The Art of Daphne Confar
Questions by Joan Clifford, Executive Director
Interview with Artist, Daphne Confar
Daphne Confar is an artist living in Milton with her wife and two sons. Daphne’s art is on exhibit at the Milton Art Center and featured at the next First Friday, a reception on March 7, 6-9 pm. First Fridays are free, family friendly, open to the public.The theme for music will be the “Winter Blues.” Join us and be uplifted by the joyful, warm, compassionate worldview of Daphne Confar.
How do you choose your portrait subjects, are they people you know personally?
“I’ve painted my parents so many times. Lots of family members and friends. I paint anyone. I paint a few commissions every year. When I’m working on a series, I’ll find inspiration sometimes in old photos. Right now I’m working on a series of people watching television. I found an old TV guide from the 80’s and it made me feel nostalgic and remember those 80’s shows that we all loved. So I’m finding images of people who look like they would enjoy an episode of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” or “Star Trek” or whatever. It’s fun, I’m amusing myself and hopefully you all will too.”
Many of your works have a narrative quality—do you have a story in mind when you paint, or does the story evolve as you paint the subject?
“I do like to simplify. And I do enjoy happy things. But I also enjoy humor and so even when I’m painting an angry person I like to think about how people hold onto their emotions. An example that comes to mind is a painting of a woman titled “Evie is Trouble”. In my brain as I’m painting, I think about how her parents named her Evelyn when she was born, and here she is now, a grumpy old lady at the garden club. Still getting out there but has a giant chip on her shoulder and others at the garden club try to steer clear. And even though I only paint a moment of her life I hope the viewer senses what I sense about her, and that she is still a bit lovable.”
I love your pictorial landscapes, the bird’s eye-view, they seem to hold a wish for a simpler time.
“My landscapes have been a fun surprise. Until about 5 or 6 years ago I was never very interested in landscape. I tried to be, but all the rules got in the way and all the things I saw were overwhelming and I think for some reason I was a rule follower when it came to landscape painting. Then when the pandemic hit and I was going stir crazy inside, I painted a portrait of my family in the yard with a bird’s-eye view. I threw the rules out the window! I painted it from observation, (I was in the yard painting) but also a lot of imagination. I just had fun with it and when it was done I LOVED it. All of the landscapes I paint now have the same observation/imagination quality. They are kind of folky, it’s an exciting new direction for me.”
Who are some artists, past or present, whom you admire/have influenced your work?
“Some favs are early northern Renaissance painters, Dieric Bouts and Albert Durer, Han Holbein and then, of course Rembrandt. I love Degas portraits. I’m in love with so many artists from the 1920s and 30’s… a few are: Grant Wood, Alice Neel, Milton Avery, Horace Pippin, Frida Kahlo, Grant Wood…Bay Area artists- Richard Deibenkorn, David Parker, Elmer Bischoff… Gregory Gillespie is a favorite. I have one of his pieces, it’s a prized possession. David Hockney, Lucien Freud… … I have so many favorites. There are too many to list… Frida Kahlo, Ben Shaun, I love Odd Nerdrum, I love Lois Dodd, Lucian Freud, David Hockney, I have so many favorites. These are off the top of my head. There are too many to list.
Do you have a favorite art book that you’d recommend to other artists or art lovers?
“A book called The Work of Art: How Something Comes from Nothing, by Adam Moss.
Adam was a student of mine last summer at a painting class I taught in Truro. He was a serious student and is a really good painter with a strong style. During the week as we all got to know each other I found out about his book. I buzzed to the bookstore in PTown and bought a copy. He signed it for me (with such a nice inscription!). I just saw that It was one of Obama’s favorite books of 2024!
I do love getting books signed. I stood in line once for like an hour in Los Angeles to get a book signed by David Hockney. That was a good day but also sad because I also had tickets to The Price is Right to be in the studio audience. I chose David Hockney and never got to The Price is Right which was a dream of my TV-saturated early life.
As a parent, did you encourage your sons to explore creative fields? Are either of them interested in painting?
“One son is an actor and that is his art. He is an amazing actor and has a true artist’s soul. My other son is a business major (Thank God!) but when he was two years old he loved drawing airplanes and for a minute there I thought he was a prodigy, but no. He may save us all though with his business sense.”
How did you happen to choose Milton to raise your children?
“My wife and I met in Boston but we both grew up on the South Shore. Our first house was in the city and when our older son was two we decided to move. He had no friends his own age in the city and we both envisioned raising our kids in more of a neighborhood.
We totally struck gold when we moved to Milton, we moved to the best neighborhood!
I love this town. I feel very connected to the South Shore. My Grandparents lived in Quincy and I love having family around. Also, I love all the history around here.”
Was there a specific lesson or critique from your teachers (Daphne has an MFA from B.U.) that still resonates with you today?
“Once, John Moore said to me in a critique, “You could be good… really good.” It was very sincere and a little uncommon to hear something so simple and nice and I still think about that sometimes. It’s an emotional memory of desperation and hope.”
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received about being an artist?
“I rented a little studio apartment from John Barber, a master glass blower in California when I was studying for my BFA. My studio was connected to his working space and seeing his work ethic, consistent excitement for making beautiful things, and his creative drive really influenced me. It was not one thing he said, but what he did every day. Although he did often say “no rest for the creative.”
To view Daphne’s work, Instagram, @daphneconfarartist