CB SPIRIT

“We are spiritual animals”. CB is fascinated by the Human, the most authentic and the universal essence of our kind. Due to her private nature, she only allows herself to stare at someone when officially allowed to photograph or paint this person.

She looks within and sees (and captures) people’s inner beauty. Each project is a discovery, for both her and the model, looking at each other for hours, while she feels a rush of adrenaline necessary to render on canvas the spark of life she was aiming at. The result is the authentic creation of a psychological portrait.In 2007, she met Leonid Gervitz, at the Arts Students League of New York. Soon after, she met Nelson Shanks, a great master of beautiful photorealistic art. For two years, she studied with him figure drawing. His clear and clean methodology was a promise she could not resist. His passion for the colors and his “color studies” technique gave her a new horizon and vocabulary. “It is easier to dull a strong color than to wake up a dead one,” he would say. In the Spring of 2009, she was awarded the “David Frederick Emerson Grant”, which allowed her to attend the prestigious Summer Intensive Portrait Course at Studio Incamminati, Nelson Shanks’ school, and legacy, in Philadelphia. Later on, she also practiced her skills with Costa Vavagiakis, Frank Porcu, and Michael Grimaldi. In June 2011, she won the “Adolf H. & Ada Aldrich Grant” (Realism Category) for a finished portrait she had completed in her art studio.

Her style combines classic techniques with modern colors and contemporary lighting. She paints what she sees and her subjectivity allows for an even more realistic representation.

In Caroline’s 2010 solo exhibition catalog, H. E. M, René Novella, Historian and Private Advisor of H. H. Prince Albert II wrote “... In terms of technique, she went from acrylic to oil, and to painting, she added metal sculpture. As for themes, she chose the portrait - with an impressive achievement that makes me predict that she will reach the perfection of her undoubted talent - and mystical subjects.”

“The goal is to catch the resemblance, spark of life and uniqueness of a face and presence”. Portrait paintings and drawings immortalize a moment, a state, the inner world of a person, their beauty, their individuality… In this tech era, though, of the digital plethora of images and selfies, it is important to raise the question of why to practice such an archaic activity. I can reply in five words: pleasure, precision, challenge, connection, and magic.

. Precision: from my experience working with beauty and fashion photographers for high-end magazines, I keep the joy of doing things right, taking my time to position the model and the light in the optimal way.

. Challenge: Each project is a discovery, for both the model and myself, looking at each other for hours, while I feel a rush of adrenalin, necessary to render on canvas the spark of life I seek. The result is the authentic creation of a psychological portrait.

. Connection and magic: In this shared light hypnosis, with intense yet calm focus, it is as if the eyes slowly adjust to see the true colors of the skin, to transcribe onto the canvas. This magic cannot happen while working from photographs.

. Pleasure: from preparing the canvas to making the grisaille (under painting), and the side color study, to struggle with chaos until the image appears, to the enhancement of the dry colors with varnish, the full process is pure pleasure.

I want my portraits to translate my perception, so my focus is on the eyes, the center of the face, and on the hands, while the rest, details of the clothing or the background can remain as a blur. My main interest in portraiture is to capture the resemblance, the essence, and the presence of a person. My models unanimously said I make them “more beautiful on canvas”.