Most recently, his painting “Joni with Doggie” was selected as a finalist in the Portrait Society of America’s Members Only Competition 2024 (view on page 5).
Photo by Charles Moxon
Tip International Shipment of Fine Art
By Andrea Steinbauer
Nowadays, our digital age makes it easier for artists to sell their artwork worldwide or participate in exhibitions around the globe. However, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure safe international shipping and avoid problems such as damage in transit, loss or difficulties with customs clearance.
During our members meeting via Zoom in December, we had a lively discussion and exchange of experiences about shipping fine art internationally.
Some aspects to consider:
Packaging
To ensure a safe shipment and avoid damages, the use of adequate packaging material (like acid free paper, foam core, bubble wrap, corner protectors, cardboard, boxes or wooden containers,…) to protect your artwork is essential.
Insurance coverage
Think about insurance coverage as well, to have a financial protection in case the artwork will get lost or damaged while the transit.
Handling customs
When shipping artwork internationally, the accurate declaration of the artwork is essential to avoid problems with customs clearance. Duties and taxes play a significant role as well. Research customs regulations of the destination country. Due to the Brexit, customs regulations also affect the shipping between EU member states and the UK since January 2021.
In case of a temporary shipping, for an exhibition (duration less than a year), the use of an ATA Carnet could simplify border clearance and offer dutyfree and tax-free import.
Image by Andrea Steinbauer: Handling of the ATA-Carnet
History of European Portrait Art
Angelica Kauffmann (1741-1807)
By Andrea Steinbauer
by Andrea Steinbauer: Angelica Kauffmann “Self-portrait”, 1784, oil on canvas, 64,8x50,7cm Neue Pinakothek Munich/Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlung acquied through Ludwig I, King of Bavaria
Born in Chur (Switzerland) in 1741, Angelica Kauffmann’s artistic talent was discovered and encouraged at an early age. While spending several years in Italy, to study and for commissioned works, the young artist quickly became well-known. After moving to London, she soon became successful there too, with numerous commissions. In 1768 she was appointed a founding member of the Royal Academy of Arts. On her return to Rome in 1781, she found a new home near the Spanish Steps, which soon became a cultural center of the city. Many European monarchs and socialites visited her studio in Italy to have their portraits painted or to commission history paintings, including Emperor Joseph II of Austria, Czarina Catherine the Great, the Kings of Naples and Poland, Pope Pius VI or Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, with whom she developed a friendship. In 1805, Angelica Kauffmann received one of her last portrait commissions from Crown Prince Ludwig I of Bavaria and devoted most of her late work to religious themes. When she died in 1807 in Rome, she was buried in Sant’Andrea delle Fratte to great public acclaim. Shortly after, a bust of her was placed at the Pantheon, beside that of Raffael.
As a woman, Kauffmann haven’t had the same status and opportunities as her male contemporaries. Despite these limitations, she was able to become one of the most successful portrait artists of the 18th century and helped to pave the way for subsequent generations of female artists.
Photo
Last Words Quote
“I dream my painting and I paint my dream.”
Vincent Van
Gogh
(1853 - 1890)
Photo by Andrea Steinbauer: Vincent Van Gogh “View on Arles”, 1889, oil on canvas, 72x92cm Neue Pinakothek Munich/Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlung
