MEDGAR EVERS & MYRLIE EVERS-WILLIAMS

I’m truly humbled and honored to be commissioned by The Evers’ family to paint slain Civil Rights Leader Medgar Evers, and his widow, author, activist Myrlie Evers-Williams for their private estate.

Meeting The Evers' family was an incredible honor I will never forget.

Included is a photo of our first meeting made up of four generations of their incredibly powerful family along with my mother and daughters. Bubba is Myrlie and Medgar Evers' great grandson!  He's an incredible singer and artists. At the time of our visit, my daughters were a bit obsessed with finger knitting and Bubba (being an incredible soul and great sport) spent the entire meal patiently allowing the girls to teach him how to knit.

Knowing The Evers family is an honor I just can't express.

Medgar Evers portrait is still in progress and will be posted when finalized.

(L-R: Sandra Bertman (my mom) , Reena Evers-Everette (daughter), Bubba (great grandson), Nichole (grand-daughter), Myrlie Evers-Williams, Daniel Evers-Everette (grandson), Louisa Bertman, Kiva, Rayna (my daughters).

Our daughters of course reap all the fun hanging out with Adrienne and Billie Joe Armstrong, whatshername, and other cast members.

AmericanIDIOT Commission by Broadways' Producer Larry Kaye for Green Day's Tré Cool, Mike Dirnst, & Billie Joe Armstrong; Director Michael Mayer; Music Orchestrator/Supervisor Tom Kitt; Choreographer Stephen Hoggett; Producers Ira Pittleman; Tom Hulce.
The bottom row of portraits are of the entire cast including the above mentioned.

I was commissioned by NPR to illustrate Car Talk's Click and Clack for the NPR Calendar. 

1. Here's my interview with them.
2. NPR Calendar
3. Gallery Exhibition @ The BAAK Gallery, Cambridge MA. with Cartalk's Tom Magliozzi.

How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying commission by Producer Larry Kaye for Director Rob Ashford; Daniel Radcliffe; Darren Criss; Nick Jonas; Mary Faber; Michael Park; Anderson Cooper; Rose Hemingway; John Larroquette; Rob Bartlett; Christopher J. Hanke; Tammy Blanchard, & Beau Bridges.

Again, my daughters reaping all the fun of what I do (as they should).

Signed portraits for LIVE NATION which included all of the following:
Hilary Duff, Anna Nalick, Ziggy Marley, Stephen Marley, Damian Marley, Bunny Wailer Lucinda Williams, Cindi Lauper, & Huey Lewis.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS:
Communication Arts Winner 2021, 2020, 2019, 2015, LUNAFEST, Genero.tv Finalist, Maggie, Folio, AI-AP Selected: 38,37, 35, 34, 33, 32, 31, 30, 29, 27, 25, SPD, IMAA 1, 2, 3. 5, Illustrators 62, 61, 60, 53, 31, MIN Finalist, ADC Bronze, The One Club, ASME, Best Shorts Award, School of Visual Arts Academic Scholarship Award, 2017/18 AICAD Fellowship

FILM FESTIVALS
Aspen Shortfest, Berlin Film Festival, Berlin Feminist Film Week, Boston International Film Festival, Frameline 41, Los Angeles IFS Film Fest, LUNAFEST, Melbourne Queer Film Festival, OUTFEST, POWfest Portland Oregon Women's Film Festival, San Francisco Black Film Festival, Social Justice Film Festival, San Francisco International Women's Film Festival, Sarasota Film Festival, Through Women's Eyes, Women's international Film & Arts Festival

Some recipients of my work include Jules Feiffer, Dr. Cornel West, Jenny Allen, John Laurenti, Tanya Donelly, Laurence Kaye, Billie Joe Armstrong, Tre Cool, Mike Dirnt, Michael Mayer, Ira Pittleman, Tom Hulce, Tom Kitt, Steven Hoggett, Rob Ashford, Mary Faber, Michael Park, Anderson Cooper, Rose Hemingway, John Larroquette, Rob Bartlett, Christopher J. Hanke, Tammy Blanchard, Beau Bridges, Nick Jonas, Darren Criss, and Daniel Radcliffe

image of DJ John Laurenti picking up his portrait

Currently all my work is created digitally using almost all Apple as my Canvas (Pencil as my brush), and Adobe as my inks.

Prior to the digital world, I did use something called inks and canvas to create work.  Here are some photos of my stuidos in the old days...

Click fo view Louisa Bertman's CV (updated 2018)

A brief glimpse into the initial pre-production sketch phase...