The Face of... Portrait Series
"The Face of…By Johanna Spinks" Portrait Series has been recognized by The United States Congress and The California State Senate.
Spinks was awarded the Ventura Mayor's 2012 Award for 'Artist in The Community' for this project and also a "Citizen of the Year Dolphin Award" in 2019, presented by The Malibu Charitable Dolphin Foundation for her portrait work in the community.
"The Face of Ventura" was a two year portrait project created and funded by Spinks to paint 58 people from the old mission town of Ventura in California, reflecting its' modern day face in the years 2010 and 2011. This collection is now in the permanent collection of the Museum of Ventura County. Each sketch appeared in The Ventura Breeze newspaper with the sitter's unique life story and also his voice on The Lyn Fairly and Friends Radio Show. There was a three month solo show at the Museum of Ventura County.
Spinks then went on to paint "The Face of Malibu" in conjunction with The Malibu Times. Sixty-one sitters were painted from life over a five year period, from California State Senator Henry Stern, five Mayors of Malibu, Malibu's original 60's surfer girl" Gidget' Kathy Zuckerman to the original Marlboro Man Zuma Jay. There was a three month solo show Fall 2017 "The Face of Malibu by Johanna Spinks" sponsored by The Malibu Cultural Arts Commission with The Malibu Times at Malibu City Hall to a a packed opening night. The entire portrait collection was accepted into the permanent collection of The Boone Special Collections and Archives at Pepperdine University in August 2021.
"The Face of Malibu Rebuilds" ran in The Malibu Times weekly in 2018 featuring 17 watercolor and ink sketches, plus interviews conducted by Spinks, of people who had sadly lost their homes in the devastating Woolsey Fire. The portraits and interviews were accepted into the permanent collection of The Boone Special Collections and Archives at Pepperdine University in March 2021
"The Face of Charleston" with The Charleston Mercury newspaper also ran for a shorter time duration with seven sitters painted and interviewed for the newspaper including Patricia Altschul of Bravo TV's "Southern Charm".
So how did this all begin? In Ventura each sitter, from Police Chief Ken Corney to the Harbor Master Scott Miller, along with perhaps the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker and homegrown movie star Kevin Costner, was painted directly from life in a single two hour sitting to create "a shorthand painted sketch" rather than a finished portrait.
No photos were used and and no touch-ups afterward! The direct interaction with the sitter was the point of this art project, hearing their unique life story, along with Spinks' desire to showcase to the sitter, and the paper's readership, the relevant world of painterly portraiture today using centuries-old art tools of hopefully accurate drawing and close painting-from-life observation.
The journey is ongoing...
"With sincere appreciation for sharing your vision and creativity with the watercolor portrait series "The Face of Malibu Rebuilds" vividly portraying the journey to recovery from The Woolsey Fire, your remarkable service to the Malibu community." - Congressman Ted W. Lieu
"Thank you for your dedication to capturing the struggles and triumphs of locals through your portrait series "The Face of Malibu" and now "The Face of Malibu Rebuilds". Your vivid depictions have helped tell the story of a community who will continually persevere. I commend you for your outstanding service to people of the 27th State District." - Senator Henry Stern.
"Heartiest congratulations and commendations are conveyed for your commitment in portraying our diverse community's aspects of life through artwork, and upon being honored by the City of Ventura Mayor's Arts Award as the 2012 'Artist in the Community' " - Assemblyman Das Williams, California State Legislature.
"It is my pleasure to inform you that you have been selected to receive the Mayor Arts Award in the Artist in the Community category. I appreciate the commitment you have made (The Face of Ventura) to our cultural community and am pleased to have the opportunity to honor you." - Mayor Mike Tracy, Ventura, California.
Thank you to newspaper publishers Sheldon Brown (The Ventura Breeze), Arnold and Karen York (The Malibu Times), Charles Waring (The Charleston Mercury), Lyn Fairly and Friends Radio Show, FOODshare and CEO Bonnie Weigel, Katherine Mengedoht and Homaira Shifa. Thank you also to all of the sitters.
