Created by “Faces of Key West” artist Letty Nowak, our sensational cover image of Jimmy Buffett pays homage to the larger-than-life Trop Rock music icon and Key West’s Favorite Son. It is truly befitting, given Key West’s upcoming Jimmy Buffett celebration, which takes place on Labor Day Weekend (see event schedule on page 36).
World-renowned for her unusually large portraits (5’ x 6’), Nowak likes to think big. Really big.. She views her paintings as abstract pieces: blocks of color that she artfully pulls together to create a recognizable facial image.
Apparently, she’s onto something because her work is in private collections throughout the US, South America, and Europe. And it’s no wonder.
Like our Fall cover image, Nowak’s powerful portraits are both bold and striking. They speak as loudly as the people she paints, and it’s impossible not to be pulled in by the soulful subjects staring back at you from her canvases.
As the founder of Key West’s contemporary Jag Gallery and a high-profile fixture in Key West’s vibrant art scene, Letty Nowak made her mark when she launched a compelling body of work that included painting one hundred local faces.
The oil on canvas portraits not only captured the likenesses of a wide variety of local people but also began to define a unique approach, style, and composition that would become Nowak’s unmistakable trademark.
Aptly named “The Faces of Key West,” her collection evolved into the subject of a highly acclaimed book by the same name. The book was the precursor to Nowak’s next project, “The Faces of Surfing,” which featured another hundred portraits of some of the most influential, innovative, and unique people in the global surfing community.
When she’s not painting local personalities, surfers, or working on commissioned pieces, you can find Letty Nowak at Jag Gallery, where she represents many other Key West notables, including Rick Worth, Tory Mata, Cathy Rose, B. Lucy Stevens, Carol Munder, Carole Faye, and John Martini.
FYI: The gallery is featuring its fun 6th Annual “Poolside” exhibition, which debuts for a limited run during August. This special juried event showcases both 2 and 3-D “pool-themed” multi-media works by an array of top artists.
A local favorite, the exhibit splashes down with a special Opening Reception on Saturday, August 9 from 5 – 7 pm and runs through Sunday, August 31. See it every Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 5 pm, and on Monday by appointment at Jag Gallery, 1075 Duval St. Info: 305-407-6202; jaggallery.art.
