Sir Georg Solti and drawing o/c by Robert Dewar Bentley
Portraiture: Preserving Intangible Wealth
Changing The World
Black and white image of Kathleen Van Ella showing portfolios
Left: Theo, oil on canvas by Ann Ponce; Right: Deborah in Dirndl, o/c by Linda Kollacks
Left: Sugar & Spice, pastel by Sally Baker Keller; Right: John, Charcoal on paper by William T. Chambers
North Shore Magazine “Portraiture: Experiencing a new Renaissance”
Crain’s Chicago Business “Options: Portraits making comeback in corporate picture”
Left: Governor James R. Thompson, o/c by William T. Chambers; Right: Jane Colleton, o/c by Ann Ponce for Evanston Township High School District
Left: Dr. Michael Welch, CEO, retired, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, o/c by John Boyd Martin; Right: Judy Munson, Attorney o/c and graphite by Ann Ponce
Annie, pastel by William T. Chambers
Left: Natural Blond, pastel on paper by Sally Baker Keller; Right: Lake Forest Home, pastel on paper by Linda Kollacks
Fischer children, o/c by Linda Kollacks
Reading Together, o/c at Prentice Women’s Hospital by Sally Baker Keller
Are you intrigued with portraits? Read on!
In the late 1970’s, Kathleen Van Ella of Lake Forest began showing Portrait Painters.
Early showings of artists’ work involved a client visit with leather bound portfolios and 8x10 example commissions. Before computer and digital imagery, Kathleen carried several portfolios or would plan an old-fashioned slide presentation.
Today, in 2025, Kathleen finds joy in describing her “19th century” business—her determination to bring alive the art of Portraiture as strong as ever. In 1980, Kathleen’s vision came to life in the form of PORTRAITS/CHICAGO.
The purpose was to create an agency to herald the fine art of Portraiture, and for the client, to make the task of choosing an artist simple.
From that moment, Kathleen did everything she could think of to market portraiture—exhibitions, program talks, and even an interior design show house room based on the arrival of a portrait painter. The press was also instrumental in getting the word out.
Kathleen reflects on early stages of the business in her writings, stating “Beginnings are always exciting and bursting with activity. [I] couldn’t get things done fast enough, and I kept a journal of those busy days—aware of the creativity of the moment. Though seeming hectic, the approach was always thoughtful and spiritual—like waiting for the next go-ahead.”
“Each project,” Kathleen writes, “whether painting or sculpture, provides its own adventure—learning about a person or event. One of the reasons I have loved my work is the constant invitation to learn and relish stories, with so many of them involving gifts and celebrations.”
Kathleen’s joy to see the creativity of clients over the years to include ancestors, pets, houses, boats, events, and anything else that attracts and inspires to be remembered, has been the foundation for her satisfaction. “From the beginning,” she states, “I thought that a work of the portrait might be to enhance self-understanding—certainly to build family relationships. The same is true in the corporate sphere. I believe these hopes have been realized.”
Kathleen Van Ella continues the work through PORTRAITS/CHICAGO to this day. In her own words, “this business adventure is thoroughly 21st century!”
For more information on Kathleen’s story, view the article Looking for Sculpture and All That Leads up to It