Critical Acclaim

• Old Town Crier, "Gallery Beat," December 2008. Noted DC art critic F. Lennox Compello praises Ted's painting technique:

As I've said elsewhere, I think that DC area painter Ted Reed is one of the supreme masters of the technical aspect of classical realism.

They don't get much better than Reed when it comes to delivering superbly crafted portraits and representational work at the height of realism.

But technical wizardry is not all that makes a great painting (although it is damned well ahead of whatever is in second place), and Reed also has the mastery of many other tools that a successful painter needs: composition, creativity and that arcane ability to grab something from the subject beyond just its likeness.

If you wish to read the whole review, click here (and scroll down) reproduced (without images of paintings) in Daily Compello Art Review .

In Mr. Compello's "Gallery Beat" article in the Old Town Crier (but not in Daily Compello Art Review), Mr. Compello continued:

Reed's enviable brush follows in the tradition of Vermeer with a healty dose of Goya thrown in for choice of hues and effects. His subjects are elevated by the light in which they bathe but firmly placed in the corporal world; the light just offers a glint of the sublime.

• Falls Church News-Press, "Northern Virginia Art Beat," September 2008, laude's Ted's September 2008 solo exhibition "Presence":

Many portrait painters work from photos these days, and frankly, the finished products tend to show it. They lack the life and presence of the subject, reducing them to a two-dimensional pastiche of the person they intend to portray.

Reed paints subjects not only in the flesh, but actively engaged in relaxed conversation. The result is an amazingly life-like visage that seems to live somewhere between the two- and three-dimensional worlds. He's not quite up to Rembrandt standards, but he's getting close to it.

Click here to read the full review, "Portrait and Perseverence".

• Shauna Lee Lange Arts Advisory , "A Contemporary Vermeer: Edward J. Reed @ the Art League" praises Ted's work:

This author is the first to call Reed, with solid justification, "The Contemporary Vermeer."

We believe the devil's in the detail, and in Reed’s work the angel’s in the light. . . . The rich, vibrant colors Reed adds enhance his painting’s emotional impact and is in direct correlation with Vermeer’s style. . . . Across time, the silvery cord that binds and ties all art lovers has magically united Reed with Vermeer.

Click here (and scroll down) to read the full article.

• Washington DC Art News, March 27, 2006, reviews the “magnificent oil portrait” Pippi Takes a Ride that “took my breath away”:

In this work, Reed captures that immensely difficult wisp of essence that makes a portrait change from a painting of a person to a portrait of a person.

He has not only captured the pretty-girl quality of the model (who is one of the most popular and talented Art League models around), but also managed to catch her presence and spirit. This is just not a painting of a deeply sensual woman dressed in tough biker gear; this is a work of art that steals a little bit of the soul and presence of the model and embeds it in the oil and medium and visual weight of the work.

WOW!

I was absolutely hypnotized by the work.

Click here to read the full review.

Other Press Coverage

• International Artist Magazine devoted a full-page spread to Presence, presenting descriptions of Ted's inspiration for the painting, his design strategy, and his working process, in the magazine's Issue No. 70, December/January 2010. Click here to read the article.

Click here to see the Presence page of Issue No. 70, page 15.

• ArtSpace Herndon featured Contemplation as the sole painting on its website's homepage in October 2009 when advertising its "Expressions" Regional Juried Portrait Exhibit at its gallery in Herdon, Virginia. Ted will judge this year's annual portrait competition for ArtSpace Herndon.

• Washington Post, Fairfax Extra, March 16, 2006, p. 27: The “Arts in Brief” article on the “Winning Artists Exhibit in Reston” identifies Ted as a featured artist and reproduces his painting Alan, Becoming .

• International Artist Magazine, "Masters Showcase," June/July 2009, featuring Ted's painting Contemplation and describing how his inspiration for the painting informed the techniques he used and composition he crafted. Click here to read the article.

• The Art of the Portrait Magazine, "Member Showcase," 1st Quarter 2009, featuring Ted's painting Contemplation.

• International Artist Magazine, October/November 2006, p. 26: The article “2006 International Portrait Competition Showcase of Honor Awards” features a reproduction of Louder, describes Ted’s background and outlook on painting, and tells of his inspiration to paint Louder.

• élan Magazine, September 2006: Cover article, "Captured Spirits," describes Ted's painting style, outlines his painting and teaching careers, and reproduces seven of his paintings.

• International Artist Magazine, August/September 2006, p. 25: The article "Portrait Society of America's Award Winners Showcase" identifiesTed as a "major award winner" for his Honors Award for the painting Louder .

• The Art League Developments, Fall 2006, cover and p. 3: The cover displays Ted standing beside his painting Louder. On page 3, the article, “Honoring the Art Leagues Museum Circle Benefactors & Instructors,” describes the special reception at which the Board of Directors paid tribute to Ted and two other distinguished teachers.

• Reston Connection, March 15, 2006, p. 23: The article titled “Gallery, Showcasing the Arts” describes Ted’s painting technique and reproduces the painting, Alan, Becoming.

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