About the artist:

David Beynon Pena is noted for his portraits of distinguished persons a portrait painter, graduated from the High School of Art and Design at age 16 and enrolled at the Pratt Phoenix School of Design in New York City. He later studied at the Art Students League of New York and the National Academy of Design School of Fine Arts. While observing Everett Raymond Kinster conduct a portrait painting workshop at the National Academy, Pena decided to take up portrait painting and to pursue more study with Kinster. Pena, who became Kinster's assistant, felt that he benefited from exchanging ideas with his mentor. After years of doing quick charcoal portrait sketches in Greenwhich Village, Pena seeks to personalize his portraits, spending at least five, two hour sessions with each subject. A finished portrait, however takes 80 to 100 hours to complete. Pena also paints landscapes, still lifes and figures studies. From 1999 to 2001, he was president of Audubon Artists, and is a member of the National Society of Mural Painters and the Artist's Fellowship. The artist has taught at Pratt Institute, the Art Students League, Parsons, The School of Visual Arts and the Monclair Museum School. A partial list of Pena's commissioned works include portraits of former U.S. Senator Howell Heflin; Sir Edwin Manton, senior advisor (AIG); Sean Connery for the feature film Finding Forester, Columbia Pictures; and Gregory Hines for the feature film The Preachers Wife, Touch Stone Pictures; Dr. & Mrs. K. David G, Edwards; S.F. Druckenmiller; Victor Kovner, Esq.; Former US National Table Tennis Champion Marty Reisman for the ITTF Museum; and Sir John Mills Mr. Penas portraits of Harold Prince, Edwin Booth and John Bartholemew Tucker, Fayard and Harold Nicholas and Joshua Logan were commissioned by the Players Club, NY. His works are in the permanent collection of the Newark Museum; the Insurance Hall of Fame; Sydney University Medical School NSW Australia; the Salmagundi Club of NY; The Lambs Club; and Davis Write & Tremaine LLC.