3rd Place, 2023 Figural Competition
Joel Mitnick, Portrait of Joe, oils. © Joel Mitnick, shared with permission.
Joel Mitnick
New Jersey artist, Joel Mitnick, paints his oil portraits from life in a single sitting, using the "alla prima" or wet on wet painting technique. "I love working this way because it's so spontaneous, fresh, and exciting," he explains. "The challenge lies in bringing the character, essence, and likeness of each subject to life in a simple and uncomplicated style. It's extraordinarily stimulating and very rewarding."
Joel Mitnick, Portrait of Max, oils. © Joel Mitnick, shared with permission.
In his formative years as an artist, Mitnick found inspiration in the works of masters like Rembrandt and John Singer Sargent. Their adept manipulation of light and shadow fascinated him, spurring him to delve deeper into the study of painting and hone his skills.
A graduate of the Pratt Institute, he worked as an adjunct professor at the school teaching graphic design and visual communications for several years. During that time, he established Joel Mitnick Design Inc., a graphic design firm based in Englewood, New Jersey. He currently teaches portraiture and figure oil painting at Ridgewood Art Institute in New Jersey.
Joel Mitnick, Apples, Cutting Board and Knife, oils. © Joel Mitnick, shared with permission.
Mitnick has received many awards for his work, including several "Red Dot" awards from the Art Students League in New York for excellence in portraiture.
