Meet Dan's Papers Cover Artist B. Camner Rothschild

It’s not often that a portrait features on the cover of Dan’s Papers. There was one last year of Dan himself atop a lobster, but that was less a portrait of Dan the man as it was a painting of the “Welcome to Dan’s Country” statue, which greets visitors as they approach the East End. One more that comes to mind is Barry Rockwell’s 2014 cover featuring a portrait of Albert Einstein—but Dan writes about Einstein, who found respite on the North Fork in 1939, often.

This week’s cover, a portrait of the artist B. Camner Rothschild’s granddaughter when she was five years old, is so stunning it was impossible to pass up. “I always loved doing portraitures, capturing the likeness of an individual, their spirit, their energy, their internal thoughts,” the artist says, adding that, of course, this is something she tries to portray in all her paintings.

What was the process of creating this piece?
The painting was created with a technique called verdaccio, an underpainting technique, which originates from the Italian fresco painters of the early Renaissance. Verdaccio, in this case, was an underpainting painted with green tones, then painted over with the colors you see. The realistic flesh tones are a direct result of the green underpainting creating a soft greenish-gray cast and the shadows of the flesh tones.

What training have you had as an artist?
Early in my art career I studied under Dr. Fred Linden. As a colorist/painter during the 1980s and ’90s I was very much involved with large format modern abstracts, following the likes of Willem de Kooning, Franz Kline, Helen Frankenthaler, Hans Hoffman and Robert Motherwell, just to name a few.

During the ’90s I transitioned into painting still lifes, landscapes and portraitures, attending many art workshops led by some of the most talented people in the field including Frank Covino, Carl Lubow, Dan Slapo, Jason Chang, Robert Armetta and my close, dear friend Howard Rose.

Is there any piece of advice you’ve received from a mentor that you’ve always remembered?
Success is a result of an accumulation of many attempts. Apply yourself as many times as it takes to reach your goals.

Do you live on the East End?
We recently moved to Remsenburg from the North Shore of Nassau County, but I have been visiting the East End and painting here for many years.

Where’s your favorite spot to paint on the East End?
I love the beaches, dunes and any vista that has a water view. The East End has endless views to capture, and can occupy an artist for a lifetime with beautiful open spaces and charming quaint places, all year round.

Where can we find you when you’re not behind the canvas?
Art galleries of course; as well as antique shops, animal farms and driving through the East End looking for the next painting to create.

If you could take credit for any painting in history, what would it be?
The range of my art appreciation cross many art genres, so that’s an impossible question for me to answer.

To see more of B. Camner Rothschild’s work, email bcamner@optonline.net.