Everett Raymond Kinstler was one of the greatest American portrait artists of our lifetime. Sadly, on Sunday May 26, 2019, Raymond passed away, leaving a legacy that many artists can only dream to achieve.
Although Raymond was best known for his portraiture, he actually started his career as a comic book and magazine illustrator after dropping out of high school. He is credited with influencing pop art style illustration and working on westerns like The Shadow and super hero stories like Doc Savage. Eventually, Raymond sought to expand his artistic knowledge and took some figurative and portrait classes that ultimately changed the trajectory of his career.
Among the many celebrities and public figures Raymond painted are actress Kathrine Hepburn, former President Clinton, Supreme Court Justine Ruth Bader Ginsberg, astronaut Scott Carpenter, pro golfer Bryon Nelson, actor John Wayne and so many more. Two of his works hang in the White House as official portraits for Presidents Regan and Ford while 84 of his other works hang in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C.
Raymond was not simply a paramount contributor to the art world, he was also a teacher, mentor and friend. Silver Brush Limited owner and founder, Dee Silver, had been a close friend of Raymond for decades. Ever since Raymond helped found the Portrait Society of America 20 years ago, they always greeted each other at the annual portrait show to share laughs, memories and experiences in the art industry. May Ray’s spirit, talent and teaching methods continue into eternity.
In the early 1990s, Silver Brush began manufacturing sets of brushes specifically curated by Mr. Kinstler. These brushes from the SBL line were hand-chosen by him because he believed they were the best tools for portrait or landscape artists to use on their oil paintings. For more information, please contact us.
You must be logged in to post a comment.