Charlotte-based Miriam Durkin uses classical figure drawing skills to create contemporary compositions. From charcoal drawings to oil portraits to her recent simplified silhouette series, Durkin’s work reveals a depth of knowledge of human anatomy, and an intimate understanding of the aesthetic, philosophical techniques and principles of humanist realism. She is a meticulous artist who aims to draw and paint the human figure in the genre of acclaimed classical realists, but to also fully understand the complex skeletal structure of the body. That dedication is apparent in her paintings: her work is personal and on a human scale; it invites the viewer to stay and reflect and emote. Durkin has trained with some of the most respected contemporary classical realists working today: Robert Liberace, Nelson Shanks, Stephen Early and the teachers at Studio Incamminati in Philadelphia.