My new model was ready for his first portrait. He seemed to think it was a good idea.
My art consultant /wife reminded me that not every portrait has to be a big formal deal. Art should be accessible and enjoyable and it should celebrate life.
Baby skin is like nothing else you will ever paint.
I love the pastel texture I have going on with the paint. It adds to the playful character of Mr. Christopher.
Almost there. A few details and I will call it finished.
click on the image to enlarge the picture.
Christopher's First Sitting8"x10"
oil on canvas board
You gotta love that hair!
Tag I'm it.
If you are like me, you read a lot of other artist's blogs. So no doubt you have probably seen posts about
Tagging before. I have been tagged before and blew it off as nothing but an Internet chain letter. But I have recently changed my thinking. Going back through the links in Tagged posts can bring some surprises.
One of the most enjoyable things for me is discovering new artist's that blog. I like being surprised, finding a new good blog with work that I admire is a thrill, especially when I discover I have something in common with the artist. Take
(Stacey Peterson) an artist I have admired since reading her first posts. We have several things in common: we both are trying hard to figure out this "
painting full time thing" after we both crossed over (nice way to say we quit) managing projects in the engineering field into art. Stacey has a new member of her family and I babysit a new grandchild. This post on tagging is Stacy's fault you see, because she has recently tagged me after being tagged by
(Mike Bailey). Without Mike having tagged Stacey I would not have found a wonderful new artist
(Sandra Flood). Following the Tags backwards can be interesting. I have discovered Mike used to live in Flemington New Jersey, small world - so did I. And Sandra lives in Frenchtown, N.J. about a block away from where I did (I lived there 20 years ago.)
If you have been tagged you are asked to please follow these rules:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 5 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
So, 5 random things about me.
1. I once had a life reading done (30 years ago). The kind that tell you about your past lives and what you should be doing in this one. It never mentioned art for this life.... was that a sign or a critique? But it did mention something about writing and sharing a message. I hope this blog counts.
2. The first picture I can remember drawing was in first grade. It was a landscape with a fox jumping over a log with a bush and a tree. I still remember the composition. I was the only one in the class that didn't draw lollipop trees. Mine had branches leaves and roots at the base and the sky was two tones. I still draw the same tree when I sketch a tree from memory. Either I never got better or I was pretty good at trees.
3. My dream is to have an art retreat in Nova Scotia. Where artists can come and rent a room with a studio by the day or week. I even have the name picked out. Peaceful Palette. Would you come?
4. I am a compulsive brush buyer. I buy a brush every time I go to the art store. But I never use more than 3 or 4 brushes when I paint. ( and like Stacey, I don't wash them like I should... Once a week maybe)
5. I have never been west of Omaha. ( Except for a business trip to Las Vegas for 2 days which doesn't count).
Here are my five chosen taggees.
(Sheila Vaughn) Sheila has a wonderful feel to her work. An artist in England who paints with a fine style. She varies her subjects which I like in a daily painter.
(Darren Maurer) I know Darren will hate the idea of being Tagged.. that's why I am doing it. Darren is the guy who started me in this daily painting and blogging thing so I owe him.
(Tracy Helgeson) I know Tray has been tagged before but she is feeling a little under the weather and could use some emails wishing her to get better soon. I thought this is might be a good way to cheer her up. She is one of my favorites to read.
(Sarah Trefny) Sarah is the person who gave me the instructions on installing the small thumbnail gallery on my blog. Her work is beautiful. I am jealous of her white pitcher painting. Actually any of her paintings.
(Anthony Zierhut) My favorite sketch artist in any blog. Anthony's blog is so worth visiting. He wins my Norman Rockwell Award for the way he captures his family in the stuff we all do and always wish we would have sketched .
click on the painting to enlarge the image
You know you have a good model when they can hold a pose for hours.
He never moved... even though I was stepping all over arranging and rearranging the toys and books.
I even changed the blanket several times. This only made him move his hand... which actually was an improvement for the composition.
click on the image to enlarge the painting
On Wednesday evenings I join a few friends and we paint and draw from a live model for 2 hours. We start out with several 1 minute warm up sketches. Then jump to 5, 10 15 and maybe a 20 minute sketch.
I reuse my canvas about a hundred times. Week after week. No need to save these they just get replaced by next week's studies.
You can't beat the practice of having a time limit to capture an image. Strange that I find this type of painting relaxing, but plein air painting makes me so nervous. Another art psychosis that I need treatment for.
This was a three minute quick sketch. Things happen so fast! If I am lucky, I am left with a good impression. Hopefully it has expression too. Sometimes it works... sometimes I paint over it and start on the next one.
Having a model that can pose with emotion is rare. This model was very expressive which makes it easier to enjoy the process.
click on the image to enlarge the painting
click on the image to enlarge the painting
My new model was ready for his first portrait. He seemed to think it was a good idea.
My art consultant /wife reminded me that not every portrait has to be a big formal deal. Art should be accessible and enjoyable and it should celebrate life.
Baby skin is like nothing else you will ever paint.
I love the pastel texture I have going on with the paint. It adds to the playful character of Mr. Christopher.
Almost there. A few details and I will call it finished.
click on the image to enlarge the picture.
I haven't done a figurative for a few days. I am finding that the outdoor work actually helps me with the colors and the brushwork on my figures as well as my other studio pieces.
I once read an artist interviewed in a magazine, he was asked what he learned when he studied Andrew Wyeth's people. The artist replied, he found he was always drawn into the thoughts of the people Wyeth painted, when they were facing away from the viewer. I find that a fascinating observation. And I think it is true with Wyeth. But I find it strange, because I feel the opposite with Rembrandt's people. I am pulled into a Rembrandt face when they look at me.
click on the image to enlarge the picture
We have a new addition to the family and I have a new studio companion. So now I have Grandpa duties and dog duty.... wait that doesn't sound right.
click on the image to enlarge the picture
I haven't done a figurative in a while and since Grandpa duties limit my outdoor painting time, I thought in between diapers and bottles and during naps I would give this guy a try.
One of my favorite contemporary artists is (Mario Andres Robinson). I think he has a special talent for capturing the soul and individual character of the people he paints.
My background is very thin and so is the underpainting. I also tried to keep the heavier paint as dry as possible. I like the effect of painting with a dry brush.
click on the picture to enlarge the image
I usually don't start with a charcoal drawing that is this far along. Most of the time I only use an outline drawing for guidance. I wanted to see if the abstract shapes made an interesting composition before I started painting.
I should have sprayed it with fixative before painting. The charcoal came right off the canvas as I applied the paint. I think because I didn't use any turps to thin the paint. It made the beginning a little tricky.
click on the image to enlarge the picture
Since I am now a baby sitting Grandpa three days a week my plein air adventures are going to have to be limited to Monday and Tuesday (and weekends if I can sneak out)
So I'll keep my daily painting practice going with figuratives, still life and larger studio pieces. This small figurative started with a guy at a bus stop.
I got a little ahead of myself and signed it too soon. I thought the expression on his face warranted a story. So I made one up to go with it.
click on the image to enlarge the picture
Painting everyday is challenging work. If I am not careful, I find it is very easy to get myself boxed into a dull routine. My paintings then begin to suffer and I can feel my creative juices start to evaporate.
My challenge to myself? Back lighting and bright sunshine. I know, I know...you think I'm going crazy. Not to mention the star of the painting is in motion....walking towards the viewer (one of my personal, all time, freeze up and run away subjects in painting)
Not only that but then I throw in a busy background.... I need a stiff drink?.....Ice tea please.
click on the image to enlarge the picture
I started this one with softer washes, almost like watercolor, to try and capture the soft feel of the subject early in the painting process.
Then I started with thicker paint. I like to follow the form of the face with my brush strokes when I am underpainting. It helps me visualize how the light reveals the planes of the face. Then occasionally I just swipe a larger brush stroke across an area to blend tones or define a plane better. It is a strange process... starting loose, getting tight, swipe/blend to stays loose, then pick out highlights and darks to tighten up. On and on I go...
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Continuing with the theme of the week... figuratives. Today instead of just one I thought maybe trying to do a group would be fun...and challenging.
The composition is a zig zag that leads your eye through the painting.
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I have been waiting to do this painting for a while.
I started much looser than yesterday's painting. I think that helped keep the painting fresh for a longer period of time.
Almost there! She's wondering what am I going to call this painting.
Click on the picture to enlarge the image
Something different this week. I thought I would change from painting flowers to painting figuratives. I also wanted to use some bolder color. You can't get much bolder than a flame red shirt.
One of my favorite artists is (Dean Mitchell). He does it all in watercolor and oils and he is a great example of someone who is able to capture and highlight human characteristics that make each subject an individual. He also has this great ability to blend abstract design with realism.
Click on the picture to enlarge the image