After one of her works was a finalist in the 2011/12 ‘Figurative’ category of the annual International Salon organised by the Art Renewal Centre, Sayle Gallery Artist Svetlana Cameron has had two more works selected for the 2012/13 award.
The Art Renewal Centre International Salon is the most prestigious competition for painters of classical, academic, fine art, and finalists - this year chosen from over 2000 entries - are published in their catalogue and on their website, www.artrenewal.org. Svetlana’s success with ‘Emily’ last year has meant she is becoming a name to watch for her delicate, conte and charcoal portraits, and this year she is even competing against her former teachers at the Florence Academy of Art, where she took a portrait painting course in 2004.
Svetlana is thrilled, not just to have two works considered this year but in the company she’s keeping:
“To be even mentioned in the same breath as Maureen Hyde and Matthew Almy is so flattering,” she says. “I learnt so much from them, and I could not even dare to dream that one day I would be considered to be their equal.”
The winners of the Art Renewal Centre International Salon will be announced later in the year, but meanwhile, Svetlana has also been featured in the US magazine Pastel Journal after her portrait ‘Daniel’ won fourth place in the 2012 Pastel 100 competition.
“I did an interview with Pastel Journal explaining how and why I use charcoal and conte crayons for my portraits,” says Svetlana. “This interview, which ran alongside their reproduction of ‘Daniel’ - which was such a personal work - has obviously appealed to others who’d like similar portraits, and I’ve had a number of calls regarding possible commissions from the United States, which is very exciting.”
Sayle Gallery Chairman, Roger Phillips, is understandably proud of Svetlana’s achievements:
‘For Svetlana’s work to be internationally recognised is a great coup for the Sayle Gallery, and for the Isle of Man, although we’re not really surprised! After a highly successful exhibition in 2011, she had several works on display at our Summer Show in 2012, and ‘Elizabeth’ was chosen by the Lieutenant Governor as the work of the highest standard in that exhibition, and was also voted the audience’s favourite. Svetlana is without doubt one of the Sayle Gallery’s most popular artists, and her work is fast becoming the best recognised, here and abroad.”
Other examples of Svetlana’s work have been commissioned by Tynwald, where she has recently had exhibitions of her portraits of former Speakers David Cannan and Tony Brown, both of which have been included in the UK national collection of oil paintings by the Public Catalogue Foundation and can be seen on the BBC Your Paintings website. They now have a permanent home in the House of Keys Chamber, where they join a series of portraits of former Speakers dating from 1867. In addition Svetlana’s work has recently been featured in two exhibitions in London, including one at the Royal Society of Portrait Painters.
Svetlana is currently working on a number of commissions, and preparing for her next solo exhibition in 2014.
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