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| 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.
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Diana / oil on canvas / 14x11
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And, lastly, this little portrait is of Diana, our model for Wednesday morning open studio.
Fantastic horse and rider painting, Susan. The turquoise color playing through it is perfect for the chestnut horse. And I am fascinated by the horse's hooves - you've portrayed the hoofies and shoes so beautifully!! Don't ask - it's a horse thing. :)
ReplyDeleteI find the term "male odalisque" so much more attractive than "boy toy'!
Kathryn
I never thought of the term boy toy - I guess I was trying to imply a certain dignity to the subject - lol! Glad you love the hooves as I am fascinated by the foot and hoof anatomy of horses - its always a challenge to paint that area correctly.
DeleteSusan, ik vind dit weer 2 heel mooie werken !
ReplyDeleteJe paarden zijn altijd zo goed weergegeven in hun bewegingen...
ik wens je nog een fijn weekend,
groetjes van Simonne
Thank you, Simmone - painting motion is one of my passions. I appreciate your comment very much.
DeleteI am so glad to see you are creating almost every day. And so intrigued by the story about painting without showing that painting.
ReplyDeleteIt is a pleasure to study the colors you use for shadows on face, for the background in live painting.
As I am a firm believer in improving by painting and painting and painting, I try to spend time in my studio every day. If I had my way, I would paint 12 hours a day, 7 days a week!
Deleteenjoy your colors and the horse of course! Love your portraits too, but when I see your horses, I am happy.
ReplyDeleteLOL - and seeing your horses makes me happy!
DeleteI love your clear, bright colors and expert drawing. Degas would be proud of his teaching.
ReplyDeleteI've been painting for longer sessions than I have in three years. This vigorous period of production has been delightful. I seem to have been refreshed by my knee surgery. However that's why I have kept up with our blogging group, but haven't always left a comment. Your brush takes you to great places, places I want to go too. That means painting more and writing less--she said in an overly worded comment. :-))
I think you are on the cusp of a new intensity of creativity, Linda - and that is a very exciting place to be! I can't wait to see what you produce!
DeleteI love this works, Susan! Interesting colours!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Judy - I do like the color in this as well!
DeleteThis horse and the rider is painted SO beautifully as always, Susan!!!! LOVE this one! and of course, I love Diana!!! An amazing portrait...Congratulations on two beautiful pieces!!!
ReplyDeleteMany thanks to you for lifting my spirits, Hilda. It's funny but I am usually pleased with my work on paper. I have a feeling that when I paint on paper or cardboard, all expectations are removed and my mind is freer for some reason. And it could be that paper is so much less expensive than linen panels!
DeleteHello Susan!
ReplyDeleteI love the horse and rider! For countless reasons! All fantastic! Love the colors, the movement, you skill, the space between rider and horse! Also love what you left out, love no foreground, background! Also love the hooves!
Love the portrait! Now that I am taking a portrait painting class I am so much more appreciative of your skills! Your use of color always amazes me! Good luck with your next adventure! Take care! Michael
So happy you like my equine painting, Michael. And thank you for commenting on the lack of definite fore and back grounds - I did not anchor this horse and rider in space as I wanted the figures to captivate the viewer on their own.
DeleteI think that portraiture from life is the most challenging of all things to paint. Trying to match skin tones, create a good likeness, capture the light while going beyond just painting a nice picture - its a monumental task! I know you will have great fun and produce some monumental works in your class!
Gosh - The skills you have for both portraiture and your amazing equine paintings is second to none! Just fabulous, painterly, absorbing work! I'm intrigued about the one you didn't show!! :0)
ReplyDeleteSuch a wonderful comment - thank you so much, Sandra - your words mean so much to me.
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