Yesterday was a great day. I ‘m still a little glowie. Many many thanks to the amazing friends who came to see the show and celebrate with me. Dear friends traveled many hours to be there. Wonderful friends I hadn’t seen since high school came. Former students, current students, neighbors, family of students past and present, dear friends and family were there as well. So were four of the young women featured in the portraits. I had the opportunity to meet enthusiastic art lovers and many of the very distinguished artists showing at the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey in the “Women Choose Women Again” exhibit. This terrific show opened yesterday as well, and we shared the opening reception.
VERY special thanks to the curator of both shows, Mary Birmingham and Katherine Murdock, assistant curator. It was a glorious afternoon.
Elenacaravela's Blog 
Oh how I would’ve loved to have been there!! Thanks for sharing these photos – as if I’m almost there! Congrats! So deserving!!
congratulations on the show, Elena! You rock, baby!
I loved the show, Elena! The portraits were amazing, showing the spirit and beauty of the girls, you always bring out the best in people, in your art and in your interactions. You could feel the love in the room. Congratulations!
WOW! Looks fantastic! I am with some of the others… I had no idea some of those were that large. It’s really cool to see them from that perspective.
Congratulations! The paintings look amazing!
Congratulations Elena, this is really beautiful, a great day for you!!
Kind regards.
I’m happy the event turn out was so wonderful and you came back into contact with so many good friends.To share something like this with the community is very inspiring. Your work looks incredible in these photos!
Congratulations!!! 🙂
Thanks very much!
Congrats!!! 🙂 the paintings are hugeee!!! Such a nice show!!!
Pretty big:) Thank you Maria!:)
Congratulations Elena 🙂
Thank you Nuno:)
Congratulations, Elena! This is so beautiful.
Thank you very much!
Congrats on the show! Beautiful portraits, seeing your work with the models really shows how you beautifully captured their spirit and personality in your portraits.
Thanks so much Janell!
Congratulations! It is mangnificent! Very beautiful! Thank you to share. 🙂
You are very welcome. Thanks so much!:)
You are to be congratulated again and again…stunning work indeed!
Many many thanks Eldy:)!
Congratulations Elena.
I love your smile, it is as luminous and full of life as your paintings.
Oh Marcelo, so lovely to say. Thank you:)
It looks like a lot of people there were glowy, and you have every reason to hold onto that glow as long as possible. Fantastic!
Thanks ever so much:)!
I’m so glad to hear that the exhibit went well! How inspirational! That looks like a great gallery space too. Congratulations Elena! Wonderful!
It’s a terrific space, I’m very lucky. Thanks so much Sandee!
What a beautiful show ! Fantastic to see those lovely young women alongside your portrait paintings of them Elena . Many congratulations on your success 🙂
A heartfelt thanks Poppy:)
awesome!
Fantastic! I’m happy for you.
Thanks ever so much!
Many happy congratulations! Thanks for sharing the photos. I had no idea how BIG your canvases are!
Yeah, pretty big, 30″x40″:) Thanks so much Scilla!
Elena, congratulations on your show. I especially like the photos featuring your work next to your subjects. These show just how much your interpretations capture them. It’s hard to know through these pictures, but I well imagine your work not only captured the outside but most likely what is on the inside, too. Very beautiful work. What a talent you are.
You are so kind. I know many of these young women well, so it was a distinct pleasure to paint them. Thank you!
HUGE Congratulations! The work looks amazing.
A HUGE thank you John!
Congratulations! What a fantastic exhibition, thanks for the virtual tour. I love the photos of the young women standing beside their wonderful portraits.
Thanks much Annerose:)
Oh, how wonderful of you to share and allow all of us who wished we could be there with you to partake in the excitement. The paintings are amazing! Congratulations!!!!
My pleasure Marion. Thank you very much!
You are to be congratulated Elena on this extraordinary exhibit of your work. The portraits are strong and brave and absolutely beautiful. Bravo! Bravo!!
Many many thanks!
Congratulations Elena – excellent work… 🙂 🙂
Thank you Drake!
Congrats Elena. As with everyone here, I wish I was there too.
Much appreciated:)
Congratulations Elena!!!!:) 🙂
Thank you!!!
It looks as though it was an incredible evening! Congratulations!
It was great. Thanks very much Micah!
Congratulations, dear Elena! Congratulations!
I think it was a great emotional and very beautiful!
Your enjoy them to the fullest those glorious moments are well deserved! Big hugs, Ştefania! 🙂
Very kind of you Stefania. Thanks so much:)
This is great news and also so exciting… Congratulations dear Elena, ah, how I wished to be there too… You are amazing. Thank you, love, nia
Many thanks Nia, wish you could have come as well:)
Wow, Elena, both your paintings and the gallery space look incredible! Massive congratulations xx
Thank you Rachel. Very much appreciated!
Wow Elena, congratulations and what a thrill to be almost there with you! The vibrancy and life in your portraits are breathtaking and overwhelming, something I hope the young women keep for themselves forever!
They keep the paintings, so I have they find room:) Thanks ever so much Patti!
Looks like a great show. The paintings are amazing!
Thank you Trapper!
Congrats Elena! Those paintings are amazing! I’m happy it went well 🙂
Thank you very much Eon!
congratulations. So cool to see the models and your portraits!
They are considerably older now:) Thanks very much Carol!
Congratulations, Elena – looks like a great show.
Thanks much Richard.
ONE MILLION THUMBS UP! Everything looks exquisite–the artist above all! This is one hip exhibit–
That’s a lot of thumbs:)!
Thanks so much Amal!
wow so much talent and skill – wonderful work!
Thank you!
Elena, the show looks wonderful, congratulations!!
I love the scale of the paintings, they have some much impact. What a great space!
Ah, you are so inspiring. : )
xo
It was a great thrill. Thanks so much Karen:)
this is amazing , Elena! Congratulate! I did not know your work is in pretty big format. I wish every success with the show!
Many thanks!
Hearty congratulations! There must be such a vibe in that exhibition hall, those portraits are so full of vitality. Wonderful to see some of the ‘portraitees’ alongside the artwork too.
It was thrilling. Thanks ever so much!
Congratulations Elena. A very well deserved and earned success. Enjoy the glow! 🙂
Thanks very much, I shall:)
Congratulations! It looks absolutely wonderful. What an excellent celebration of your work. Thank you for sharing these.
My complete pleasure Jeff. Thank you!
I wish I was there! Congratulations! And thank you for the photos of models-paintings. Very illuminating!
Thank you! Wish you could have been there too:)
Reblogged this on Mark Geoffrey Kirshner.
Cool!!! Congratulations, well done and so on! 🙂
Thanks very much:)
congratulations!!!
Thanks Elisa!
Congratulations! It looks completely spectacular. I had no idea the paintings were so large! Really completely stunning and inspiring. Wish I could have stopped in!
Thanks so much Cindy, it was a day to remember:)