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As one of America’s preeminent portrait artists, Baton Rouge artist Janie Emery has painted ambassadors, generals, congressmen, Supreme Court justices, business tycoons and philanthropists.

Her subjects include former Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, former Ambassador to the Republic of Hungary Nancy Brinker and PGA golf professional Bruce Lietzke.

Her latest commission: painting portraits of local federal judges John Parker and Frank Polozola, and a posthumous portrait of the late Judge E. Gordon West, all of which recently were unveiled at the Russell B. Long Federal Building and Courthouse on Florida Street.

Emery broke onto the national art scene with the help of daughter Holly Thaggard, who now works as her mother’s agent. Thaggard, a harpist, moved to Dallas several years ago and made connections with several high-profile people, which led to some commissions.

“She’s probably my biggest cheerleader,” Emery says. “It’s nice when you have someone working for you who believes in what you do. We’ve always had a close relationship, and working together has been an amazing experience.”

Emery has been painting portraits of national leaders for three decades, and many are documented and archived in the library of the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Closer to home, philanthropist Irene Pennington and former LSU basketball coach Dale Brown have sat before her canvases.

“While Janie paints with her hands, her heart and spirit go into everything she does,” Polozola said at his unveiling ceremony in January.

Kelsey Funes, an attorney with Phelps Dunbar and a member of the Baton Rouge Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, coordinated the commissions. Inspired by what other chapters across the country were doing, Funes decided to honor senior judges with a portrait, which she hopes becomes a tradition in Baton Rouge.

“They really reflect their personalities, and it’s something special for the courthouse, the community and the judges and their families,” Funes says. “I think they had a lot of fun working with Janie, and it really shows.”

As the judges sat for their portraits, Emery got to know some of their families. “It was really a special privilege for me to be a part of this,” Emery says.

The portrait of the late Judge West will go up on the wall and join those of Polozola and Parker this summer. janieemery.com