Capturing an essence in oils
The Daily Local News, Friday, December 8, 1995

Story by John Chambless, Photograph by Larry McDevitt

WEST CHESTER -- Before she paints a portrait, Gwenn Knapp likes to ask the sitter a few questions: Things such as their favorite places, their hobbies, what matters to them, their life goals.

Everything about a person goes into a portrait -- some are painted as symbols, some are only in Knapp's mind as she paints. The resulting work is more than a likeness. It can serve as a reminder of goals and an inspiration to its owner.

"The painting will remind people of what they value most about themselves," Knapp said on Tuesday afternoon. "I really think people should feel good about their portraits."

Knapp, who will open a solo show tonight at The Crafty Framer in West Chester, paints under the MOTTASIA. Itís an acronym she devised after her two boys and one girl grew up enough to allow her time to paint full-time. It stands for Mother Of Three Teens Achieving Success In Art.

"People hear the name and laugh," Knapp said. "They know what it feels like. I think anybody who has a lot of responsibilities has something they really want to do.

"To get back into (art) in a strong way, I needed another name," she said. "It game me permission and an opening to re-establish my identity as an artist."

For Knapp, the road to this exhibit -- only her second solo show -- is one of small steps.

"As a single parent of a family of four, you can't just step into the world of fine arts," she said. "I've been working as a graphic designer. Every New Year's, I write my goals in the fine arts. And every year, I've done something toward that goal."

Knapp, who moved from New York to West Chester in 1984, was an art major in college and has taken private lessons, but put her art on a back burner while family duties called. Now, with more free time, she's excited to be reaching her goal.

Her self-portrait is rather small and straightforward, but it holds symbols: She holds a green brush with gold paint on the end ("I want to be making money from my artwork," she said); tiny wisps in the background suggest fire and water ("those are both in my astrological chart, and I resonate to that"); and the two rings she wears have personal significance as well.

Her portraits range from one of a toddler (who had very little to say about his symbols, except for picking a desert setting) to a portrait of West Chester astrologer AdZe MiXXe that's crammed with significant details. Taken from the extensive questionnaire, the symbols include stars, a three-winged butterfly, an airplane hovering, a rising sun and much more.

In another portrait, a girl had very definite ideas: "She wanted her cat, her favorite outfit and her basketball," Knapp said, smiling. So the sitter got all three.

The tradition of including symbols in portraits is a very old one, dating back beyond the Renaissance. In addition to showing off proof of a sitter's wealth (jewelry, furs, etc.), it was routine to include details that said something about a person's inner life or history.

Knapp links an old medium -- her beloved oils -- with the latest technology. In her graphic design business (also called MOTTASIA), she uses a computer, and has her own website on the Worldwide Web.

In addition to her portrait commission, Knapp travels to Tyler Arboretum, Westtown Lake and other sites to capture the fleeting light and colors of nature. Her "Morning in a Friend's Garden," which appeared on the cover of the 1995 West Chester Garden Tour Guide, is available as a signed, numbered print.

Artist Profile

West Chester painter exhibits in 2 worlds — The Philadelphia Inquirer