Kirstan Fitzpatrick
Opening: April 5 | 3-5pm
Precious Virtues are defined as qualities of moral excellence that are considered to be of high value. Virtues, such as compassion, courage, perseverance, honesty, and justice play such a significant role in our lives, that without them we would not be able to succeed as individuals. On the contrary, we would simply give up and grow frustrated whenever we are faced with difficulties.
Virtues are the building blocks of what makes a community. It allows us to communicate effectively with one another, care for each other, encourage each other, and work through problems, whether great or small. So, because we as individuals have virtues instilled within us, our strong positive sense of morality allows us to move forward and make progress, which compounds itself into strong societies.
This exhibit is entitled “Precious Virtues” to describe the historic African American figures seen in each painting as representatives of such invaluable traits. As the viewer takes a closer look and observes each piece, they may find one or all of these virtues in the expression or body language of each subject.
Artist Statement
I make portraits of historical African Americans to show an appreciation of who I am, and where I come from. This body of artwork was created to emphasize that each one of us represents the essence of what America was founded upon.
My paintings, depicting portraits of African Americans at various historical time points, are based on archival photos that I have used as starting points for my artwork. In my paintings, I have given each unknown person a name (or title) to further stress their being real human beings that existed, and should be remembered as such.
The painting process includes initially studying an archival photograph and using it to build a composition (i.e. determining position of the subject, choosing colors, and the background of painting). Once I have determined a composition that I feel best suits the person in the photograph, I then proceed to outline the painting on canvas. The portraits are then painted in a combination of bold and muted colors and balanced with various symbolic images or scenery, to create a realistic-impressionistic style.
Many of the people in the various historical photos that I study are individuals whose life stories have been untold. They are people with names long forgotten. This inspires me to take on the accountability of researching and finding out whatever I can about the time and place each photo was taken. If I cannot identify the individual (which is often the case), I attempt to give each person in the paintings a voice or identity by choosing names and creating settings (or symbolic themes) that coincide with the chosen subject.
I think that what inspires me to paint portraits and figures from historical photos is the desire to bring these photos to a more contemporary light, and to remind others of African American history, and how this history is still relevant to today’s world. I hope to enlighten others to the fact that all history needs to be remembered.
About the Artist
Kirstan Fitzpatrick is a portraiture artist from Mercer County, New Jersey.
As a child, Kirstan had a vivid imagination and loved to create things from almost anything she could find around the house. She would often check out books on arts and crafts from the library to learn new techniques, (from drawing, to learning colored pencil, painting, sewing, knitting, or crochet). She would have her little sister as her assistant in her creative adventures, or to be the subject of her portraits.
While attending junior high and high school, Kirstan chose art as an elective for every semester. She spent much of her school free time in the art room, working on not only the projects for the class, but also on her own personal projects. Kirstan also spent a great deal of time in the school library and became very interested in African American history and researching historical photos. It was during this time that she began to explore creating artwork with archival photos. She continued to occasionally draw, sketch, and create, even as life seemed to pull her in various directions.
After marriage, and having three beautiful daughters, Kirstan often shared her creativity with her children (from making paper bag puppets, to 3D paintings and collages). She always encouraged her children to use their imaginations and think outside the box. Her daughters learned that they could use almost anything to make their creative ideas come to life (even recyclables).
It was after her brother was married, and Kirstan was requested to paint a portrait of her brother’s wife for Christmas, that she seriously began to study and review the basic principles of art. She also reviewed painting techniques in order to prepare a memorable portrait. Once the painting for her sister-in-law was completed, Kirstan realized she truly enjoyed the process of developing and creating portraits, and wanted to further her skills. She continued her study of portraiture by poring over art books and taking art classes. Kirstan soon found, as she prepared painting after painting, that she had a true passion for combining African American history with portraiture. She continues to create these unique paintings to share with others.
