(Another) Nude With Silver Rings

 "Nude With Silver Rings no. 2"

14 x 18 inches, oil on canvas

Available here

Number one can be seen here. Kind of a similar painting - if not a similar model!  

I'm happy with this one - and I'm not making any apologies about the mouth. This guy has a mustache. It's large. It's anachronistic. So I indicated it loosely, and I leave you with this quote from my favorite painter of all time: 

Alla Prima Portrait Painting

 "Fond Memory"

12 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

Available Here

Painted from a live model, alla prima, using the Sean Cheetham mud palette. Incidentally, the same palette I used for my recent self-portrait!

Portrait Painting in Portland

 "Adam"

11 x 14 inches, oil on canvas

Available, email to inquire

 I was invited to give a portrait painting demonstration at The Oregon Society of Artists in Portland last week. It was great - there was an audience of about 30 people, and they asked so many great questions, I think I hardly stopped talking the whole time...

....the whole 90 minutes, that is! What a challenge.

I asked my awesome friend Adam to pose for me. Because, well, he lives in Portland. Also, he's cute. The audience loved him.

Seriously, I got almost as many compliments on my choice of model as I did on the painting! Adam, I think you missed your calling.

 

Deep Blue Gaze, and I Critique my Former Self

 "Deep Blue Gaze"

9 x 12 inches, oil on canvas

Sold

It's been a long time since I've painted this model, Dylan. In fact, I can't believe that this piece was painted over four years ago! Here's another one from the same time period. 

At the time, I remember being really proud of this one, but looking at it now, I have several critiques. There are way too many brushstrokes on the face, especially the forehead. The line where the nose meets the shadow cast by the nose is too sharp, and the ear on the shadow side of the head is far too light/saturated. I feel like all the shadows are a bit too light, too cool. So the face feels flat.

Now, if I was delivering this scathing commentary to a student of mine, I would certainly mix some positive things in with the negative. The drawing is good, I'd say, and the eyes and face have a definite expression. I actually like the way I handled the background - one side warmer, one side cooler. And I like some of the soft edges where the hair meets the background.

Anyway, back to the present! Here's a progression:

And here's a shot, on Facebook, of the model himself with his portrait.

Specs Steal the Show

 

 "Spectacles"

12x9 inches, oil on canvas

Available

It's not hard to tell where the focal point of this piece is! Those thick glasses really dominate the model's face, blurring the detail of his eyes. They also catch the strongest highlight in the painting - which usually happens on the tip of the nose or on the forehead, in a portrait. 

So, I titled this one "Spectacles," because that's what it's all about.

 

The Pleasure Was Mine

 

"Portrait of R. Canaga"

20 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

Sold commissioned portrait

Robert Canaga is a former gallery owner and the curator of Eugene's Gallery at the Watershed. He knows everyone in the Oregon art world, and has an amazing collection of original art in his home. He's also a printmaker and painter. I was extra excited when he asked me to paint his portrait, because I knew I'd be able to include one of his works in the background! Working in his spacious, skylit studio and listening to his fascinating stories were icing on the cake.

Here's a progression: you might notice that I redrew the arms and hands between the second and third picture, lowering them on the canvas. I spent an entire sitting just painting the hands. 

(Click on the picture to see it bigger.)

Have you ever thought about commissioning a portrait? I'm 100% at your service. Let's talk.

Whining, Crying, and Painting the Nude

"Male Figure Study"

14 x 11 inches, oil on canvas

 Available

After a ridiculously long session break, Tuesday figure painting night at Maude Kerns is back! I painted this as an anatomical study, mixing my colors by value rather than the skin tones I actually observed, and not focusing on the head much at all. I even partially decapitated him just to show how much I don't care - a particularly good exercise for me, since I usually cry when I can't capture a facial likeness.

☺

Behind every successful woman (artist)...

"Jesse at 36"

10 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

Yes, it's for sale.

...is a husband that's willing to sit for her. It's literally been years since I've been able to coax this guy into the hot seat. Five years. I guess the last time was really painful or something.

Here's his last portrait, from February 2008:

I was just getting back into painting seriously at the time, but I was pretty happy with this one. I've still got it hanging around the studio five years later, so it's safe to say I'm sentimentally attached.

Jesse, I love you. I'm glad you were sick today so you could sit for me, just for an hour or so. I'll pencil you in for another sitting in 2018.

A Stay-of-Execution

"Dylan" 

8 x 10 inches, oil on canvas

Sold

 

Oh, Dylan, you miniature Don Draper you. You could be my muse if I didn't have so much f$%&ing trouble capturing your likeness. Maybe I could just pinch your bearded cheeks?

Before I moved to Oregon, I never thought of beards as attractive. Goatees - maybe - that's about as far as facial hair went in the midwest in the 90's. But I digress...

As I've already hinted, this one almost didn't make it. I literally had the palette knife poised to strike this morning when I decided to try a couple of tweaks. Also influencing the stay-of-execution, the fact that this one spent a couple of hours baking in my hot car yesterday afternoon, and was basically already dry when I went to wipe it.

Random Roundup: What a Week!

 

"The Florist"

 9 x 12"

oil on canvas

click to buy

Here's my portrait from yesterday morning's open studio. I was going to wipe it before I even left the Art Center, but was dissuaded by the gentle encouragement of my painting friends. After bringing it home and letting it hang out in my kitchen for a bit, I realized that that red shirt kept catching my eye as I breezed past. And I have to admit I'm drawn to the strange dynamic between his dignified face and those flowers....

My start was terrible. I believe this goes in the category of "I was stupid to share it," but hey, it's the Random Roundup. No shame.

 

In other news(papers), The Gallery at the Watershed was written up in our local daily this week, and the photo they published was yours truly, making this painting last week. It was entirely coincidental that I was there when the photographer arrived, and I might even call it fortuitous, if I had been identified in the photo they ran in their paper, online, and on Facebook. Go to your grave gracefully, print journalism. 

(Here's a link to the article, really a very nice writeup of an exciting addition to our local art scene.)

source

 My workshop got off to a great start this past Monday. I'm loving my new crop of students, and their enthusiasm. Here is one of my demos from the day - in case you haven't already seen it on Facebook, it's up for auction on Daily Paintworks, starting at $1.

 "Garlic and Butter Knife"

approx. 6 x 8 inches, oil on Arches oil paper

click to bid 

Well, that's all the news that's random this week. I'll be painting live once again at The Gallery at the Watershed tonight from 7-10 pm. I'd love it if you came by to say hello, but please, no pictures. ☺

Somebody get him a can of Bud!

 

"Shirtless Man"

11x14 inches, oil on canvas

$250

click to buy

Ah, figure painting. So good to be back to you after what felt like a loooong spring break, during which I actually took no time off from you.

Well, Maude Kerns Art Center figure painting is just better than other kinds of figure painting, what can I say?

Here's what I can say: when I saw this model last night, I was less-than-thrilled. We're all human, deserving of respect, and beautiful in our own way, but some of us make better painting subjects than others. At least that was my initial reaction. Then I started thinking about some of my art-idols and imaginary boyfriends, and realized that their subjects aren't always young, thin, female, and gorgeous. One of my current favorites is Sean Cheetham - he doesn't paint the classical beauty, ever. So I decided to attempt to work on some of the things I want to improve in my figure painting - flesh tones, composition, looseness, gesture - and forget about the fact that most likely no one would want to put this one on their bedroom wall.

 

 Though I admit, I'm a horrible judge of what-people-will-buy. Without fail, whenever I finish a painting feeling like a rockstar, I'm in luck, because that painting stays with me forever.

 ....So someone get ME a can of bud - or 250 cans, even. I'll share.

Spring Break Sketchbook Action

 

"Charles"

6 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

$50 auction start - click to bid

It's spring break here in College Town, Oregon. Spring break has its good points: no traffic, no wait for a table in any restaurant anywhere at any time of day, no what-not-to-wear parade of tiny shorts and Uggs everywhere you look....but the bad points are more onerous. No preschool, no Art Center figure painting, and no babysitters, since they're all off somewhere drinking on a houseboat. Or whatever it is they do.

I did manage to find a place to get my fix last night - Emerald Art Center in Springfield. Since it's basically a drawing session, the poses are shorter, but as long as they let me in with my paints, I can deal! The below was done in about an hour, after some sketchbook action - which I share with you only because I trust you deeply. I'm just not a draw-er these days. Rusty doesn't begin to describe it.

 A 5 minute sketch, in pencil:

.

And this morning, a quick pencil sketch of my precious studio assistant, Ellie. She's doing some art-book research for me. Or maybe just looking at the pictures.

Two Portraits

  

"So Serious"

8x10" oil on canvas

$200 

In addition to my regular Tuesday night figure painting, I've started attending a series of clothed-model sessions. I really want to focus on faces and skin tones. The most difficult part of these paintings is mixing the shadow colors. I wish I had more of a formula, or a go-to plan for mixing them, but I feel like I'm fumbling around every time. I don't find the lights as challenging. 

What are your tips for mixing gorgeous shadow skin-tones?

  

"Little Redhead"

8 x 10" oil on canvas

Sold

"Deep in Thought" portrait figure man male nude oil painting

 

8 x 10"

oil on canvas

$150

Available in my Etsy shop

Once again, I enjoyed painting this pose. Even though I usually don't continue the same painting for both weeks, I'm glad the Art Center's figure night is set up to have the same pose two weeks in a row. It's remarkable how much difference a slight change in vantage point can make.

DailyPaintworks is having a Hurricane Sandy fundraiser, so please take a minute to check it out. I donated a painting, and all proceeds will go to the American Red Cross.

"The Clasped Hands" male nude figure painting fine art original figurative oil

 

8 x 10"

oil on canvas

$200 

available in my Etsy shop

Here is my piece from Tuesday night. It's been a looong time since I've seen this model (another link why not), and once again, he was great to paint. Love the big veins character in his hands! Here's a work-in-progress shot.

"Blue Jeans and Converse" nude male african american figure art painting portrait original oil on canvas

 

11 x 14"

oil on canvas

$250

purchase

This painting took a little less than three hours, but I was very warmed up from working in the studio (on a wiper, but whatever) all day. You can see a picture with the model in the background, and some WIP's here. 

"In Cool Light" Male nude figure painting original oil on canvas

 

 14 x 18"

oil on canvas

$400

purchase

I consider this more of a sketch, even though it is a larger painting. My goal was to keep it loose, not worry too much about facial likeness, and achieve some kind of movement or overall feeling in the piece. I like it.

"The Red Rasta" male nude figure painting portrait original oil on canvas

 

9 x 12"

oil on canvas

Sold

Below are progress shots, taken at about 45 minute intervals. The first picture is possibly the coolest one of my paintings has ever looked at that stage! Zombie man!

 

(click on the image to scrutinize the undead goodness.)