Sarah B. Smith Gallery
March 6 - 29, 2026

Kinship: Paintings by Eileen French

A collection of paintings that celebrate the connections between us all, a confluence of souls.

Opening Reception
First Friday, March 6, 5:30-8:00pm

With the profuse use of cell phone photography, it seems that portraiture has come into a new era. My interest in Social Media and the images that people post of themselves in an attempt to connect with the outside world and to represent themselves has informed my view of the portrait.  I feel that I have found a serendipitous way to see into the heart of my subjects while having them be collaborators.

My works on canvas are usually large and  rely heavily on a charcoal drawing as a base for the painting which occasionally takes a more prominent role in the finished painting. I also enjoy scaling down my work occasionally using Gouache on paper.

My current projects are focused on people at events where people are letting their guard down and truly enjoying themselves at events like Burning Man and parties. I'm also beginning to conjure up fantasy images to coincide with my awareness of the connections that we have with all things.

Edison, Oil on Canvas

Whits, Gouache on Paper