Her work "Boundless" received a Gold Medal of Honor in Painting at the Allied Artists of America 99th Annual Juried National Exhibition in New York City. Kordic has also been named an "artist to watch" by Southwest Art Magazine.
Here is a brief biography which I have copied from her website www.alternativeportraiture.com:
"Stanka Kordic’s collectors would say her work affects them on many levels. Her paintings speak for themselves, never nostalgic replications of by-gone days, but truly contemporary examples of Modern Art rendered with the skill and passion of the Master’s traditions. They provide lasting pleasure, as one is always delighted to find a previously undiscovered passage with each new glance.
Stanka Kordic is a first generation American born of Croatian parents. She followed her talented brothers, Vladimir and Branko into the World of Art. Stanka graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 1985. From there, she traveled Europe, taking in as much art as humanly possible - searching for her voice as a painter. She returned to work as an illustrator for several years. Her projects included editorial art, package design, and book illustration. In pursuit of artistic freedom, she left the commercial world in 1988 to establish a fine art studio, concentrating her efforts on painting the landscape and figure. This led to local recognition, awards, and inclusion in several corporate collections throughout the midwest, including Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, and Key Corp.
Inspired by people, she turned to the field of commissioned portraiture in 1998 to become successful employing the philosophy of making the portrait a great painting by transcending likeness, hence the name Alternative Portraiture.
Her extensive client list spans the US, crossing the ocean to England and Croatia.
Stanka continues to work from life and her own source materials as she studies the figure in many different environments, integrating elements of abstraction with realism."
Without any further adieu, here is the interview along with images of her works! Thank you Stanka!
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| Stanka Kordic at work in her studio. |
Gavin: Could you describe your earliest memories as
an artist?
Stanka: My earliest memories
of an artist where of keeping a sketchbook. In it was some drawing of life
around me, but most often it was people and story lines I made up. I also loved
my Etch-A-Sketch. In fact, when I was hospitalized for a week at age 5, that
was the only thing I wanted with me.
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| Boundless, 30x36, 2012 |
Gavin: Could you tell me about your education and training?
Stanka: I have a BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art. I've also taken numerous workshops from a variety of people. Started painting in oil at age 15.
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| Lift the Veil, 20x30 |
Gavin: Please describe your style and methods.
Stanka: My style and methods
are not simple to describe, but here's the nutshell. Overall representational,
with a twist. I like to keep the figure fairly realistic in handling as the
focal point/entry into the piece, and then allow the marks to determine how the
painting will evolve. I rarely follow a strict plan of action. A loose idea is
my only start, with the placement of the figure determined. The rest becomes
quite an intuitive journey, working indirectly in multiple layers of paint over
a long length of time. My reference are my own photos of real people as models,
the environment is also a real place, but will often change as the painting
changes.
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| Portrait of Nehemiah, 15x20 |
Gavin: People love to know what materials an
artist favors. What paints, brushes, supports, and mediums do you
prefer?
Stanka: I use oil primed lead
on linen, mounted on gator board. (New Traditions) I like the rigid surface,
and because I work in so many layers, it is structurally and archivally more
sound than stretched linen. Paints: no real preference. Gamblin, WN the usual
brand. My brushes are a mess. Whatever is on sale in bristle or mongoose,
sometimes a synthetic for softer passages. I also use wide, 2-3" bristle
gesso brushes for my big strokes, often a roller, a spatula, palette knife..fingers..Whatever
it takes. Not terribly fussy with my materials aside from the panels. Mediums:
M.Graham Walnut Oil in alkyd, or more recently, Oleogel from Natural PIgments.
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| An assortment of Kordic's brushes |
Gavin: What has been most challenging for you as an artist?
Stanka: Most challenging for
me as an artist is the fluctuations of the market. Making a living doing this
has always been difficult, even though I knew that signing up. It gets hard
dealing with the worry of it all. Each year I get better at tuning those
thoughts out, and trusting the process and the path I've been given, and chose
to follow.
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| Kordic's Palette |
Gavin: The art world is changing dramatically and we
are seeing a return to representational art. Would you comment on
the direction we are headed and make a prediction for what the art world will
look like in 15-25 years?
Stanka: The direction of the
art world is getting interesting. When I left the scene to raise a family and
focus on portraiture in 1998, not much was happening in the representational
art market. The recent shift has been amazing to witness.
Not sure I can
predict, but I can tell you what I'd LIKE to see
..a greater focus on
thought, hand in hand with excellent craftsmanship. Period. How that end result
is achieved should not matter if you are a practicing professional. Seeing the
work as a stand alone entity, rather than focusing on the gender, age, or
education of the artist. Individual voices stepping forward, rather than
getting in line with all that is currently trendy. I want to see some joyful
work, rather than all the focus on how hard it is. Yes, the discipline of it
all is a given in working representationally. It just is. No need to glorify
it.
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| Within Reach, 40x50, 2011 |
Gavin: What interests you most (in terms of
subject and theme) as an artist
and why?
Stanka: In terms of subject
matter, I feel committed to this path of integrating the figure with the
environment, and honoring the voice of the paint. I will most likely stick to
using women and children as well. Children have often been dismissed as overly
sentimental, and women are often objectified. I try to describe them in a more
powerful way.
As far as paint..there
is something about looking at my materials, knowing the limitations and the
possibilities, then seeing what happens as I use them. I like NOT being in
charge of the whole process. That's where the joy, the courage comes in. It's a
rush diving in and screaming as I fling a color on the face I never used
before, or wiping another section off that I just spent 8 hours working on. For
me, the actual imagery of what I make is often secondary to the materials. Yes,
the figure is an important portal to catch the viewer's attention. Then the
piece softens, and becomes theirs. I don't want to provide all the information
in the first reading. It's the viewer's journey, as much as mine.
I'm pretty much done
with straight up figurative painting (working from life) which I still do
fairly often. It's good exercise, but limiting to what I want to do within a
piece.
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| Visionaries, 36x48 |
Gavin: Who has been the greatest support to you as an
artist and how?
Stanka: My husband has been my
greatest support. He simply gets it, and is committed to making sure I
continue, even when times get challenging for our family. He's never
condescending. I'll always be grateful for that.
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| Path Takes Hold, 40x50, 2011 |
Gavin: Please tell us about your influences.
Stanka: My influences are the
usual suspects in the painting world. John Singer Sargent, Rembrandt, Cassatt,
Degas, all the Wyeths. Sorolla. Too many. I look at Diebenkorn, Picasso, Frida
Kahlo as well.
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| Rise, 30x20, 2012 |
Gavin: Why do you make art? Why is it Important?
Why painting?
Stanka: I view art making as a
vocation, rather than an occupation. It really is a path for me. If I'm doing
it well, then something gets triggered in the viewer, a change, a new way of
seeing the world, perhaps. A new way of seeing themselves.
At the risk of being
over the top..I see all art as another form of healing. It can (I believe) over
time, elevate one's experience of life. This is why I've never felt compelled
to do work that reminds others of what's wrong out there. We need to feel
better about our place, not worse.
Why painting? Not
sure. I started at age 15 with oils and that was it!
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| Release, 23x20, 2012 |
Stanka: Words of wisdom for
young artists.. walk into the world of art eyes wide open. It is not an easy
life, but there is nothing more fulfilling. Arm yourself with all kinds of
education, from the fundamentals of art making to the basics of business. Study
with many different teachers, and listen to your own voice when it makes itself
known. You are your own best advocate. Never be shy about standing up for your
work. If you don't believe in what you are doing, no one else will. Go forward
with faith.
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| She Followed the Bird Path, 20x30, 2012 |
Stanka: I practice a lot of
yoga and it's principles are key in my work. I'm also an occasional
professional wedding photographer.
Thank you again, Stanka! To learn more about her work and to see images, please visit her website at www.alternativeportraiture.com
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