Portrait Practice and DIY Framing

78 Years Old / oil on brown paper / 25 x 27 inches

A closer look at the face

After getting in some portrait practice, I tried my hand at framing my two large ballerina at the circus paintings. In an effort to save on the cost of framing such large paintings, I ordered frame pieces from an internet site called Custom Frame Solutions. I am very pleased with the product and the fact that the pieces were cut precisely as I ordered. Putting them together with a little wood glue and small plastic brackets was not too difficult. I chose a narrow silver leaf frame as the background of the paintings are mostly gray and I thought the lighter frame would offset that color well.

The pre-finished pieces as they arrived in the mail - small corner brackets were provided by the manufacturer and, with a little effort, hammered in tightly.

One done and one to go!

And now to find wall space to hang them!

Fraught With Possibiity

Fraught With Possibility /Oil on linen panel / 24 x 18 / 

Close up of upper body (the color turned out strange in this shot for some reason).

She fits on the canvas!

Fitting her on the canvas using my sketch as a reference

In this painting, doing a preliminary sketch helped me to decide what size canvas I needed and also helped to place the figure on the canvas. Unfortunately, my back went out in the middle of this endeavor. I powered through it but think I will take a few days rest now. :(

Ballerina # 12 - Sold

Ballerina # 12 / oil on linen / 16 x 20

Her new owner told the gallery that "She will be well loved and quite the center of attention as I imagine is her wont."

The Roux and Cyr Gallery in Portland, Maine has been so wonderful in representing my work and generating ongoing interest and sales. I am thrilled and very grateful to Susan Roux for her unwavering support of my art. Many, many thanks to you, Susan!

I did have a chance recently to catch up on some portrait practice:

12x12 oil on artboard

About 9x12, oil on artboard

12x17 oil on cardboard

Maximizing my  resources!

We are under two weeks now until leaving for our incredible European trip and my heart is beginning to palpitate in anticipation!. First stop is Amsterdam where my husband and I will meet up with our daughter and son. After a few days there we all head over to Rome. There we are booked into a hotel that is right in the middle of many of the ancient attractions and with a view to the Vatican! After several days in Rome it is back to Amsterdam where I will reconnect with my oldest friend who is Scottish but lives in England now. She and her husband are traveling from England to Amsterdam by overnight ferry in order to meet up with us for dinner! I am counting the days!

Ballerina #37

Ballerina #37 / oil on canvas / 18x14

A chilly, windy, rainy day - perfect for painting!

Ballerina #33

Ballerina #33 / oil on canvas panel / 30 x15

Ballerina #33 in all her glory. This is the largest figurative piece I have done yet at 30 by 15 inches. I have done larger equine paintings but this is my first human of this size. And all that flesh was daunting! I have a new found respect for Lucien Freud since painting her. Small photos of larger paintings tend to diminish showing the vigor of brushwork and texture of the paint so I decided to add a few close ups for your scrutiny.

Ballerina #33 / close up 1

Ballerina #33 / close up 2

Study for Ballerina #33 / oil on paper / 25 x 15

And a quick study on brown paper done as a warm up before attempting her.

Drawing and Painting

What a joy this mornings portrait session was! Jeff was a perfectly composed model and somehow he neglected to bring  his parrot, his dog and his pony to the studio! He, did, however, insist on wearing his heavy tortoise shell glasses - but  no matter. Although I could not see his eyes and this session was so well attended that there was no hope of moving my easel, I feel that today was a success. I allowed my mind to fill with thoughts of Jeff and how they might translate into marks made upon the paper.

Jeff / graphite on cream paper / 24 x 18

Jeff / graphite and white charcoal on tan paper /  14 x 11

 In a week filled with family dramas, I found time to dash off a quick portrait study on cardboard and to begin Ballerina painting # 31. Its been a while since a ballerina called to me and I was most definitely caught by surprise!

James McNeill Whistler study / oil on cardboard / 12.5 x 12

 I love this concept of her and can't wait to work on it again - however, tomorrow I am flying to Los Angeles to attend to some family matters so she will have to stay in her unfinished state a while longer.

Ballerina 31 start / oil on linen / 24 x 18

To keep myself grounded and occupied in quiet moments, I purchased a used copy of Ray McMullens definitive biography (written in 1984) of Edgar Degas to read and absorb - Degas: His Life, Times and Work.

I would also like to take a moment to thank everyone that follows my blog, reads my thoughts and comments on my artistic endeavors. I value each person that takes a peak and each person that responds. You all leave deep impressions on my heart and I am so grateful to you all.

Ballerina 27 - A Celebration of Spring

 

Ballerina #27 / oil on linen panel / 20 x 16

She was a long time in coming but made it here just in time to celebrate spring! My forsythia is brilliantly blooming and the grass is beginning to green. My pink day lilies are beginning to sprout and the magpies and flickers are busy building nests and starting families. For some reason, all this rebirth and renewal put me in the mood to paint a ballerina.  I have taken a series of photos of her progress along the way and will post them tomorrow as a work in progress for anyone who might be interested. Thank you to Sandra Busby for suggesting I do that. Happy Spring to everyone!