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llen Rontal never thought her
colored-chalk murals, drawn years
ago on her parents' cement patio
floor, would evolve into the painting
passion she has today. Today, she paints folk-art
portraits of children.
"I love folk art," says the former Mesa Arts
gallery owner, which specialized in
Southwestern art and closed in the spring of
2001, after 15 years of business. "I also love.: ..
doing portraits, and I wanted to blend those
interests, using children," she says. Her own
two children, Sara and David, who are now
adults, initially inspired Rontal's paintings.
This novel venture allows her to reflect on their
childhood.
"I used to draw humorous caricatures of peo-
ple and sold them as greeting cards from 1982-
1985. However, I sold that business to the
Caroline Bean card company in San Francisco
and decided to do something that came from
within. These paintings are more a part of me,"
she says, explaining her connection to the art.
"Each painting is very personalized," says
Rontal, a U-M graduate with a degree in fine
arts and architecture design. She gets the facial
details from a child's photograph, then paints
them into a classic folk-art setting, adding
books, toys and other items that relate the
image to the child's personality. "There are just
so many things you can do. And every child
being so different is what makes portraits inter-
esting to paint and admire," she continues.
This customized artwork takes about a
month or longer to produce. She uses deep
acrylic paint colors and Palmer glaze to portray
the rich authenticity of an antique.
"It's a sophisticated work of art that you can
hang in your kid's room or nursery and a great
idea for a family heirloom," she adds.

