Emeritus professor paints portraits of campus personalities

Norman Sasowsky self-portrait	Portrait of Fleda Brown

Norman Sasowsky, professor emeritus of art, has retired from the University but continues to create, experiment and develop as an artist, currently focusing on portraits.

"Now that I have the opportunity and time, I have turned to painting portraits. In the past, much of my work derived from my imagination and memory and was more abstract. Now I also have returned to painting from life­portrait paintings­as I did as an art student," Sasowsky said.

Sasowsky, who has painted friends and colleagues from the University and community, frequently does several portraits of the same person, using different techniques, colors and approaches. Over the years, he also has done a series of self-portraits.

"Formal portraits are like photographs and are documentaries of a person, but my goal is to capture and convey the personality, the mood, the essence of a subject," he said. "I have asked people who interest me and with whom I feel comfortable to sit for me. I get to know them even better during the sessions, which usually last a few hours each sitting."

Among his subjects at UD, is Fleda Brown, professor of English, with whom he collaborated on The Eleusinan Mysteries, combining her poetry and his imagery. He also has painted Willard Baxter, professor emeritus of mathematical sciences; Steve Crawford, professor emeritus of art history; Joe Daniel, associate professor of economics; and Frederick Getze, associate librarian.

Sasowsky experiments with different techniques. Some portraits, he has done in the style of the Dutch masters, and others are influenced by Renaissance painters. Another rugged, colorful portrait shows the influence of Van Gogh, whose portrait of the postman is one of Sasowsky's favorites. while a more monochromatic portrait is done in a style related to Lucien Freud, a well-known British artist.

As comfortable at the computer as he is at the easel, Sasowsky was one of the first art faculty members at UD to go online with his work. Although the computer does not convey the richness of color or the impact of his paintings, it does give an overview of his versatility and the special projects he has worked on.

He also uses the computer while painting. "I take digital photographs of what I am working on and then alter them on the computer, changing the composition and other factors to see how adjustments can improve the paintings," he said.

Sasowsky said he is making good use of his time in retirement in this latest phase of his painting career, but he also enjoyed his years as a member of the art department faculty. "The University has been very good to me," he said.

To view Sasowsky's portraits, visit [http:// seurat.art.udel.edu/Art/Faculty/Norsky/Portraits.HTML].

To view his home page, entitled "Sasowsky: Five Decades of Art," with links to special projects and the body of much of his artwork, visit [http://seurat.art.udel.edu/Art/Faculty/ Norsky/norskyHP.htm]. An exhibition of Sasowsky's portraits is planned for August-September at Cecil County Community College

SUE MONCURE