Project Description
Robert Liberace
Robert Liberace’s work is inspired by centuries of knowledge and skill exemplified by the great masters. He strives to combine his fascination with anatomy, art history and technique to produce work in a variety of disciplines including drawing, watercolor, painting and sculpture.
Rob is perhaps best known for the movement and draftsmanship of his figure work. He has been selected as a “Living Master” by the Art Renewal Center (artrenewalcenter.com) and is an honorary member of the American China Oil Painting Artists League. He has participated in their shows in New York and Bejing. Rob is a visiting instructor at The National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, demonstrating old masters’ techniques. Rob’s painting “5th Circle” received first place in the Imaginative Realism category of the 2016 ARC Salon.
In April 2003 Robert received the Portrait Society of America’s Grand Prize Award in their annual International Portrait Competition. The previous year he placed Best of Show. Another of his portraits graced the cover of The Artist’s magazine in April 2007. Robert has been commissioned to paint portraits for clients such as Marc Pachter, long-time Director of the National Portrait Gallery, George H. Bush, and Ambassador Sol Linowitz. Rob’s portrait demonstrations have become a favorite for students attending the Portrait Societies’ Portrait Academies where he has been a regular member of the faculty for over a decade.
Rob was selected as a professional member of the National Sculpture Society. He has created a series of carved marble reliefs which are now permanently located in the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. A life sized marble statue of Mother Teresa also stands in the Shrine, based on Robert’s design. Rob also sculpted a fifteen foot crucifix which hangs above the alter in a “Our Lady of Mercy” church in Potomac, Maryland.
Rob is known for his inspiring and informative teaching style. He teaches at The Art League of Virginia and holds workshops throughout the United States and abroad. He regularly tours students through the great museums of Europe, garnering from his extensive knowledge of the old European masters. American Artist’s Workshop Magazine featured one of his Ireland workshops in their Spring 2006 issue. He pioneered one of the first online teaching courses for American Artist magazine which included live webinars and critiques. He regularly teaches for their annual “Weekend with the Masters” workshops. Responding to the growing need for classical art instruction, Liberace Studio has produced a series of tutorial dvds in which Rob demonstrates painting and drawing techniques focusing on figure, portrait and anatomy. Rob also has written informational articles for both American Artist and The Artist’s magazines.
Robert received his B.F.A. and M.F.A. from George Washington University where he originally attended school on a baseball scholarship, and later with art scholarships from the National Society of Arts and Letters. He lives in Virginia with his wife, Lina Liberace, and their two daughters. He is represented by the John Pence Gallery in San Francisco, the Legacy Gallery in Scottsdale and the Principle Gallery in Alexandria, Virginia.