I met the world’s most interesting man at the recent Figurative Art Convention & Expo in Coral Gables, Florida. Irv Rudley is a man of many careers and accomplishments.
Irv Rudley at FACE18
He has been a gymnast, a B25 bomber mechanic in the Korean war, a Vaudeville acrobat, a graphic artist, an advertising executive, a movie cinematographer, and now a self-taught portrait painter. Irv has documented his long and interesting life in a YouTube video.
I met Irv during a painting demonstration by contemporary realist artist Daniel Sprick. After we were both inspired by Sprick’s amazing talent, Irv suggested that we paint portraits of one another and exchange them when we were done. We took each other’s photos at the Biltmore Hotel where the FACE18 was being held. Here’s my completed portrait of Irv along with progress photos showing the different stages of the painting.
Portrait of Irv Rudley by Mary Ellis LaGarde, oil on canvas, 18″ x 14″
Progress photos:
