Girl's Night Out

 

This is my latest oil painting. It is 23" x 29". While the frame is a bit askew in the photo, you can see the painting just fine! I am happy with the color of the frame choice. It really did what the painting needed to make it pop! Let me know how you like it please!

"The Conversation" completed

At last I have finished this painting. And

I have changed the title to "The Listener".

After working on it over these many weeks

I saw that it was really about the woman who

was receiving her friend's communication.

She is calm and attentive, just the sort of

person we need to hear our thoughts and

concerns.

Let me know what you think please. It really

matters to me to hear how it has affected you

and how well I got that communication across.

Thank you!

"The Conversation" part 5

It's much closer to what I am after. Painting things into submission so I can get the main event of the window and the 'girls' to shine. Love the black shape of that sweater! But WHY is this format like this now? I have NO idea!

"The Conversation" part #4

I don't have a deadline for this piece as I often do. And so I am letting it 'simmer' in between the times I work on it. I have a vision for it, but at this point I am simply getting the elements carefully worked out. There is the perspective to it all, the odd and mysterious shapes of legs and napkins under the table, the very subtle tone and color changes of the walls, window moldings, etc. It is rather like building a house. You first must have a vision for what you want. Then you have blueprints (or the sketch you make for the painting) and then you build the structure. Only then do you return to your vision and make the necessary changes that bring that vision to life. Or else it is just a copy of the physical universe. In that case, might as well just make a photograph!

"I Concentrate on You"

"I concentrate on you" is an old song. It is one of

the cuts on one of my friend Carey's albums, and

since this is a painting of him, it seemed the perfect

title. His beloved and gorgeous custom-made

guitar makes beautiful music with his accomplished

fingers and phrasing! He concentrates on that jewel

of an instrument.

I worked on this painting over many months and

almost hated to finish it because it was a constant

reminder of the beautiful music Carey creates and

painting it reminded me of his favored tunes from

the 30s and 40s. My favorite era too....though it

was really my parent's music!

I altered the background somewhat so that it

complimented him more that what was actually

there in that room. I added the fire to show more

of the warm heart of his music and his love for it.

It is an oil painting on a panel. 18" x 24". Please

do comment here and let me know what you think.

Next stage of the guitarist

So now I've got some background in place, though

I'm not sure it really helps the painting all that

much. I may paint it out and just let the man

and his music 'stand' alone! This painting is on

an 18" x 24" panel. I've used Mars Violet in the

background. It is an interesting rosy brown that

seems to harmonize with the colors he is wearing.

I really like the blue of his shirt in contrast to

the other colors.

Let me know what you think of it. I always

appreciate people posting their comments here.

Getting started

This is how I generally work from a photograph

I've taken. I take the print to Kinko's and blow it

up and crop it if necessary. Then I have two prints

made. I make a grid on one, and have the other for

reference without any lines from gridding on it. It

is the top photo that I folded and made grid lines on.

You can see the folds in it if you click on this image

and see it larger.

When I am doing a portrait, I never worry about

likeness in the sketch stage. Just general proportions

of the face. I then work it out on the painting surface.

This sketch is on newsprint. I will transfer it by putting

charcoal on the back of the drawing and then going over

the drawing while it is taped to the panel I'm going to

paint on (or canvas).

This painting is going to be 18 x 24 and in oil on a panel.

A lady and her jewelry!

Here she is, not quite completed,

but the essentials are in place.

I never saw her face that day but

from the back, she is certainly one

beautiful woman. She stood for just

a moment like this, and I caught the

shot. This is a 12 x 24 painting and

I named it "Dreaming and Desire".

I will post the final painting soon.

$800.

Here's my girl in magenta!

Well here she is, up close and personal.

I have had so many good responses to

the feeling I want this painting to evoke

and thank you for your thoughts. Not

all of you have posted on the blog, but

I am satisfied that what I wanted to

communicate came across....

Almost completed

A few blog posts back you saw this piece

as I started it. It is nearly done and now

I am in the tweaking stage for bringing

it to be the exact communication I want

to be. I had fun doing the bricks which

sort of surprises me as I don't like doing

fussy little repetitious details for the most

part.

New work at stage #2

This is the first rough-in stage for the paint.

I have, at this point, worked on it for two

sessions. Now I can see what I want to

emphasize and what to downplay to get

the effect I want from this scene. I have

altered elements from the photos such

as the empty chair position (would you

like to join her?) and simplified the

background content.

All is a supporting cast to the vibrant

young lady taking a break. I am finding

this a very interesting color combination.

I am referring to the strong colors.

Any ideas for a title?

New work #1

Back to the easel after a LOT of other

stuff going on. This work is 24" x 36"

and this is how I start my work that has

a lot in it. I will do small works by just

painting in what I want to start, but when

there are a lot of part, angles, etc. I make

a drawing of it. In this case, of course,

I am not working from 'life'. It is a

composite from a number of photos I

took from a restaurant window, looking

down across the street at this relaxing

scene. Let me know how you like it!

I am a teacher at heart, so I like you

to see how I work!

Getting there!

This is just too much fun! There is SO much to see

in the scene and I keep finding more in it. But it

does not serve the painting to put in every little

thing. So it is really close to completion. The leaves

at the top of the painting need more filling in, for

instance. However, I am enjoying it so much that

I hate for the painting of it to end. I was with my

son on a shopping trip inSan Francisco when I caught

this shot. So now I getto relive the pleasure of that

day with him.

Please let me know how you like it. I really love it

when you comment on my work - all of you who see

what I am doing!

Update on painting progress

This painting is the most marvelous fun to do.

No way did I see all that was going on when I was

actually physically present. You know that a photo

will give you a frozen moment in time and so now

I have the luxury of really seeing all that was there

in that moment.

I only use my own photographs for my paintings

unless it is a commission where there is only the

other person's photo that can be used. On a few

rare occasions, there have been photos of family

members that I could use. But for the most part,

when I am shooting, I know what I need to have

in order for it to translate into a painting. I rarely

use my camera for anything else!

Progress on recent work

Painting such a scene is quite like a puzzle...what
pieces to put in first for the best effect in working
toward the completed image. I just love this gal
with her shopping bag swinging away from her
body, and her body all surrounded by the bright
sunlight of that October day. I see that the image
is not entirely captured here as the right side of
the wall is cut off strangely. I will look to do better
when I post the next stage.

Completed painting

Here she is. You can compare this to the
post several days back and see the subtle
changes I made.
I am calling 'Quiet Reflection'. Let me know
if you have a better idea! I did not make
this a piece full of great detail as it was
the tones and subtle colors that attracted
me to it in the first place.

The next one

After doing my taxes, taking part in a fabulous

coaching program and training my new and

wonderful assistant, I am now back at work at

my easel. This is the beginning of a 24 x 36

piece that struck me because of the light that

day. You will see it develop. Stay tuned.

In progress

This is what is currently on my easel.

This young lady was in the large open

lobby of our local art center. She was at

least 50 feet away from me and I managed

to get a few fuzzy hand-held shots of her

with the wonderful reflection. That is

actually what attracted me to this...the

relaxation of her position and the abstract

quality of the reflection. There is some

keystoning in the photo I took here which

makes it looks like I can't paint a straight

line. It happens when I get close the camera

too close to the thing I am shooting. Anyway,

I consider this about 2/3 completed.

He Just Keeps Growing!

I just returned this painting

(having varnished it) to the owners

who commissioned it last year. This

young fellow sits proudly in front of

his image, but he is so much bigger now!

His mom commented on how much

brighter the colors look with the varnish

applied (Gamvar - the same varnish

used by the National Gallery of Art

in Washington, D.C.)

I got to hear this young man, not quite

six years old, play the piano very nicely.

Wow, I was impressed. Then he told me

about work he'd seen at the National

Gallery on a field trip, artist's names and

all. Very impressive.

Sorry about the flash marring one's view

of the portrait...it was really a 'grab shot'

as my photographer Dad used to say.

Quiet Corner

24" x 36" Oil

Here it is, the completed painting

that you saw in its early stages a

few posts ago. I do not like completing

my paintings because I have so much

enjoyment in the process of doing them!

I will post this on my website soon, along

with the price. If you want to know more

about that now, just contact me via this

blog.