Whirled Onward by the Hours

Whirled Onward by the Hours / 23 x 23 / oil on brown paper

Straightening up my studio this morning, I came upon a roll of brown paper and suddenly had a desire to paint on it.Here is the result of a happy painting day going where ever my brush took me!

For quite some time now I have been toying with the idea of painting a nude male posed as an odalisque. The word odalisque refers to a female and in popular usage it refers to a concubine, mistress or paramour of a wealthy man. As my idea is to  paint a male, I know I am using the wrong word to describe my intention, but, nonetheless, the idea of a male odalisque has intrigued me. Recently, when I came across a vintage photo of Chauncey Morlan posed in the nude, I decided paint him. The reference photo is, of course, black and white from approximately 1890. I used a limited palette and, surprisingly, am quite happy with the result. At first I was going to post this painting on my blog, but decided against it. In any case, it was an interesting endeavor and now I wonder if I will one day attempt a larger version as the current painting is only 12 x 16.

Diana / oil on canvas / 14x11

And, lastly, this little portrait is of Diana, our model for Wednesday morning open studio.

Life Lessons Learned

Dinara / oil on cardboard / approx 13 x 13

 Unhappy with my portrait at the life session this week, I need to remind myself that painting well is not easy and I will certainly have many more failures than successes. Coming away frustrated I found myself doubting my abilities but am determined not to let this setback undermine my confidence. The model was a young Russian beauty and, try as I might, I just could not capture her exquisite soft beauty. Her skin was flawless and her pose sensitive and compelling. But my brushstrokes and color choices were too rough and I was sorry I had not brought a linen or canvas panel with me for a more refined surface to paint on. If there is one redeeming point about this piece it is that at the least, I do have a good likeness.

Portrait Practice / oil on canvas 12 x 16

More experimenting at home with a limited but interesting pallet.

Yo Ho! A Pirates Life for Me!

Sam the Pirate / oil on canvas / 16x12

I must say Sam is the nicest Pirate I have ever met! He arrived ready for action with his wonderful hat and multiple props including a saber and musket, but relaxed into this wonderful pose for us. As he modeled, Sam told us that several years ago he was involved in an auto accident that resulted in an inability to open his left eye. He had to wear an eye patch for a while and apparently had to field a lot of questions about whether or not he was a real pirate. So he decided to become one! Sam belongs to several historical clubs that research pirate lore and facts and he is very well versed in the subject. He loves doing pirate reenactments and playing the pirate for children's functions!He was a serious and authentic model and he was a joy to paint!

Open Studio Oil Portraiture

Owen / oil on gessoed cardboard / 12.5 x 14

Young Owen was a superb model in our open portrait session this morning. I don't think he even blinked his eyes the entire time - he was perfectly still giving the artists no excuses at all for not painting him well! And, at the end of the day, the room was filled with incredible portraits - some in charcoal, some pastel, others in watercolor and one or two in oil. It was a delightful morning and I came away feeling I had learned a lot.

Recently, the Reno Portrait Society asked me to exhibit a drawing I did in January of the owner of a local restaurant. They are doing a show in April centered around the 88 year history of the building where the restaurant is now located. The drawing is in graphite with white charcoal highlights on tan toned paper and it framed up fairly well.

The Restaurateur / graphite and white charcoal on paper / 11 x 14

Thanks to all for stopping by and leaving a comment on my blog. Your comments make it all worthwhile!

Ballerina #31

Ballerina #31 / oil on linen panel / 24 x 18

Last night and into this morning, we experienced wild, torrential rain with wind was so strong that the rain hit the windows vertically as if shot from a fire hose. At times the drop were as big as marbles.  It was loud, exciting and a little bit scary as well but we needed the rain so badly. Even with this extreme delivery, it was welcome. As the winds died down and the sun peeked out, I put the final touches on Ballerina #31. I am going to dress it up in a wide silver leaf plein air frame and call it done.

Art Mash 4

Kim / oil on linen panel / 14 x 18

Open studio life sketch done yesterday at the NV Museum of Art studio. What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Portrait Society

Nona / oil on cardboard / approximately 12x11

I decided to take my oil paints to the open portrait session this past Wednesday after spending several months drawing in graphite and Conte. I have not painted an oil portrait from life since I took a workshop many, many years ago at the Scottsdale Artists' School. But it was time to take the plunge and the life figure painting sessions at the Museum provided me with the push I needed. If not now, when? Nona is painted on cardboard prepared with a cool gray ground of gesso. I just love that surface for practice.

Accepted!

Ballerina #3 / 16x20 / 

Ballerina #10 / 20x16

After a hiatus of about 2 years of not entering any shows, I decided to throw my hat into the competition ring once more. I am not exactly sure why or what it was that prompted me at this point in time, but I am happy to report that two of my favorite ballerinas were accepted and will be traveling to San Diego, CA this May for the 44th National Exhibit of Women Artists of the West! Oh, happy day!

Art Mash 3

Lauren / oil on linen panel / 18x14

This Sunday was the 3rd open studio Art Mash that I have attended and my jitters are finally calming down, thank goodness. I was so unhappy with last weeks effort that it took all my courage to post that photo on my blog. But, of course, I know that the development of an artist occurs only after putting paint on miles and miles of canvas. Some work will be better than others no doubt. This week, I am happier with my effort - especially the color in the models face. She had such beautiful skin. I am also happy that I did not try to be completely literal in my interpretation but allowed myself artistic freedom of thought and feeling as I painted her. I think that has to do with finally settling myself down and not caring about anything other than to take maximum advantage of the opportunity to paint her.

Focused with Uncanny Authority

Focused With Uncanny Authority / oil on canvas panel / 18x24

Sold!

Final Approach / 18 x 24

One of my favorite steeplechase paintings was sold to a buyer in Florida! Makes me so happy!

And Now a Drummer!

Tony Savage / Sepia chalk on tan paper / 14 x 11

Tony is a local big band drummer and band leader. He posed holding a cymbal from his drum kit but I chose not to include it as I wanted to focus on his features. I tried out a new chalk dark sepia pencil from Koh-i-Noor. It was medium hard and nice to draw with but did not erase well so I was forced to be precise with my lines.

To Contemplate What Lies Beyond

To Contemplate What Lies Beyond / oil on canvas panel / 20 x 16

Oh my gosh! She was great fun to paint!

A Gracefully Musical Morning!

Grace Hutchison Gatsby / red and white chalk on toned tan paper / 14 x 11

This morning's portrait session was very well attended - in fact, it was jam packed! I chose a corner spot with Grace looking away from me and was able to capture this sliver of a pose. Grace, who is a local musician (and treated us by playing her CD as we worked) was quite pleased with this drawing. She is going to show it to her art director for possible use as the back cover of her next CD! Imagine that! I was happy to email her a photo - but even if it never happens - I am happy! :-)

Here is a copy of her internet bio that I found on Google:

Grace Hutchison (Grace Gatsby) is a Reno, Nevada-based singer/songwriter. Raised in the Black Hills of South Dakota in a musical household, Grace began playing piano and clarinet at an early age. In her teens she trained as a classical soprano and sang in a folk band with her father, leading to nearly 200 shows and her first taste of the recording studio. At 19 she moved to Southern California where she studied guitar, piano, and vocal technique at the Musician's Institute. In 2003, she fell in love with the culture and natural landscape of Reno on a visit. After deciding to make the ‘Biggest Little City’ her home, she immersed herself in the rich arts community, working at the Reno Philharmonic for six years. She established the art-rock band The Grace Gatsbies, performing sold out shows. In 2008, she was named one of Reno's Top 101 Most Influential Performing Artists of the last 25 years (Reno News and Review). Her debut album, Strange Attractors, was released in the fall of 2012.

In Pursuit of Fulfillment

In Pursuit of Fulfillment / 18x24 / oil on canvas board

What can I say?!

Raining Horses

Raining Horses / 18x24 / oil on linen panel

I usually try harder to be more creative with my titles but got stuck on this one - so
Raining Horses it is.!

An Air of Inevitability

An Air of Inevitability / oil on canvas panel / 14 x 18

A Singers Life and a Pathetic Oil Attempt

Jakki Ford / Conte pastel on tan toned paper / 14x11

 Jakki is a local entertainer who has the voice of an angel and played some of her own CDs as background music while we drew her. She wore a large yellow feathered piece in her hair and was a very elegant and personable lady.

Amber / 18x14 / oil on gray toned linen panel

Last Sunday was Art Mash at the NV Museum of Art. Amber was the lovely model. She wore a navy blue gold spangled outfit and was seated on a lime green settee among a profusion of brilliant colored pillows and throws. I did my best but could not capture her beauty or the relaxation of her pose. I do feel I was successful with the foreshortening of the figure so all was not lost. She was a most lovely model but I am still finding life painting to be so nerve wracking. I look forward to the day when I succeed in conquering these jitters!

Van Gogh at Work and The Integrity of Conviction

The Integrity of Conviction / 14x18 / oil on linen panel

Lots of color and an attempt to convey motion and focus of intent.

One of my most valued Christmas gifts was the book Van Gogh at Work published by the Van Gogh Museum and written by Marije Vellekoop. This book is the result of years of scholarly study of Van Gogh's working methods and the materials he used. It clearly illuminates the ten year journey of his development from complete novice to unique artist and how he improved his skills with incredible discipline and focus. For myself, I have never had a more powerful artistic moment than when I attended the Van Gogh exhibit at the LA County Museum of Art a decade ago. His art speaks to me on a level deeper than I have ever experienced elsewhere and I have loved him since I first saw a photo of one of his paintings when I was about 7 years old. And so this book is a dream come true for me - it seems to reveal a lot of the man as it describes how he mastered his craft and has helped reveal to me why I find his work so fascinating. I recommend it to everyone who loves Van Gogh!

The book

 A fascinating look at his working pallet

Wednesday Morning Portrait Session

Chuck / graphite on tan toned paper / 14 x 11

Chuck / graphite on white paper / 24 x 18

There was a really large and boisterous crowd at the life drawing session this morning making it a lot of fun. Our model was Chuck Shapiro, owner of a fine restaurant on the Truckee River in downtown Reno called The Wild River Grill. He was a fine model although I kept having the feeling that he would rather be just about any pace else rather than sitting still for over 3 hours. He seemed to have a ton of bundled up and barely contained energy!