“Let me say a few words about the process, the portrait and the artist. I’ve never sat for a portrait and I didn’t know what to expect and, I must admit, I approached the process with some trepidation. In fact, the artist, Ying-He Liu, who is with us tonight, made the process easy and enjoyable—she was a delight to work with. Darren Reisberg’s office presented the portfolios of about half a dozen artists for me to review. I was immediately drawn to Ying-He’s work because I thought she masterfully and realistically captured the images and personalities of her subjects with a wonderful and artistic use of light, shadow and color. My choice of artist was clear and simple.

I knew I wanted my portrait not only to celebrate my tenure as chair but also our beautiful campus. Ying-He, Ciaran Escoffery and I spent one cold, wet and windy afternoon and a colder, wetter and windier morning last November walking around campus with Ying-He taking hundreds of digital photographs of me in different locations in order to chose one from which to work. The location we settled on is meaningful to me personally as it captures my time on campus as a student. I’m standing on the terrace entrance to the Harper Center of the Booth Graduate School of Business where I did my graduate work with Saieh Hall, home of our Economics Department in the background, reflecting my undergraduate major. I could not be happier with the final product.

Ying-He, please stand up and be recognized. I am deeply grateful for your enormous artistic talent in creating this wonderful legacy of my time as chairman of the board of the University of Chicago. I’m also very pleased to tell you that with this portrait, Ying-He has broken the stained glass ceiling in Hutchinson Commons as the first female portrait painter whose work is on display. Congratulations and thank you, Ying-He.”

“Ruth and I finally visited Treasury and saw the portrait. You did a great job and I wanted to thank you. I particularly like the way you blended the evening sky with the background. And finally a smile among the often long faces! ”

“We had a wonderful unveiling in Baltimore the week before last. I thought the portrait was excellent and my family thought so as well. I can’t thank you enough.”

“Thank you so much for the wonderful portrait. I am honored to have had your artistic excellence applied on my behalf. The entire experience was well executed and I am glad to be a reference for your work and process in the future.”

“The portrait was a HUGE success. My family and I love it and lots of people (125) at the Sunday night event said very positive things about it. I could not be more pleased. It’s already in a place of honor in the boardroom and looks very handsome. It was a pleasure working with you and I hope that future clients will see this portrait and want to have you do theirs. ”

“The portrait is absolutely beautiful and I am deeply grateful for all of the hard work that went into creating it. ”

“The portrait is hung (about two months ago) and looks spectacular. I cannot begin to tell you how many compliments you have received!! It is a true masterpiece and I am so grateful that you were kind enough to take on the task. We are both immortalized by this great work. Many many thanks and keep up the great work.”

“Just wanted you to know the portrait of Dr Dzau was incredibly well-received — both by Dr Dzau and his family, as well as the Duke community. Although the unveiling ceremony was small and intimate, everyone who attended was very much “wow-ed” by the portrait. And, many inquired about you, including the chairman of our board, the president of the university, and the mayor of the city of Durham. It was a pleasure working with you and Jean throughout this process and I am especially pleased to have opportunities to recommend you to others. Thank you so much for making this such a wonderful experience and for delivering a truly stunning portrait of Dr Dzau.”

“It looks wonderful. You have given me something to try to live up to.”

“The University just unveiled ‘our’ portrait last night and today and it was a great success! Everyone loves it and, in fact, the trustees wanted more information about the artist, which we provided at each place at their meeting this morning. This afternoon, over a thousand people applauded vigorously and cheered when the velvet dropped again at a larger campus event. The portrait captures just the spirit I was hoping for and I will always be grateful for your incredible artistry. You are right, of course, that it looks different ‘in person’; the degree of difficulty, and accomplishment, is much more evident when one can see the brushwork, the mixing of colors, and the subtle shading. Thank you so much for your skill, your patience, and your good spirit, Ying-he.”

“The portrait was a great hit! People loved it and praised the artist. Thank you again for doing such a superb job. You made me look very presidential and better than I deserved.”

“I want you to know that at the unveiling of the painting everyone was astounded. Your skill and talent are amazing, and no one could stop talking about how artistically yet accurately you captured my face and personality and the beauty of our campus. Everything about the painting is absolutely wonderful! I feel incredibly blessed to have had the privilege of sitting for you and seeing the results of your talent.

Thank you for painting my portrait and capturing the joy that I feel! I truly regret you could not be with us for the celebration, but believe me when I say you were spoken of with respect and awe.”

“It’s absolutely wonderful - everything I could have ever dreamed of and more. Wow - I am so excited and grateful. As you know I love your work and I’m deeply honored that you are the artist who painted this portrait of me.”

“There was general enthusiasm and a unanimous judgement that it was far better then the first one. I want to thank you for your talent and empathy. When I think of my portrait hanging in posterity in MMC’s headquarters, I am very grateful that now I will no longer look cranky and unhappy. ”

“Last Friday’s portrait unveiling was a huge success! I can’t tell you how many people came up to me praising your work and the details you included. I used your portrait to frame my remarks. Everyone also appreciated the card you produced for us. Thanks again for your extraordinary work!”

“We just had my portrait unveiling last week in Sacramento. I really, really like the portrait (and the frame was a good choice as well). The portrait received wonderful reviews by everyone in attendance!”

“What a wonderful portrait. It received limitless compliments....”

“Her artistic skill is masterly, and I am honored to be its beneficiary.”

“I am a very happy lady. You did a wonderful portrait of me and I could not be more pleased with how it came out! Thank you so much for capturing me so well. I will always get great pleasure seeing it hang in the Medical Center.”

“The portrait is exquisite and we continue to hear heartfelt compliments from Mary’s family members, our leaders, and many others. You captured Mary’s personality beautifully in this elegant piece. We are very grateful to Jean for finding you, and to you for the superb job you did for us! ”

“As I hope you could tell from our last meeting, both Joan and I are extremely pleased with this portrait. I can’t thank you enough for your excellent and accomplished work... It has been a very great pleasure and a privilege to make your acquaintance and to learn your exceptional life story. Thank you for everything that you’ve done.”

“We unveiled it at our Board dinner on Monday evening and everyone (I mean everyone) was so impressed with your work. Paul hung it the next morning in its proper place in the Board Room and it looks gorgeous. Karen was downstairs taking pictures of it with her IPad that afternoon.”

“Now that the rush of all the events honoring Ham is over, I would like to take more time to tell you how wonderful the portrait is. It was received by all with tremendous accolades. Ham loves it. He said something like, “It looks just like me only better!” Someone else said that it looks like he might step right out of the canvas. You captured Ham and his personality perfectly. So many people said how they loved the glasses in his coat pocket. The frame is beautiful. Everyone loved the setting and the pose. The modern feel of the portrait (as opposed to the more traditional ones of our past Heads) was very well received. I could go on and on. You are so gifted! And it was so easy to work with you! ... Thank you so very much for sharing your talent with us!”

“Ying-He, everyone is raving about your work. You need to know that. And I am so very pleased... thank you for sharing this milestone in my life... It is not only your painterly artistry, but your uncanny ability to really know your subjects ‘inside out’ that sets you part from other portrait painters. It was such a gift to find you.”

“You have surpassed my best hopes that the portrait would radiate warmth and friendliness. The detail work is exquisite and I know that everyone will be very pleased with your work. The portrait looks beautiful in the Parish Hall and really fits in well with all that has come before, just as we’d hoped. It is very clearly of our time, but seems to carry forward the tradition of all the previous portraits.”

“My portrait was revealed tonight at my retirement reception and was a huge hit! I received numerous compliments on the artist’s rendition and I wanted as soon as possible to send you an email to thank you so very much for the portrait and for getting it to Battelle in time for tonight’s reception. Thank You, and my portrait will now join my seven predecessors in our historic Building A. It will be there for many decades and so is something that I am very grateful for.”

“In my opinion, she captured both an air of dignity and a sense of “approachability” that is claimed by others to represent the essence of my leadership tenure. I found her to be most professional and a good listener—letting me and others offer suggestions, but always retaining her integrity as the artist in deciding what to incorporate in her work. She took considerable time to understand and visit the site where it would be displayed. She communicated well and often during the project, and she allowed me and others to comment on any changes that might be desired as the portrait moved to completion... Portraits are a very personal matter of taste, style, and purpose. The personality and skill of the artist, I believe, must align with that of the subject for good things to happen. In my case, Ying-He fit the bill very well and I would recommend her without reservation.”

“Thanks again for all your time, effort, and certainly talent expended on my portrait. I am honored to be portrayed by such an outstanding artist.”

“I saw it and it is wonderful. I adored it and I am not the only one. I went to see your portrait with three colleagues and they all loved it. I really saw myself and I liked me. I look beautiful and I never thought of myself as beautiful. The clothes are perfect, I recognized my hands, my gorgeous Chinese pink pearls are a joy to look at and the tower room is exactly as it should be. Thank you so much for the beauty of your work. I am honored to have been painted by you. Despite my qualms, it was an unforgettable pleasure to sit for you.”

“It’s wonderful. Being modest, I didn’t initially relish the idea of having a portrait done. That said, I feel you’ve captured in this some things about myself that I do value highly. My wife loves it too.”

“On behalf of everyone at the Dance Theater Foundation, we want to thank you so much for the incredible portrait of Alvin you created for us. It is a gift of immeasurable value which we will treasure always.”

“It hardly seems fair that so many people are getting such delight from your wonderful portrait of Virginia and you’re not here to receive the praise. How I wish you could be the proverbial (as my mother always said) ‘fly on the wall’ to hear all of the compliments and admiration it receives. Virtually all first responses are the same, regardless of whether the viewer knows Virginia very well or has only recently met her (as with a guest Saturday night): “It’s Virginia! It’s just like her.’ What is it? The very little smile? The twinkle of the eyes? It is so Virginia that I love her even more if such a thing is possible for the new ways it makes me recognize her own special magic. I hardly know how to thank you—you are extraordinary gifted at your art and your craft, but moreover you have a special sensitivity which allowed you to connect up with Virginia, to know her, to love her, and to allow that love to shine through in your work.”

“There is not a day that goes by that I don’t pause and treasure it. It is one of the most exquisite portraits I’ve seen.”

“Ying-He was fabulous – her attention to detail, professional manner and artistic talent created a wonderful experience for our family.”

“The portrait is exquisite, brilliant, divine. Everyone loves it including my mother. I can’t thank you enough. It truly captures her and the dog is wonderful, too.”

“I am so very proud of the portrait, and so happy to have chosen you.”

“We saw the portrait last Thursday and we both are very happy with it. The whole experience was fun and very interesting. It was my first time having my portrait made, and I was very pleased with the result (especially since you took care of the neck!) Thank you so much for everything.”

“We unveiled the Portrait yesterday... every body was impressed with the painting..you have captured the beauty and personality of Berta. We could not have done any better... thank you. This morning when I walked into living room, the room looked alive and dynamic with The Portrait.”

“It was a delight to work with you. The portrait is exquisite: rich, classy, and a great rendering of Caroline. You are a sincere and dedicated artist who cares about and works hard to accommodate your client. It would be a great pleasure to work with you again.”

“Thanks for a fine portrait. There is nothing ‘wrong with the mouth’. My wife has commented that it is more than a portrait, and has the quality of a ‘painting’. We are most grateful. Everyone likes it, many comments.”

“It was a real pleasure working with Ying-He on commission of this portrait. She’s a terrific artist, capable of many stylistic variations. More importantly, I found her very interested in trying to understand what I was looking for in the qualities of the portrait and then working to achieve this in her art. My wife and I, as well as everyone at the Joslin Diabetes Center, have been truly impressed by the result.”

“Thank you for your excellent work on Katy Grace’s portrait! I know you spent extra time on it and actually repainted this one! We will enjoy for a lifetime!”