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Visual Art and Portraiture
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    Drawing celebrated artists, writers, lawyers and other specialists while they are immersed in their work is an incredibly rewarding experience. I enjoy the adrenaline rush of working on the portrait of a model in real time. This type of portraiture contributes to the creation of lively, natural and emotionally engaging characters. The projects that I have worked on include covering the David Suzuki Trial at the Royal Ontario Museum, drawing John Barnum's Concert Finale in the Mississauga Center of Arts and depicting Christie Blatchford's work in courts.
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  • Portraits of Judges

    Creating portraits of Ontario judges is a part of my ongoing commitment to depicting the Canadian Justice System. I am inspired by the intensity of the judges' gazes. Many of my portraits of the judges are held in private collections.
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  • David Suzuki Trial

    One of my recent projects was depicting the David Suzuki Mock Trial at the Royal Ontario Museum. Laurie Brown’s production of the mock trial presented an unusual format for the discussion of issues of significance. More about the trial.
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  • Portraits of Lawyers

    Throughout my work in Ontario Courtrooms, I have created an extensive visual gallery of crown and defence attorneys. Courtroom drama reveals the personalities of the many lawyers. Many of my portraits are kept in private collections.
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  • Courtroom Drawings

    Courtroom drawings constitute a major part of my work. I have created hundreds of courtroom illustrations which have covered many high profile trials, such as the “Group of 18”, “Colonel Williams” and “Michael Rafferty”. This narrow field requires a special set of skills. My artistic “know-how” in this field includes perfecting the images for optimal production in both the digital and print formats.
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  • Insight into Character

    Each court case represents a psychological thriller. The participants of this drama are the subject of my inspiration - I strive to capture their personalities in my drawings. I do my best to manage the delicate balance between documentary honesty and artistic expression.
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  • Realistic Portraits

    Portraiture is my passion. I truly believe that in the age of photography, the realistic portrait keeps holding a special place in society. It continues the tradition of emotional reflection on humanity through artistic expression.
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  • Portraits of Policemen

    Part of my artistic initiative to document the heritage of the Canadian Justice System includes creating portraits of OPP officers. Through my work in the courts as a courtroom illustrator, I have met with many police officers and was impressed by their level of professionalism. I believe that the integrity of our police force is a major building block in the sustainability of our Justice System, and, by extension, of our democracy.
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  • Watercolour Portraits

    The watercolour is a perfect medium for my style of portraiture. Playing with the delicate nuances of colour and light allows me to present my models in a warm and personal manner. Many of my watercolour portraits are included in private collections.
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  • Graphical Portraits

    In 1994, I started to explore the possibilities of computerized vector art. I merged the technical advantages of the computer with my artistic vision to yield a series of graphical portraits of businessmen and politicians.
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  • Colonel Williams Trial

    In 2010, Canada was shocked by the crimes perpetrated by Colonel Russell Williams. The Williams trial spilled over to the top news lines of international media and dominated Canadian news coverage for its entire duration. I was illustrating every appearance of Colonel Williams in court, including his four-day sentencing procedure. My drawings of this trial were published worldwide, including in CNN broadcasts and on French TV Chanel M6.
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  • Michael Rafferty Trial

    In 2009, Michael Rafferty was charged with abduction, sexual assault and the murder of eight-year-old Victoria Stafford. In 2012, the Rafferty trial generated an avalanche of public interest in Canada. I have illustrated the entire case. My focus was on depicting the characters of both the crown and defense sides of this highly emotionally-charged event.  
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  • Figurative

    Figurative art is an extension of my interest in portraiture as a means of depicting human nature. I am fascinated by the expressive power of the human body. It often provides me with inspiration for the illustration of humanitarian motifs.
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  • Biblical

    In the early '90s, I become fascinated with biblical motifs and created an extensive series of Biblical illustrations. These illustrations were subsequently printed in two separate book publications by Academia Kiado in Hungary.
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All images on this website are subject to Alex Tavshunsky © Copyright