TRICIA TOONE | Artist & Teacher

Halie Portrait

The fourteen year-old subject is surrounded by remnants of her childhood, and growing evidence of her emerging adult identity. She holds her pet dog, a stuffed animal to her right. The walls of her room are covered with magazine clippings of her favorite musicians. Her cell phone clipped to her belt.
The portrait is a deliberately formal rendering of an informal setting and moment, a fresh juxtaposition. Importantly, the painting captures a pivotal but fleeting moment in a young woman's life.

Tricia Toone, Artist
24" x 30" oil on canvas
Pam and Dean Holmes

 

Alphonse Mucha Seasons Mural

 

Melissa McNamara, ASID Allied, principal interior designer for Generations at Home, commissioned this mural for her Far Hills client. The client wished to incorporate Art Nouveau elements into her formal living and dining spaces. In particular, the client was interested in the work of Czech artist, Alphonse Mucha.

Mucha's work was adapted to the space, with precise attention to hue and saturation, in order to created a focal point for the room, albeit one that did not compete with the existing decor. Two other figures, Fall and Winter, fill the reverse sides, in the formal dining room.

Technique is artist grade oil paints for the figures, and antiqued glazing over the surrounds.

96" x 96" oil paint on raised panel doors
Private Residence, Far Hills, New Jersey

 

Garlic

The beautiful and subtle shades of an almost monochromatic bulb of garlic are emphasized in this still life. 

12" x 12" oil on masonite
Julie and Ross Geredian

 

Still Life with Jet Fuel

Still Life with Jet Fuel is a conservation statement about unsustainable food supply lines. All fruits included in the artwork were transported by aircraft, over distances of 1,500 to 10,000 miles, and purchased at a local grocery store.

16" x 20" oil on canvas
ECOLIFE Foundation

 

Skele Guitar Painting Complete

Skele guitar body is ready to go. I've worked on lightening it up overall and making the texture a bit more gritty...as a pirate guitar should be. Once fully dry and varnished, Rick will assemble the custom built neck, electronics, and decorative pieces.

The guitar will come complete with a removable rum flask that fits in the guitar body made by tinsmith Carl Giordano. I think "His Noodliness" would be delighted.

New Group Portrait

I just finished this portrait of four sisters. This portrait was commissioned as a surprise gift from family members. So the it ended up being a tough one because it was done completely from photographs and I have never met the women being painted. I usually like to work at least in part from life. Photographs just don't do justice to real life. I know there are a lot of artists out there who comfortably work entirely from photographs and it's typical that they never meet their subjects. 

As I worked on this project, it almost seemed like I did know these girls. Perhaps staring at their images long enough, I constructed imaginary personalities in my mind. Either way, it was a fun painting to do. I think I'm going to miss them when they're gone.