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Elahe Crockett PH.D |
“Crimson Dream”, Medium: Oil & Gold leaf (23k) on canvas 18 x 24 As in many of my other works, I enjoy painting my subjects during a time in which they feel at peace and one with themselves. This painting shows a reclining woman, alone in her surroundings and seemingly in a relaxed state of mind. Also, in painting a nude I wished to highlight the beauty of a woman while at the same time protecting the painting from being sexually exploitative. |
"Morning Light", Oil on canvas, 22x30 inches Collection of the artist There is a special almost magical quality in the light of the early morning. The old masters knew it well. The promise of a lovely new day smiles into the room, bright stream of light wash away dreams. |
“Midnight in the Sun” oil on canvas:30x40 inches Collection of the artist (A finalist for International 2007 ARC Salon) www.artrenewal.org What I wished to depict in this painting was a stress-free moment shared between a girl and her pet (Midnight) in an otherwise hectic world. Contrasting the darkness around the subjects with the light shining on them better establishes the relationship of serenity and peace with unrest and anxiety. |
"Sarah Joon", oil on canvas, 18x24" In this painting, a teenage girl contemplatively gazes out of a window while the sunlight dances across her face. As a mother, I wished to show that although she appears to be in thought, possibly imagining the stresses in her life, she still looks towards a bright future; a situation that almost every teen goes through, and that every parent witnesses. |
“Midnight in the Sun” I oil on canvas:18x24 inches |
“Darya,” Heroine of September 11 Medium: oil & Gold leaf (23k) on canvas 18x24 Ms. Darya Linn was a gifted Engineer who perished in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. To get to know the subject, I reviewed Darya’s artwork, lots of photographs and listened to people who knew her well. These observations revealed a bright and confident individual. Informal and quick to smile she was a naturally beautiful woman. To reflect her style, a simple white blouse and understated hoop earrings were selected instead of formal attire. The setting of the work came naturally from the name Darya, which in Persian means ocean or the sea. In the completed portrait, Darya flashes her warm smile as a gentle sea breeze stirs her hair in a place where the ocean meets the sky. |
“The Boys” oil on canvas; 18x24 inches On a summer day, a mother took a quick snapshot of her two sons in the back yard. The boys were clowning-around as boys will do, they are like a totem pole, with one head on top of another. Years latter, the mother’s favorite photograph became, “The Boys,” a portrait of the joys of child hood. For the unveiling, the entire family came to my studio on Mother’s Day. The Boys, now young men, enjoyed the work every bit as much as their mother. With the same sense of humor, they reenacted the same pose as in their childhood portrait. |
“Timeless”, an homage to William Bouguereau, oil on canvas, 24x30" |
"Sogoal" a chemical engineering graduate student, oil on canvas, 18x24" |
"The Artist’s father", oil on canvas, oil on canvas, 18x24". Ali Torabi (1918-20013) |
The Library Hotel Collection |
"Veiled dreams" Oil painting and collage on canvas, 24x36 inches Peering out from black robes and a thick veil are the bright and happy eyes of a young woman, inviting you to see her incomplete self-portrait. With youthful optimism she would like everyone to know that there is nothing evil about the lovely swirls of her hair. The portrait also includes her lips; symbolic of her dream to be educated and respected with a positive voice in the world. As a girl growing up in the Middle East, I wanted to ride a bike, climb trees and do all the fun things my brothers did. However, there were always those who said, "you can’t do that, you are a girl." In my home I was fortunate to have a family who encouraged me to be someone for myself and to never stand in the shadows. As I grew older I had dreams of college, travel, sports, a family, and a career. In the course of my travels I found myself in the exotic State of Michigan, where I became a professor of medical science, a wife, mother and an artist. Although I never did become an Olympic volleyball champion, I have had the great fortune to pursue my dreams and realize many of them. But other girls have dreams and goals; what about them? To realize bold dreams, a positive self-image is a very powerful tool. To her credit, the outgoing and optimistic girl in my painting has a positive self-image. The vibrant beauty of the girl’s smiling eyes form a striking contrast to the dark fabric covering her body and mouth as though she should be ashamed and forbidden to speak. The girl behind the veil attempts to show you that her hair, although covered, is not evil. She has a voice and she has something to say. In all of her innocence and naiveté, the girl does not notice a large bird hovering over her. The winged beast has arisen out of the fabric of her robes. It watches and waits; expecting to feed upon the death of the girl’s hopes and dreams. The dark creature expects the girl to accept that her natural hair is evil and her voice must remain silent. But the vulture is somehow less distinct than it once was. And who can say "no" to the positivity and empowerment in the girl’s vibrant eyes? Who will prevail? It is hard to imagine what it must be like for a free and rebellious spirit to be suppressed by rigid cultural expectations. What’s it like to be a nine year old forced into a burka when what you really want is to ride a bicycle? What options are there for bright girls with leadership potential? Are future artists and scientists being stifled and left behind? To their families I say, embrace and encourage these girls. They are the future and the future looks bright. |
"In the flowers looking at you", oil on canvas, 24X30" |
"Lineage", oil on canvas, oil on canvas, 18x24" |
“Self-Portrait” Oil on canvas; 18x24 inches In this portrait study a very limited palette (4 colors) has been used. The face was painted from the image in the mirror and the hands directly from the artist’s hands. This painting was inspired while attending a workshop by Nelson Shanks at Studio Incamminati in Philadelphia. |