by Cindy A. Abole, Public Relations

Portrait artist Jenny Stone with her latest commissioned piece, a portrait of the late Dr. Albert Krall, professor emeritus in the Department of Biochemistry.

Jenny Stone never forgets a face. In fact she is accustomed to looking at people’s faces.

For the past 10 years, Stone has relied on her skillful eye to create beautiful portraits of family and friends.

“Every face is a challenge, every smile, every gleam in the eye,” said Stone, a Barnwell native who lived part of her adult life in Winnsboro, S.C. She is secretary to Rosalie K. Crouch, Ph.D., associate provost for research and dean of the College of Graduate Studies. Stone was attracted to portrait painting 15 years ago, while watching Winnsboro artist and friend, the late William C. Powers, paint still lifes and landscapes in the back of his men’s clothing store. Stone admired his work and was encouraged to try her own hand with watercolors.

A self-taught artist, Stone learned her craft through books, practice and support from Powers and other friends. She fondly remembers the inspiration which led her to paint her first portrait in pastels which featured her children.

“I was always puzzled when photos of my children did not seem to capture their true beauty and personality,” said Stone, who is the mother of three, Brinkley, Jeanna and the late Jake W. Stone III. “My curiosity led me to draw from these photos the identical image that seemed so void of personality, rendering exactly what I knew would be there—a perfect expression of their true nature!”

So far, Stone has painted approximately 17 portraits whose subjects have ranged from friends and their children to a few acquaintances. In 1995, she was commissioned to paint an informal portrait of noted MUSC professor and Waring Historical Library director W. Curtis Worthington Jr., M.D. The portrait was unveiled in a ceremony in spring 1996. She also completed a portrait of Ken McDonald, Ph.D., professor emeritus, Department of Biochemistry in 1996.

A soft-spoken woman, Stone describes herself as a realist. She composes mainly from photos and on occasion, tries to meet with her subjects—making her own assessments about their personality. Painting in her home dining room, Stone admits that putting the first mark on the canvas is often the biggest challenge in portraiture painting. The actual painting process is performed in a relatively short time. She is naturally drawn to the subject’s eyes, yet other physical features such as posture and smile are used to gather information necessary to gain a “sense” of the individual and establish a connection between personality and image.

“There’s something that’s most gratifying, stimulating and joyful in painting,” said Stone with a smile. “Not every portrait is perfect or pleasing, but when it does happen, for me a deep personal and sometimes spiritual experience occurs. It must provide ultimate satisfaction for me, first and foremost. The client is second.”

Gian Cassone, a portrait instructor with the Gibbes Art Gallery believes that a good portrait artist must understand the use of color and have the skillful ability to transfer a three-dimensional image to a two-dimensional surface. Cassone, who is a professional portrait painter, summarizes an artist’s key qualities borrowing a quote from 15th century artist, sculptor and engineer Leonardo da Vinci, “If you can learn how to observe, you can learn how to draw.”

Reflecting on her vignette of Worthington which hangs in the lobby of the Dean’s Office, College of Medicine, Stone commented, “I felt (and was told) that I was able to capture the essence of him in my work. I feel his portrait depicts a certain sense of his personality and demeanor in that he is a quiet and modest individual who shows great compassion for people, science and history.”

Stone continues her hobby despite other demands of her time. Her “second” job as primary caretaker of her 96-year old grandmother and raising her children leaves little opportunity to devote to her hobby.

Perhaps someday, she’ll be able to fulfill her dream of painting full-time and hopes to keep that sense of gratification and serenity whenever she looks carefully into someone’s eyes and sets a pastel stick to paper.