Portrait painter and illustrator Ned Bittinger reflects on a career devoted to depicting public figures who have shaped American history and culture. From official commissions for the US Capitol and US State Department to acclaimed children’s book illustrations, Mr. Bittinger discusses his artistic process, early training, and the responsibility of capturing both likeness and character. After learning the TM technique in 1971, he noticed immediate benefits from his growth of consciousness, especially in art, where his talent grew to encompass a wide range of possibilities.

Edmund Stuart “Ned” Bittinger’s work is held in major national collections, including in the US Capitol, where his portraits of Abraham Lincoln and Congresswoman Lindy Boggs are displayed, and the US State Department, which commissioned him to paint the official portraits of former Secretaries of State James Baker and Lawrence Eagleburger. His portrait commissions also include Henry Kissinger, Jon Corzine, John Mica, and other notable leaders. In December 2022, Mr. Bittinger won first place in the commission Portrait Competition sponsored by the Portrait Society of America, qualifying him to receive signature status by the Society.

Portrait painter and illustrator Ned Bittinger reflects on a career devoted to depicting public figures who have shaped American history and culture.

Mr. Bittinger has also had a distinguished career as a children’s book illustrator, beginning in 1995 with The Matzah That Papa Brought Home, which received acclaim from the American Library Association and the Sydney Taylor Book Award. This was followed by The Blue and the Gray (1996), Rocking Horse Christmas (1997), and When the Root Children Wake Up (2002), a retelling of Sibylle von Olfers’ 1906 classic The Root Children.

Born in Washington, DC, Mr. Bittinger began drawing seriously as a child, and by the age of 13, was studying at the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design while attending Landon School in Bethesda, Maryland. He earned a BFA from Denison University and worked briefly in a commercial art studio before returning to the Corcoran to complete his MFA through George Washington University.

Christine Albers, host of TM Talks, interviewed Ned Bittinger. This interview was aired on January 11, 2026.