Alla Prima, Painting the Portrait- Rommel de la Torre at the TOPS
Leap to the Tops, this extra day of the Leap Year! Born in Cebu City, Philippines in a community of artists, Filipino figurative painter Romel de la Torre's artistic interest started at a very young age. Romel and his family migrated to the United States where he began going to museums studying and learning on his own; works of famous artists like Sargent, Sorolla, Fechin, Mucha, and the American Impressionists. The exposure to these masters' paintings laid a strong foundation to his belief of what great art is. He attended the American Academy of Art in Chicago, where he was awarded the President's Foundation Award and the Union League Scholarship Award. After graduating with a fine arts concentration, Romel continued to paint in the Chicago area and joined The Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Arts, where he began studying with nationally renowned artist Richard Schmid and painting with other painters. It was a turning point of his creative and artistic career. The art...