Resting at the Portrait Gallery. Oil on Linen.
During a recent visit to the National Portrait Gallery, I saw two marvelous women, each sitting in one of the deep window seats that back up to the courtyard. I decided to be bold and ask if I could take their pictures for painting purposes. To my delight, each agreed. Here’s the first – a petite little lady perched on the long cushion, resting her feet. Another palette knife attempt.
Cousins, engrossed in an iPad. Oil on Linen.
I fell in love with a darling photo of two cousins (my grand-niece & -nephew, if I’ve calculated that right), huddled around an iPad. I knew I had to make a painting out of it. Have been trying to learn how to paint with a palette knife. This is one of my first attempts.
View from my back door, painted ‘live’. Oil on Arches Oil Paper.
I’m kind of a housebody (take after my grandmother Ceci), so I don’t often paint ‘plein air’. While my art buddies were out painting in the hot summer sun, I decided to paint what I see out of my back door window daily.
I’m thinking that lovely blue sky is too cheerful for the mood of the painting. What do you think??
Here’s another of my paintings to be featured at the Writers Center exhibit, opening in late June. A ‘plein air’ painting (done in the great outdoors) painted along S Street, NW, DC, in a workshop offered by Carol Rubin, another wonderful artist.
S Street Lollipops. Oil on Linen Panel.
The wonderful DC-area Writers Center regularly hosts art exhibits in its large space, featuring the works of local artists. Ten of my paintings will be included in the next show, scheduled to open in late June. This exhibit is organized around the works of those who have painted with Gonzalo Navarro, a fellow teacher at the Yellow Barn Studio in Glen Echo, MD. I have enjoyed Gonzalo’s teaching expertise — it’s always good to practice skills under the tutelage of an expert in portraiture and figurative painting. It’s great to have Gonzalo at the Yellow Barn, as well as Maud Taber-Thomas, supplementing the excellent portraiture teaching of Gavin Glakas.
Here is one of the paintings I’ll show in the upcoming exhibit. More to follow.
Pensive Ballerina. Oil on Arches Oil Paper.
I recently studied portrait painting with Bill Schneider. After he did a wonderful demo, Bill had us emulate Nicholai Fechin’s gorgeous ‘broken color’ style, by copying (on a larger scale, so we could practice our facial measuring skills) some Fechin portraits.
Fechin’s portrait (L) and my copy. oil on canvas.
First I copied one of Fechin’s beautiful women. And then this precious child.
Fechin’s portrait (L) & my copy. oil on canvas.
The next day we painted from a live model, attempting to apply the broken color method on our own. Quite a difference in beauty, eh? (Just keeping it real!)
Working toward Fechin’s ‘broken color’ in painting from life. oil on Arches oil paper.
I ended the weekend workshop with lots to practice and mull. Thanks, Bill!
Here’s another study (unfinished) that I did during that wonderful Maggie Siner workshop awhile back. Maggie wanted us to be very definite in matching colors and then put a big juicy stroke in the MIDDLE of the shape we were working on.
Terracotta Pot, White Cat & Dino on Pig-shaped Cutting Board. Unfinished. Oil on Linen.
Never put your first paint stroke next to an edge, she says, or you’ll be tempted to paint the object rather than the shape. Maggie gave us a wonderful motto to paint by: Great shapes, not great objects, make a good painting!
This exercise, much different from that showcased last time, reviewed key principles for a successful painting: make an interesting pattern of darks and lights — and join similar values wherever feasible. This painting may be a bit hard to suss out because many shapes were ‘lost’ in simplifying the scene into only three values. Notice how the highlight atop the left ‘spoon’ melts into the light background. And how the highlight on the short central spoon creates a strange form when linked by the mid-tone to the tall spoon handle immediately behind.
Spoons in a Pitcher + Mango + Spatula & Candle Holder. Oil.
The task here was to decide which of the many values in the still life set-up should be grouped into the limited value choices. Paint obvious ‘lightest lights’ with white and ‘darkest darks’ with raw umber. Then ask the trickier questions: where do all of those other values in the set-up belong — in the mid-tone gray or in one of the other options? Which grouping makes the stronger composition? Decide on your answers and paint the shapes accordingly, in smooth, flat value tones. No cake frosting this time!
Here’s something colorful and fun — a painting I did awhile back, based on a photo I took at a meaningful and festive bat mitzvah last year. Remembering that happy occasion and the many dancing feet celebrating that evening puts a big smile on my face.
Our feet are happy now! Oil on canvas.
A perfect antidote to the winter blahs that crept in along with the rain, sleet and snow we’ve had yesterday and today, right?
Before Ingrid & Jeremiah’s wedding recedes into fond memories, I wanted to paint a tangible memento, based on a photo taken by my niece Tess (Jeremiah’s sister). Actually, a number of photos of the beautiful flower girls captured my artist’s fancy. Here’s the first one I tackled. Maybe there will be more.
Wedding Flowers. Oil on Paper.