Category Archives: Portraits

Some Scary Selfies

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Took an online workshop recently from Zoey Frank ~~ ‘self-portraits from observation’. It was weeks long – with almost 300 students (critiqued by five or six assistants). I didn’t get around to finishing the one self-portrait I started – just made a couple of smaller studies . . . before giving up in boredom at my composition.

  • 1st composition – too cutsie by half (or two-thirds). Oil on Arches Huile paper. 6″ x 8″.
  • 2d composition. oil on Arches Huile paper. 6″ x 8″.
  • Enlargement of 2d composition, 1st pass. Oil on linen panel. 16″ x 20″..
  • Documenting what I was ‘observing’ in 2d composition.
  • Second pass on the enlarged painting. Not sure if/when I’ll do more.composition, first pass. oil on linen panel. 16″x20″.

I’m now taking a watercolor class with Ed Praybe. He tasked us with doing THREE monochromatic self-portraits during one week – facing front & diagonally to each side. Under the short and specific deadline, I produced these three. Warning – it’s impossible to smile AND paint simultaneously, but . . . here they are anyway.

  • Looking/inclined left. Watercolor. 5″x7″.
  • Head on. Watercolor. 5″x7″.
  • Looking right. Watercolor. 5″x7″

New Facebook Challenge ~ 10 Paintings in 10 Days ~~ per friend Kathy Stowe

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Ooof! I did one of these challenges not long ago, but here goes! Day 1 of my mission to share something from my art, my studio, or my life for ten consecutive days, no explanation needed, and nominate someone to do the same. I nominate Penny Smith to share some of her beautiful artwork and carry on the call. The idea is to promote positivity and bring art into each other’s lives.

Here’s what’s on my easel at the moment — inching toward a dual portrait of my deceased brother-in-law Albert ‘Terp’ Ward, and his widow, Donna Garnett.

Double Portrait – 2d session
Initial drawing, using Catherine Kehoe’s method of building a web of intersecting lines until features emerge.

A Past Start Destined to Remain Unfinished. Dad on the 4th, 2010.

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In the last post, I included a photo I took of Dad during our July 4th party in 2010.  I have always treasured that shot.  Back in 2014, when I was beginning to experiment with gouache, I decided to hazard a rendering of the fuzzy image.  I got it to this stage in my first session and put it aside for further work.  I have never had the nerve to do more on it because I was afraid of messing it up or not doing Dad justice.  I’m now declaring it ‘officially unfinished’.  It’s not gonna be changing.  I like it ‘as is’, shortcomings and all.

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Painting Without Pressure

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Over the last few weeks I’ve been working on portraits of my three grandchildren — a task much less ‘fraught’ than the commissioned portrait I showed you last time.  Here’s the one that’s farthest along, after about eight hours of work.  I see lots of ‘issues’ still to be resolved, but it’s in a much better place than the other one ever reached.  Can’t wait to see how it turns out!

Four Months. Oil on Linen. 9 x 12. 2018.

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Performance Anxiety in a Portrait Painter!

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I spent a helluva lot of hours on this grandmother/grandson portrait.  It took me over a year and a half(!!) — though most of that time was spent dreading painting, rather than putting brush to linen.  It was commissioned by a friend and based on her photos from years earlier, rather than observation — never a great thing.

Grandmother and grandson, with hydrangeas. Oil on linen.

My next post will show a portrait that I did in a weekend  ~~ things work (and look) much better without anxiety!

Doodles While Traveling

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We flew to California for Christmas this year and, as usual, I occupied myself at the airports and in-air by some iPad doodling.  Thought it would be fun to share some of those from this and earlier flights with you.

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Latest Works ~~ Most Special Dad

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It’s football season and while watching games with my husband I often doodle on the iPad. I’m making some pictures to sell as prints during an exhibit this January. Here’s one that’s more personal, in honor of my Dad who passed away in August 2016. It includes comments from his last few weeks of life.

R.I.P. Original iPad art. 4×5 aspect ratio. 2017

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Portrait commission — grand-nephew Les

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Here is a portrait of my grand-nephew Les, younger brother of Ceci, whose portrait was featured in a prior post.  You’ll see that he, like Ceci, was captured with bright sunlight flooding over his head and spilling down onto his eyebrows, nose and cheeks.  These are unusual poses, but were great fun to paint.  Sweet sweet children.  In the meantime, another baby brother has joined the family.  Once he gets a bit older, his portrait will be painted as well.

Les Duhon

Les.  Oil on Linen.

 

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Two new models — simultaneously

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You may recognize these two gentlemen from an earlier post.  I was delighted that Danni recruited them to model.  They were positioned so I could see each by glancing to the right or the left.  Not knowing if I’d have a chance to paint them again, I decided to do both, if possible.  I set up two canvases side by side and got to work.  At some point I had to pick one to bring to greater finish — the bearded soldier.

confed soldier Torpedo Indian