Self-Portrait, With Video

 "Self-Portrait (Hopeful)"

approx. 8 x 11, oil on Arches oil paper

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This self-portrait began as a demo for an online student. At the end of our session, it looked like the first image on the left - so that was about an hour-and-a-half. I worked on it for several more hours, and you can see the progression:

I really enjoy painting for my online students - it's like having excellent company in the studio, with the added bonus of having video documentation of my painting process! I edited this one down to just the block-in - it's about a 15 minute video:

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.

 

Icy Blues

 "Icy Blues"

9 x 12 inches, oil on canvas

Available here

As much as I love working with my favorite models over and over again, there's a thrill in capturing a brand new face. I get to approach the portrait without any old ideas of what the model looks like.

Here's a work-in-progress. You can see that I had to lower the right eye quite a bit - an issue I wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't snapped a picture. Looking at a painting on a phone screen is a great way to "get back from it," and texting the picture to a friend for a quick critique doesn't hurt either!

And here's the model himself:

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.

 

A Big Fat Happy New Year and Some Paintings Too!

Woah, it's 2014! I spent the last few weeks of 2013 putting finishing touches on my solo show, and then jetting off to sunny Southern California for Christmas with family. 

I did, of course, manage to hastily apply some paint here and there.

These portrait sketches were done at some point during the craziness. They are both about 8x6", oil on Arches oil paper.

 

Just after the New Year, I was thrilled to wake up to this lovely article about the show, and The Gallery at the Watershed.

And I began the year on an excellent note, painting a model in my studio with good art friends. Here's a detail shot of the nearly-finished piece.

 Now I'm off to the gallery for some First Friday Artwalk fun! I'd also like to announce that I'll be gallery-sitting every Saturday this month, so if you'd like to see my show, and maybe test out how much I really resemble that self-portrait of mine, stop by!

A Looser Look

 

 "Lindsey, Loosely"

14 x 11 inches, oil on canvas

click to buy

Here's my second painting of this model. Two very different approaches, I know. I didn't walk into the session consciously thinking, "Tonight I'm going to keep it loose!" It was just the mood I was in, I guess.

At the model break, I was offered some encouraging words by the palette fairy:

 

(Another reason why joining a painting group is a really good idea!)

 Here's our lovely model. You can see that I really didn't do her beauty justice!

From sketch to (sketchy) finish:

The holiday sale in my Etsy shop is still going on. Save 25% on your heart's desire - or a special gift for the art lover on your list - with the coupon code BLACKFRIDAY. 

My best friend Gabriella is also offering an exciting deal this month: 20% off and free shipping. I think of her paintings as yoga for the eyes - relaxing and yet invigorating. Let me know if you agree! 

Look Who's Back...

...And it's about time! I didn't really intend to stay away so long, but life happens. Getting back into the studio has been a slow process, with the dreaded cold starts, and plenty of AA - that's Artist's Anxiety (...and yes, that's trademarked, but ok, you can use it!)

There is no slump-busting in my world that doesn't involve Figure painting - so here's my latest: 

"In Profile"

12 x 9 inches, oil on canvas

Available here

 Painted in approximately three hours, from a live model - and here's the proof:

Smile!

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.

The Artist at Home

"Gentle Reader"

20 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

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 The past two days have been exciting, painting a model in my own living room! Carol joined me today, just to make the morning even more fun. If you've been reading for a while, you know I'm a huge fan of shaking it up / getting out of your comfort zone, and strangely, this week I've managed to shake things up by remaining smack in the middle of my comfort zone - or at least, my living room. 

I really wanted to paint the model backlit by that huge window, but she was so sillouhetted that I ended up shining an extra halogen spot on her. The effect was still pretty dramatic. I'm now feeling inspired to paint in other rooms of my house, but my next foray into figure will be in a garden setting (weather permitting). 

Here are some shots from this morning: Our lovely model with our work-in-progress, a face-detail from my painting, and Carol at work:

click on the image for a better view!

All's Well That Ends Well

"Legs Elegantly Crossed"

9 x 12 inches, oil on canvas

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This one started well. At least, I felt great. It had been a while since I'd painted, but my first strokes felt confident and successful. And they weren't. 

On the left, you see my toned canvas and initial sketch, moving from orange to alizarin to purple. Should have taken two steps back and seen that the head was too big, but moved on instead. I liked what I'd done with the face, but I gritted my teeth and decided I wanted to keep the whole body on the canvas. So it was off with her head. 

Very satisfying.

What I don't have pictures to show you is that shortly after repainting the head, I scraped the body down and repainted it, too.

All in all, it was a laborious night - but when I got home, I decided I liked the result. With a little tweaking today, I think I might love it. It's the journey, guys. And sometimes the end results are good too.

I Invent a Verb

 

"Sultry Sleepy Eyes"

8 x 10 inches, oil on canvas

$200

click to buy

 I pulled into the parking lot of the Art Center last night still not knowing what I wanted to do, palette-wise. Because I'd been busy all morning, my travel palette was a mess, and with no time to clean it (between the 3 year old's dance class, making dinner, blogging, you know...), I threw a disposable palette in my paint box and ran out the door.

It seemed like as good a time as any to pull something out of the "I've been meaning to try" bag:

The Zorn Palette

Image source

  Red, Yellow Ocher, Black, White. That's it! So simple.

 And I'm going to declare my use of "Zorn" as a verb totally acceptable. I'll even give you permission to use it too.

Here's another Zorn spectrum. Great Zorning, dude!

image source

Someone took me up on it!

 

"Green Scarf, Green Eyes"

8 x 10 inches

oil on canvas

$350

click to buy

Remember when I threw myself at you put out a call for portrait subjects a few weeks ago? And the crickets chirped very loudly? ...Well, someone finally took me up on my offer, and in lieu of wine (which I was more than willing to consider, nevermind that it was 9:30 am) all she demanded was a little online art-selling chat. As some of you know, there's not much I love to gush about more than Etsy --- Daily Paintworks being a close second. She got an earful. I got to hear all about her work in the Flemish masters' painting method and her continuing efforts to remove all petroleum products from her studio. AND I made my second painting of the week with "Green" in the title. 

It was a good day. Thanks, Sarah!

The talented Sarah Ciampa, with her portrait, by me. Also Sarah. Because it's the best name there is.