Pearl Zillah Smith

Newtown High School of Performing Arts
Portraits of Zelda, Michael and Courtney
Painting

This work started as an exploration of the techniques and style of Renaissance and Baroque painting. I was particularly interested in the work of Caravaggio and Vermeer. Studying the techniques and aesthetics of these painters gave me an in-depth education in realist painting, as well as seeing the potential of chiaroscuro to create expression and tone in portraiture. The slow art of this disciplined painting style allowed for a meditative and contemplative study of the human face; the structure, expressions and details that are lost in the immediacy of our digital era. Zelda, Michael and Courtney are members of my family.

ARTEXPRESS is a joint venture of the NSW Department of Education and the Board of Studies Teaching and Educational Standards NSW, hosted by Hazelhurst Regional Gallery & Arts Centre.