Rachel Constantine

Rachel Constantine (born 1973) is a Philadelphia-based realist / impressionist painter.[1][2] Her figurative work serves as a metaphor for exploring her life experience, and she uses people, places, and objects closest to her to convey ongoing themes.[3]

Rachel Constantine
NationalityThe United States
OccupationArtist
Years active2000–present
Works
Portraiture, landscape, still-life, figurative oil painting and drawing
Websitewww.rachelconstantine.com

Constantine is the recipient of numerous awards, including a Certificate of Excellence from the Portrait Society of America, five awards from the Woodmere Art Museum in Pennsylvania, and one from the Allied Artists of America in NYC. Her work has been exhibited in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Museum, Philadelphia City Hall, the National Arts League in New York City, and the Woodmere Art Museum in Chestnut Hill, PA. Three of her paintings were featured in Alla Prima: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Direct Painting, published in 2009 by Watson-Guptil, NY. Her painting "Self Portrait with a Man" was purchased by The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine arts for their permanent collection in December 2018.

Constantine holds a certificate in Painting from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and lives and works in Center City, Philadelphia.

Biography

Rachel Constantine was born in Philadelphia in 1973. In 2003, she received a certificate in Painting from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, where she graduated with honors. Since then, she has participated in almost 50 exhibitions, won five awards from the Woodmere Art Museum in Pennsylvania, a Certificate of Excellence from the Portrait Society of America, eleven awards from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and another from Allied Artists for America in New York City.

In 2006, Constantine was invited to exhibit in Artworks Gallery at the Philadelphia Museum of Art as the local complement to the Museum's exhibition: Wyeth: Memory and Magic. Her work can be found in The Vivian O. and Meyer P. Potamkin Collection in the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and is featured in the new hard-cover illustrated book Alla Prima: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Direct Painting[4] written by Al Gury, the chairman of the Pennsylvania Academy's painting department.

Education

Works

In her Monument (2006), Constantine explores themes that are at once personal and timeless. The composition alludes both to the symbolic nature morte of the Baroque era and to the still lifes of Chardin. Her own sensibility adds poetry as well as an edge of modern anxiety and sadness.[4]:145

In her Swan Pond (2002), the amount of thinner, oil, and so forth added to the paint has a profound effect on the quality of the brush calligraphy and the details in a painting. Broad, scumbled masses provide the setting for paint that has varying degrees of oil added to it. The gazebo, water reflection, and swans achieve their clarity because they are rendered with brushstrokes that are more thickly loaded with paint and also because that paint has a small amount of oil added. This follows the "lean to fat" concept of layering. The "fatter" final, detail touches sit on top with clarity due to the added oil, which created a sharper edge over the less oily paint beneath.[4]:27

Beyond the Surface

Constantine made her curatorial debut at the Principle Gallery in Alexandria, Virginia, with Beyond the Surface, a group show featuring work from realist artist who include conceptual elements in their work along with their high levels of technical mastery. Artists chosen by Constantine include Daniel Sprick, Mario Robinson, Charles Morris, Rose Frantzen, Stephen Layne, Amy Kann, Renee Foulks, Stephen Early, and Stephen Cefalo.[5]

Interview

Constantine's projects are typically sparked by a particular quality that she observes in someone that she feels compelled to try to capture and translate visually. She almost always paints people she knows because she prefers to have that emotional connection going in. Constantine says, "my paintings don't necessarily aim to be "about" the person I'm working with; it's the characteristics of the individual that I try to use as a vehicle to express larger concepts. Typically, I'll bring subject into my studio, try my best to get them to relax and not "model," and then photograph them in an attempt to achieve a specific pose that speaks to me. I try to have as few preconceptions as possible at this point, because my whole goal is to capture a "found moment." Once the pose is set, I bring the model back for sittings, as needed."

Constantine thinks that classical painting is all about light; she finds in her own work that a piece's success often rises and falls according to the accuracy of its depiction. she says, "in learning to paint light, one learns to capture emotion. That's why I rarely use artificial light sources; there's a limitlessness about the color and range of natural light that artificial light just can't reproduce. To my thinking, color in and of itself does not make art. There's form, function and foundation there, it's one thing to say something's beautiful- because there's beauty in almost everything, if you take the time to stop and really look hard enough- but it's another to call it a work of art. So I tend to admire painters who are strong draftsmen first." [6]

Awards
  • 2012 The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Fellowship Award
  • 2010 The Woodmere Endowment Fund Memorial Prize, Woodmere Art Museum
  • 2010 The Coverly-Smith Prize, Woodmere Art Museum
  • 2009 Certificate of Excellence, Portrait Society of America, Inc.
  • 2009 Maybelle Longstreet Prize, Woodmere Art Museum
  • 2008 The Violet Oakley Painting Prize, Woodmere Art Museum
  • 2005 The American Artist's Professional League Award, Allied Artists of America
  • 2005 Honorable Mention, Woodmere Art Museum
  • 2004 Six Week Residency at Cavendish Art College, London, UK
  • 2003 The May Audubon Post Prize for Excellence in Painting
  • 2003 The Linda Lee Alter Award for Excellence in Painting
  • 2003 The Charles Toppan Prize for Excellence in Drawing
  • 2003 The Lambert and Emma Wallace Cadwalader Prize for Portraiture
  • 2002 The Daniel Garber Prize for Excellence in Drawing
  • 2002 The Earl T. Donelson Figure Painting Award
  • 2002 The Henry C. Pratt Memorial Prize for Excellence in Printmaking
  • 2002 The Huldah Bender Kerner Scholarship
  • 2002 The Franklin C. Watkins Memorial Grant
  • 2001 The Irma H. Cook Prize for Excellence in Drawing
  • 1999/2000/2001/2002 The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Merit Scholarship

Exhibitions
2015
  • Unfurl-Invitational Exhibition
    Gallery 1261, Denver, CO
  • 25th Anniversary Miniature exhibition
    Abend Gallery, Denver, CO
2014
  • New Faces
    Principle Gallery, Charleston, SC
  • Face-Off/Live Portrait Painting Demo
    Principle Gallery, Charleston, SC
2013
  • Beyond the Surface -*Curator/exhibitor*
    Principle Gallery, Alexandria, VA
  • WPW (R)Evolution!
    Principle Gallery, Alexandria, VA
  • Face-Off, Portrait Painting Demo and Exhibition
    Principle Gallery, Alexandria, VA
  • Spring Still Life Invitational
    Principle Gallery, Alexandria VA
  • Year of the Woman; Paintings and Sculpture of Woman by Women
    Artists House Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2012
  • Converge; Where Classical and Contemporary Art Collide
    25CPW, New York, NY
  • Still Life Invitational
    Artists House Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
  • Women Painting Women; The Expedition and Beyond
    Principle Gallery, Alexandria, VA
  • Likeness: A Group Exhibition Showcasing Portraits
    The Philadelphia Board of Ethics, Philadelphia, PA
2011
  • Anatomy Now!
    Museum of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
  • The Catherine Lorrillard Wolfe Annual Juried Exhibition
    National Arts Club, New York, NY
  • The Figure: A Group Show
    The University of Connecticut Stamford Art Gallery, Stamford, CT
2010
  • Portrait of the Artist
    Museum of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
  • Women Painting Women
    Robert Lange Gallery, Charleston, SC
  • 150th Anniversary of the Philadelphia Sketch Club
    Philadelphia City Hall, Philadelphia, PA
  • 147th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings
    Philadelphia Sketch Club, Philadelphia, PA
  • Art of the Flower
    Philadelphia Sketch Club, Philadelphia, PA
  • Contemporary Voices
    Woodmere Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA (Prizewinner)
  • Plein Air for Camphill
    Rosenfeld Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2009
  • "Form & Figure", Solo Exhibition
    Pennswood Art Gallery, Newtown, PA
  • Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club 113th Annual Exhibition
    National Arts Club, New York, NY
  • Contemporary Voices
    Woodmere Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA (Prizewinner)
2008
  • Femmes et Fleurs
    Pennsylvania Art Conservatory, Philadelphia, PA
  • Woodmere Art Museum 68th Annual Juried Exhibition
    Woodmere Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA (Prizewinner)
2007
  • Portraiture: A Philadelphia Tradition
    Wayne Art Center, Wayne, PA
  • Time and Place
    Artists' House Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
  • Philadelphia Women Artists of the 20th Century plus Three Contemporaries
    Pennsylvania Art Conservatory, Philadelphia, PA
2006
  • Rachel Constantine Paintings
    Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
  • Woodmere Art Museum 66th Annual Juried Exhibition
    Woodmere Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA
2005
  • Allied Artists of America 92nd Annual Juried Exhibition
  • The National Arts Club, New York, NY (Prizewinner)
  • Artists' House Gallery Summer Exhibition
    Artists' House Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
  • Annual Juried Alumni Exhibition
    The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
  • Rachel Constantine New Works Show
    Artists' House Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
  • Corpus VI: Six Contemporary Figurative Painters
    Highwire Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
  • 142nd Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings
    Philadelphia Sketch Club, Philadelphia, PA
  • Woodmere Art Museum 65th Annual Juried Exhibition
    Woodmere Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA (Prizewinner)
2004
  • Annual Juried Alumni Exhibition
    The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
  • Rachel Constantine Solo Exhibition
    Twenty Two Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
  • Annual Juried Works on Paper Exhibition
    Philadelphia Sketch Club, Philadelphia, PA
2003
  • 106th Annual Exhibition
    The Fellowship of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA (Prizewinner)
  • Annual Juried Alumni Exhibition
    The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
  • Emerging Artist Exhibition
    Artist's House Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
  • Annual Juried Student Exhibition
    The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
  • 140th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings
    Philadelphia Sketch Club, Philadelphia, PA
2002
  • Annual Juried Student Exhibition
    The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA (multiple prizewinner)
2001
  • Annual Juried Student Exhibition
    The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA (multiple prizewinner)
2000
  • Annual Juried Student Exhibition
    The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA (multiple prizewinner)

Selected bibliography

Constantine has been the subject of multiple magazine and book articles:[7]

  • "Classic Moment" Fine Art Connouseur Magazine. (November 2018)
  • Tommanie, Suzie (16 October 2017)"Women Painting Women Movement Touches Down in College Station" Houston Press
  • "The Importance of Being Part of a Group Exhibition" Professional Artist's Magazine. (March 2013)
  • "The Expedition and Beyond" American Art Collector Magazine. (April 2012)
  • "The Expedition and Beyond" Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine. (April 2012)
  • "Women Painting Women" American Art Collector Magazine. (November 2012)
  • "Women Painting Women" Art See Magazine. (Fall 2012)
  • "Glorious in Galveston" Houston House and Home Magazine. (May 2012)
  • "Top 5 Artists to Watch" Philadelphia Magazine. (November 2009)
  • Gury, Al (2009). Alla Prima, A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Direct Painting. New York: Watson-Guptill
  • "Rachel Constantine" Poets and Artists Magazine. (Spring 2009)
  • "Cover" Metro Philadelphia (29 March 2006)
  • Hill, Lori (7 April 2005) "First Friday Focus" Philadelphia City Paper
  • "Cover" Business Traveler (May 2004)

Noteworthy commissions and collections
  • Conte Products, Hunt Corporation
    Designed and executed 15 portraits, 15 still-lives and 15 color charts to illustrate and promote the use of Conte's new 'wide' crayons and pastel pencils.
  • Hasselberger Associates
    Designed and executed a three-quarter life-size portrait in oil of CEO Jeff Hasselberger.
  • Duramed Pharmaceuticals Corporate Collection
  • Henry Investment Trust, L.P. Corporate Collection
  • The Vivian O. and Meyer P. Potamkin Collection
  • The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
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References
  1. Rachel Constantine. 19 February 2013.
  2. "Philly Artists Who Will Make You Rich," (2009, November). Philadelphia Magazine, p. 36.
  3. .
  4. Gury, Al (2008). Alla Prima: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Direct Painting. Random House. ISBN 9780823098347.
  5. "American Art Collector," (2013, November). Beyond the Surface, p. 156.
  6. Menendez, D. (2009). Poets and Artists (Vol. 2).
  7. Rachel Constantine Resume. 19 February 2013.

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