Zorn Palette Portrait Workshop Demo

 "Maddie"

9 x 12 inches, oil on canvas

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I took my portrait workshop on the road last weekend, painting with a great group of artists at Sequoia Gallery + Studios in Hillsboro, a town outside of Portland. We spent an intense two days mixing colors, painting from live models, eating early Halloween candy, and enjoying the sounds of rain...flooding the parking lot. 

The perfect way to spend a fall weekend in the Pacific Northwest!

My next Zorn palette portrait workshop will be held in Eugene, at the fabulous Oregon Art Supply, November 21-22nd. All the info, materials list, and registration can be found here.

The Shadow of Her Face

 "The Shadow of Her Face" 

11 x 14 inches, oil on canvas

$250

Available here

Can you see why I chose this title? Hint: check out her shoulder!

 Here's the model with her portrait. I've painted Hannah twice before - Here and here.

Limited Palette Love

 "Ocher Yolk"

8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

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Here's my limited palette demo from last weekend's workshop. I used Yellow Ocher, Ultramarine Blue, and Alizarin Crimson - plus white, of course. 

I admit I had some doubts about that egg yolk - trying to capture that vibrant yellow with only Yellow Ocher on my palette? Limited palettes never let me down, though. As long as there's nothing "yellower" to show it up, Ocher does just fine, as you see.

Here I am, in the underpainting stage: 

 

Still Life Workshop....Day 2!

"Delicious"

8 x 7 inches, oil on Arches oil paper

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Day two of last weekend's still life workshop kept the paint flying. I sketched out this color study while my students worked on their 3-hour afternoon paintings - in between dropping by their easels, of course. 

I'm sure I've gone on about my love for the color combination of purple and green before, but in case you're new to the blog: it's my fave.

I'm really proud of this group. Great work was made by all!

 

Still Life Painting Workshop....Day One!

 "Wedges" 

8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

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I just finished up a fabulous three-day workshop here in Eugene. "Wedges" was my first morning demo, and below you see some of my students, painting up a storm!

Here are their pieces....and this was just the first day! Awesome, right?!

My next still life workshop will be November 7-8th, at Winslow Art Center, on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Spaces are still available, and all the information can be found here.

Medusa

 

 "Medusa"

14 x 18 inches, oil on canvas

$500

Click to buy

 I had a LOT of fun painting this hair - can you tell? Painting it, or not painting it - as I left some spots of golden underpainting peeking through for highlights.

I don't tone my canvas when I paint with the Zorn palette - so the face and body were painted directly onto a white ground. You can see below that I did tone the background before painting the bluish gray over it, so I could have that warmth underneath.

Painting Pretty Pears

"Three Red Pears"

8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas, framed

$200

Click to buy

Another painting of these beautiful pears. They lasted a long time in the studio, but went from unripe to rotten, so I never got to eat one. Oh well, I bought 'em for looks anyway. You know that feeling you get when you're shopping for produce to paint, picking up 20 different apples to find the prettiest one --- like people are looking at you funny? Yeah, me too.

Here's a halfway point work-in-progress:

I'm teaching my last three-day still life workshop of 2015 next weekend, October 17-19th, here in Eugene. All the info can be found here. Thanks!

Paint Out! Last one of the Year...

 

 "Autumn Afternoon in the Vineyard"

12 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

Framed, $400

Over the weekend, I participated in Plein Air Washington County, and it was just a heartbreakingly gorgeous fall paintout.  The event was organized by Sequoia Gallery, where I also teach workshops (Portrait painting coming up, October 24-25!), and they did a fantastic job - making sure we were well supplied with fun places to paint. 

Here's a scene from a local nursery. There were tons of artists there - plus a news crew - on the morning I painted this. The perfect combination of exciting and peaceful!

"Blooming Junction Barn"

12 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

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Posing for the paparazzi, with my painting-in-progress: 

 

 And here are both of my landscapes, ready for the opening reception:

 One reason I love this particular paintout - and returned to do it for the second year in a row - is the Quick Draw with costumed models. Two models, two hours, two fabulous period costumes! 

I'm pleased to report that this portrait went home with the lovely model's grandmother! 

Thanks, Sequoia Gallery, for a great weekend of painting. See you October 24-25th for another one!