Fred Bell Finishes 70 Portraits @ the Marshall Building

Dec. 29, 2011

8:08 p.m.

Portrait painter Fred Bell has finally finished his project in the Historic Third Ward's Marshall Building. Beginning in winter 2011, Bell decided to paint as many people who worked throughout the building as he could, and eventually painted 60 out of 200 people in the past seven months with a few more to finish before the December 31 deadline. As January 1, 2012 approaches, Bell will finally retire the project and all the building portraits will belong to him. Before these paintings, Portrait Society owner Debra Brehmer inspired Bell to begin painting full time, to take himself seriously as an artist several years ago. He began with a monthly series of assorted objects that were quite popular at the Portrait Society gallery exhibitions, mounted in the hallway for each new changing position. Yet, the Marshall Building portraits found a place in Fred Bell's new career, moving him forward to commissions and other national exhibitions.  Bell also exhibited in Fish Creek's Peninsula School of Art “30 Paintings in 30 Days” this past November, where he showed 30 self-portraits that were specifically configured to infer a greater concept to the portrait, and his portraits. The combined effort this past year between the Marshall Building project and the Peninsula School of Art exhibition has revolutionized Bell's artwork, especially in portraiture. He chatted while sitting in the Portrait Society's Gallery A among Giotto\'s expressive faces to talk about his prolific year in 2011. How often do you paint?<o:p /> I paint everyday. Before I started the “30 paintings in 30 days” project. It can be anywhere from two to eight hours depending on what else I need to do. So, I typically finish a painting in one day, so that wasn't that much different for me. I like to work fast and spontaneous, so both projects worked for me.<o:p /> What was most difficult about painting at the Marshall Building? The hardest part was asking people to sit for the portraits. When you need to ask people to sit, to take that time, it can be very hard for people to agree to do this. Everyone felt different about having their portrait painted and some refused. <o:p /> How has the Marshall Building changed your artwork? The Marshall Building project has been a source of tremendous growth for me. In the concept, painting skills, publicity, and my approach to portraiture. It's been very rewarding and I think it shows my growth. How did the Marshall Building portraits influence the project for the Peninsula School of Art?<o:p /> The exhibition at Fish Creek, the Peninsula School, is a conceptual presentation. I'm thinking differently about painting themes, the costume, color and presentation. I had been doing portraits, but I was too inhibited beforehand. So, this gave me the opportunity to try with my own portraits. What I couldn't do on others because I was also satisfied with my own portrait, what I had painted. The 30 portraits in the show [Peninsula School of Art] need to be sold together. They look inward, outward and upward in an arranged sequence so they become bigger than the portrait [the image and the genre] by itself. Here we are, sitting in the Portrait Society Gallery. What does that mean to you?<o:p /> Deb Brehmer [the curator and owner] has been a big deal, a big inspiration for me to do these and other portraits. She started me on this path and exhibited my work when I began. Because I've done so many more portraits, it's an intriguing route to take. I do about 15 commissioned portraits every several months. It's a welcome challenge. And the Marshall Building portraits certainly changed that. But the Marshall Building portraits are coming down the first of the year. So, it's the very last chance for this exhibition. And I'm looking forward to a fresh approach and project in 2012. The Portrait Society Gallery is located on the fifth floor of the Marshall Building, 207 East Buffalo Street. Or contact <a href=\"mailto:fred@fredbellpaintings.com\">fred@fredbellpaintings.com</a>  or fredbellpaintings.com  <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p>

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