IN THE PRESS

Jacan Plumbing & Heating owner, Herman Elvy, is currently featured at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, in a painting by Larchmont artist, Patricia Horing.

In a story that has garnered notable media attention, in early 2007, Ms. Horing spontaneously decided to paint Herman Elvy’s portrait after he answered a service call to fix the artist’s shower. In the midst of her work, Ms. Horing asked Mr. Elvy if he would be willing to sit for a portrait, and he willingly agreed.

The artist’s resulting piece began gaining momentum in the region when the portrait was displayed at Chatsworth Elementary School for a program showing what the school children’s parents did professionally. Of the fifteen portraits Ms. Horing showed, Mr. Elvy’s brought the most interest: parents and children excitedly shared with Ms. Horing that they knew Herman Elvy as their plumber!

In the artist’s statement accompanying Mr. Elvy’s portrait, Ms. Horing explained, “As a subject, Herman Elvy has an open face and life-embracing attitude that I tried to reflect in his portrait. A Jamaican immigrant with his own business and four highly accomplished children, Mr. Elvy embodies the possibility of the American Dream.”

Patricia Horing’s painting on Herman Elvy is one of 49 finalists, out of 3,300 entries, in the 2009 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition. To read more about Herman Elvy’s portrait at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, please visit the following websites:

Link 1  Plumber portrait makes artist a star

Link 2  Portrait Competition

Link 3  Artist, plumber team for winner