Eli Portman: Artist
Ink and watercolor artist painting Boston and New York City, art teacher at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and the Eliot School, with art for sale online.
Follow me on Instagram: @eli.portman
World's Largest Watercolor
It's been an exciting achievement to work with the exhibit "Auschwitz. Not Long Ago. Not Far Away." to create the largest watercolor painting ever. It's 180 square feet, and was based off two paintings made by prisoners in concentration camps. Non-Jewish prisoners were allowed to send out limited censor approved mail from Auschwitz as long as it helped to keep up the appearance that the camps were not deadly to the outside world. Some were painted or drawn on to make the censors more likely to approve them, as they featured calming imagery. Combining two historic post card artworks, we created this larger than life painting over 2 weeks. It's been covered on a number of news networks already!
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Current Showings:Machines with Magnets, Duo show, Pawtucket RI
Ongoing: 5 paintings at Ula Cafe, Jamaica Plain, MA |
Spring/ Summer Class Offerings:
Artist's Statement
I am fascinated with the concept of perception. Many experiences in my life have made me feel quite alone. In those moments, I feel unique in the way that I perceive things. And yet at the same time, I strongly believe that we as human beings share many experiences, many thoughts, feelings, and reactions.
With my work, I approach the dissonance between perceived unique individual solitude in a crowded environment, and the commonness and sameness of such feelings.
Using detailed line work and heavy colors, I illustrate moments of 'unique' isolation that we all share. The feeling of walking alone while viewing social excitement through nighttime windows, or working while others play to their contentment.
With controlled ink lines, I capture shadows and lights. Familiar angles, familiar feelings brought on by time of day or night, placement and presence in one’s environment. I manipulate the openness and tightness of visual spaces and interiors to reflect the claustrophobia of society's open space and the endless emptiness of being crowded and crushed.
With strong colors, I attract the viewer’s eyes to specific spaces within the composition, reminding them of their own perceptions of environment, and that I, like them, find myself in there too. By capturing these scenes, I present the commonality between them and me. Though they do not know me, we are united by the sameness of the humanity we all share.
The art exhibitions that affect me most strongly are the ones that remind me of myself. Of what I love, of what I find beautiful, and of what I fear. We are always looking for a certain degree of reflections of ourselves. In images, in friends, in pets, in communities, in romantic partners. With my artwork, I attempt to bridge the gaps of solitude by harnessing that innate search for our reflections. With familiar scenes, bright colors, and fine details of everyday objects and structures, I create scenes that are familiar in their individuality.
I am fascinated with the concept of perception. Many experiences in my life have made me feel quite alone. In those moments, I feel unique in the way that I perceive things. And yet at the same time, I strongly believe that we as human beings share many experiences, many thoughts, feelings, and reactions.
With my work, I approach the dissonance between perceived unique individual solitude in a crowded environment, and the commonness and sameness of such feelings.
Using detailed line work and heavy colors, I illustrate moments of 'unique' isolation that we all share. The feeling of walking alone while viewing social excitement through nighttime windows, or working while others play to their contentment.
With controlled ink lines, I capture shadows and lights. Familiar angles, familiar feelings brought on by time of day or night, placement and presence in one’s environment. I manipulate the openness and tightness of visual spaces and interiors to reflect the claustrophobia of society's open space and the endless emptiness of being crowded and crushed.
With strong colors, I attract the viewer’s eyes to specific spaces within the composition, reminding them of their own perceptions of environment, and that I, like them, find myself in there too. By capturing these scenes, I present the commonality between them and me. Though they do not know me, we are united by the sameness of the humanity we all share.
The art exhibitions that affect me most strongly are the ones that remind me of myself. Of what I love, of what I find beautiful, and of what I fear. We are always looking for a certain degree of reflections of ourselves. In images, in friends, in pets, in communities, in romantic partners. With my artwork, I attempt to bridge the gaps of solitude by harnessing that innate search for our reflections. With familiar scenes, bright colors, and fine details of everyday objects and structures, I create scenes that are familiar in their individuality.
Art for Sale Online, with watercolor paintings of Boston, New York City, Moody artwork and thoughtful city paintings. Art of Boston, Art of New York, an online art gallery. An architecture painting artist. A locally famous artist.
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