Diane Rappisi

Diane Rappisi
FEATURE artist may 2017

Diane Rappisi is a contemporary realist painter whose work fuses the light and chroma of the Cape Cod colorists with the form and structure of the traditional Italian and French academies. She trained in Philadelphia, PA, in the full-time Professional Program at the innovative Studio Incamminati which was founded by renowned artist Nelson Shanks. There she deepened her understanding of color, form and anatomy, and discovered her innate love of figure painting.

Diane is a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America, and serves on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS).  She also holds memberships in the Salmagundi Club in New York, NY, the Oil Painters of America, and the Pastel Society of Colorado. Her work resides in numerous private and public collections across the country, and selected pieces have been published for the National Park Service in Glen Echo, MD.

View Diane's Website

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PSST: Diane, your bio mentions the light and chroma of the Cape Cod colorists. You use vivid colors that somehow have a subdued effect, and your color combinations are sometimes unusual. How do you select your colors and achieve such realistic skin tones?

DIANE:  Yes, I do use vivid colors – they are so joyful to work with! My color selections are based on pure observation – letting go of expectations such as “this is a shadow so it must go grayer.” I keep a selection of brilliant colors in my pastel box – warm and cool versions of all the primary and secondary colors on the color wheel. Working in pastel is especially fun because of the “sparkle” created by the optical mixing of layer upon layer of pure pigment. I try not to blend my strokes so that I can preserve that freshness and purity of color.

There is an innate color harmony and hierarchy within any subject I’m depicting; it’s not just a noisy jumble of riotous color. In my painting process, my goal is to convey the effect of that particular subject in that particular lighting environment. The key is paying attention to that hierarchy.  I first paint the large color masses that I see, as simply as possible.  In subsequent passes I adjust and manipulate the colors, looking for the smaller variations within each large mass. These variations describe plane changes and build form. 

I must give credit where it is due – my studies at Studio Incamminati really opened my eyes to the wonders of color relationships. The school’s founder, Nelson Shanks, studied with Henry Hensche at the Cape Cod School of Art. Not only did he incorporate Hensche’s concepts of “seeing color” into his own work; he and the instructional team at the school developed a curriculum that helps sensitize the artist’s eye to the subtleties of color relationships. Having experienced that learning process, for me color has changed from a struggle to “get it right” to a joyful experimentation.

Ashley, painting by Diane Rappisi

Training, instinct, observation

PSST: Those beautiful lost and found edges in your work … how much is that a result of your training and how much instinct or observation?

DIANE:  Thank you so much for your compliment. You are right to name those elements - training, instinct and observation - and I think our creative choices and personal expression come from a combination of all three of them.

Painting using Instinct and Observation without the benefit of Training is a hard and frustrating road. I know this because for many years I worked as a self-taught portrait artist. I was moderately successful, but my skills could not express what my mind envisioned, and I did not know what more I could do to improve myself. I called it my “brick wall.” Then I received the training that helped me to understand things I hadn’t even been aware that I needed to know.

Observation is crucial- it is literally how we perceive our world. Our observational skills are enhanced by Training, which simplifies and clarifies the visual chaos around us. It teaches us what to look for in our subject, and how to conceptualize structure in order to express it in two dimensions. I discovered that each and every experience of working from life continues to present new challenges and teach new lessons, no matter how long we’ve been at this. I know it’s been said many times before, but many of us are forced to work from photos, and the camera often makes everything equally flat and sharp. Balance that with working from life whenever you can. Regarding those lost and found edges, careful observation in a three-dimensional setting tells us which edges need to be pronounced and which can soften or disappear.

Instinct comes from within and is what makes each artist’s work unique. In observing the same subject, one artist might delight in the color harmonies and work in pastel, while another might be captivated by the delicate gradations in value and choose to work in graphite. Instinct is our personal response to, and interpretation of, our world.

Pensive, painting by Diane Rappisi

And, much like we can recognize a new song from a favorite singer just by the characteristics of the voice, even if it’s in a different genre, our own work identifies us to others. Our choices can tell others who we are and how we see the world. Our instincts can shine brightest when teamed with observation and training.

Never Stop Learning

PSST: Portraits and figurative art seem to be your passion. This is a difficult market, even for commissions. How has this affected your career choices?

DIANE:  It’s interesting to me that so many of the masterworks that we love so much, and flock to see in museums, are in fact portrait and figure work.

Think back to the figures in Egyptian, Greek and Roman art history; the work of old masters such as Rembrandt and Michelangelo; more recent icons like Sargent and Sorolla, Alma-Tadema, Eakins, etc.; contemporary realism masters such as Nelson Shanks, David Jon Kassan and Jacob Collins; and even the stylized works by Picasso, Lucien Freud, Warhol and Klimt. 

I think we simply feel an inexplicable human connection and are drawn to figurative work.

From my perspective as an artist, I’m intrigued by the infinite nuances of personal characteristics, body language and personal expression. So how can I resist painting what I love?

It’s true that at times it has been a difficult market, but collectors do spend money on figurative work and portraits. You might be surprised at how many people will purchase a figure or portrait of a person they don’t even know! Having lived in different parts of the country,  I have noticed a difference in regional tastes – figurative art does appear to be more popular in east & west coast urban areas. 

What has been very helpful to me in the face of such challenges is keeping my revenue stream diverse. I have been blessed to have sales and commissions through my studio and demos, but it has also been gratifying to supplement that income through teaching, exhibition awards, jurying, and consulting.

Still Life 1, painting by Diane Rappisi

PSST: Most of us consider ourselves as professional artists, not hobbyists. Could you give us a few pointers on how to create that niche or market for sales or representation?

DIANE:  Paint what you love, and never stop learning.

Think for a moment about learning any life skill: riding a bike, dancing, playing a musical instrument, driving a car. After preparing ourselves with information and with many hours of repetitive practice, we can reach a point when the technical how-to’s cease to be the total focus. At that point, we can relax a bit and actually enjoy the activity.

The more comfortable we are with the mechanics of the process, the more relaxed and enjoyable the activity becomes. We begin to experiment and take risks, we try on other artists’ styles, we celebrate our successes and learn from our failures. Our skills get stronger, we become more discerning, and we discover our strengths.  Our instincts can then kick in without interference from technical challenges or self-doubt.

THAT is the moment when your own voice begins to surface – and then you have found your niche, your unique place in the artistic landscape. When you consistently honor your instincts and work to your highest level of ability, the market responds accordingly.

David, painting by Diane Rappisi

PSST: One of the goals of PSST is education through workshops. You are conducting a demo and a workshop during the IAPS convention. Then coming to Houston for a workshop June 19-23 at the University of Houston Studio Incamminati. Please tell our members about this opportunity. (Click for info on workshop.) 

DIANE:  I am delighted to have the opportunity to come to the University of Houston to teach a Studio Incamminati “In Your Town” workshop! One of my personal goals, like that of PSST, is also education, whether through workshops, apprenticeships, online instruction or any other means. I ran a teaching studio, “The Atelier at Castle Rock” in Colorado for four and a half years in pursuit of that goal.

Now that I’m in Texas, my teaching has shifted to a workshop format, and I feel privileged to be working with such amazing organizations as IAPS and Studio Incamminati. I love that I get to meet so many interesting people who are passionate about learning.

I’m really looking forward to the Houston workshop – portraits are so intriguing and personal. In this workshop, I’m excited that we’ll have the opportunity to dig a bit deeper into the mechanics of a pastel portrait. We’ll start with design and draftsmanship and then move into building the form. We’ll discuss the features of the head, and we’ll get to experiment with color and see how that color thinking applies to portrait work. I’m looking forward to July and hope that this workshop will be helpful to you!

Diane Rappisi Schedule  at IAPS 2017 Convention in Albuquerque, NM

June 8 - Demo "The Draped Figure"

June 9 - Workshop, "Rhythm and Balance in the Nude" 

ProArt Critique  offering one-on-one critiques for individual artists