Biography
Chris Duke is an accomplished, award-winning fine artist and illustrator. Her paintings adorn corporate headquarters as well as homes across the country. Chris believes that serious portraits are emblematic; they portray the subject to the viewer over an extended time, well beyond the day of the sitting. A finely wrought portrait immortalizes a moment and captures its importance.
As an official portrait artist for THE PLAYERS Championship, Chris has completed more than forty portraits of winning golfers, all of which are on display at the beautiful Sawgrass clubhouse gallery in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Chris relates to the challenge of solo performance, man versus himself on any given scorecard.
As one of America’s leading illustrators, well known for her classical pen and ink style, Chris has worked for Fortune 500 companies such as American Express, AT & T, IBM, and Adidas, as well as for publications including the New York Times, People Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal. In the nineties, she illustrated animated television ads for Johnson and Johnson. Chris has been represented by artist's agents Frank & Jeff Lavaty of New York City since her early twenties.
Chris attended the Parsons School of Design and holds a Master of Arts in Figurative Studies from the New York Academy of Art. She lives in Winchester, Virginia with her husband John along with the best dogs on Planet Earth, Boston Terriers Lucy & Luna -- and their nemesis, the wily cat Alice.
As an official portrait artist for THE PLAYERS Championship, Chris has completed more than forty portraits of winning golfers, all of which are on display at the beautiful Sawgrass clubhouse gallery in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Chris relates to the challenge of solo performance, man versus himself on any given scorecard.
As one of America’s leading illustrators, well known for her classical pen and ink style, Chris has worked for Fortune 500 companies such as American Express, AT & T, IBM, and Adidas, as well as for publications including the New York Times, People Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal. In the nineties, she illustrated animated television ads for Johnson and Johnson. Chris has been represented by artist's agents Frank & Jeff Lavaty of New York City since her early twenties.
Chris attended the Parsons School of Design and holds a Master of Arts in Figurative Studies from the New York Academy of Art. She lives in Winchester, Virginia with her husband John along with the best dogs on Planet Earth, Boston Terriers Lucy & Luna -- and their nemesis, the wily cat Alice.
Artist Statement
Creating art is adventure, a battle of wits with what is yet unrealized on a canvas or paper.
Despite mountains of passionately created precious sketches – sketches penned out like stalwart dreams of mice and men – the artist can never wholly anticipate the outcome when she paints. Possibilities, treacherous pathways abound with every step as she leans in with her line and color. All the while the clock is ticking; time is always finite. Decisions are required: choose this or that. She paints on. Sometimes she ventures too close in to perceive the whole of it. Sometimes she should heed the inner muse and JUST STOP; tomorrow will be fresh. Pauses and reflection are vital to good discernment.
Somewhere within this creative process her art attains a voice of its own, looks back to tell her a thing or two about what it requires: More contrast! Keep color pure! By all means, tone down that ear lest pundits label you paranoid … Within her gray cells live a hubbub of notions from beloved mentors past. All good stuff.
Through heartfelt process, her art may develop a unique way of seeing. Apprehension becomes individuated. Over time, her paintings have brought forth vistas that she never fathomed within herself. Life-giving is creation, expansive for the soul.
At times she has to reexamine the whole kit and caboodle, reevaluate everything. Perhaps shift. We are “out there” when works are public, when we invite folks to see the joy we see, feel awed by beauty so close -- the mystery of a gaze, an ephemeral light, perhaps expansive settings of imaginary realms, then the silliness and fun of a caricature and somber reality of war, loss – holy is the sacred mystery of life that is, somehow, sometimes captured in an image.
Despite mountains of passionately created precious sketches – sketches penned out like stalwart dreams of mice and men – the artist can never wholly anticipate the outcome when she paints. Possibilities, treacherous pathways abound with every step as she leans in with her line and color. All the while the clock is ticking; time is always finite. Decisions are required: choose this or that. She paints on. Sometimes she ventures too close in to perceive the whole of it. Sometimes she should heed the inner muse and JUST STOP; tomorrow will be fresh. Pauses and reflection are vital to good discernment.
Somewhere within this creative process her art attains a voice of its own, looks back to tell her a thing or two about what it requires: More contrast! Keep color pure! By all means, tone down that ear lest pundits label you paranoid … Within her gray cells live a hubbub of notions from beloved mentors past. All good stuff.
Through heartfelt process, her art may develop a unique way of seeing. Apprehension becomes individuated. Over time, her paintings have brought forth vistas that she never fathomed within herself. Life-giving is creation, expansive for the soul.
At times she has to reexamine the whole kit and caboodle, reevaluate everything. Perhaps shift. We are “out there” when works are public, when we invite folks to see the joy we see, feel awed by beauty so close -- the mystery of a gaze, an ephemeral light, perhaps expansive settings of imaginary realms, then the silliness and fun of a caricature and somber reality of war, loss – holy is the sacred mystery of life that is, somehow, sometimes captured in an image.