Darcy - Red Haired Woman!

Darcy Kathleen / 16x12 / oil on canvas board

I just LOVE painting red hair and Darcy has it in abundance! I arrived late to the portrait session this morning - only by about 5 minutes - but there were so many eager artists in attendance that I had to squeeze into the corner and attempt a profile portrait once again. Perhaps this will teach me to arrive earlier! Darcy is a striking beauty who sings blues and jazz in local clubs here in Reno and at Lake Tahoe. She had her hair swept to one side and was wearing a pale gray vintage dress with lots of shiny bead-work. I was heartened when she told me she loves the portrait and even took a photo to show her mother!

In my studio, I have 3 unfinished larger paintings in different stages of completion. I don't like going back to a partially completed painting unless I know I have a good amount of uninterrupted time in front of me. This week was filled with chores - changing tires on the cars, dentist appointments, banking and on and on...... Now that they are all out of the way, my intention is to finish at least one painting this weekend. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Sukhjit Life Portrait

Sukhjit aka Serj / 14x11 / oil on canvas

What an interesting and challenging model we had at the Portrait Society Wednesday. He has lived in the US for over 20 years but is originally from India. He was elegant, charming and totally likable and I was so excited to paint him. His face was quite handsome with glorious skin tones and wonderful angles and shapes. He held his pose beautifully for the entire session and was a complete joy to paint. As always, I had trouble fitting him on the canvas but decided to go with the flow and am not unhappy with the result.

Reno Portrait Society and Quaking Aspens

Russ / Oil on prepared artboard, 20x16

Work in progress

Russ was quite taken with his portrait and I received an email from his wife Toni a few days after I painted this. She has taken it home to give it a trial run before deciding whether or not to purchase it for him.

In the meantime, my husband and I drove up to the Lake Tahoe area hoping to see the aspen trees in their full Fall glory. We were not disappointed:

Even though the days are still warm, our nights are quite chilly now - definitely time to bring forth warm sweaters and jackets! I just love this time of year

Wednesday Life Painting

Santos Corral-Bandito with Sombrero / oil on canvas panel / 18x14

 At the Portrait Group session this morning we were so fortunate to have Santos pose for us wearing a very large and ornate sombrero.  I just loved painting him in this 3/4 profile, with the elaborate hat, his tangle of wild dark hair and that fabulous gray mustache and beard! The time just flew by. What a great morning, although the temperature outside had already reached 94 degrees by the time I left the studio around noon. Its a scorcher today!

Me and my Ballerina #33 after a few final tweaks

And here I am in my own studio by the side of my latest large ballerina after a final dab here and there.

Nicole

Nicole / oil on canvas panel / 16x12

 A special treat at the Portrait Society today - Nicole, who is hearing impaired brought her helper dog, Coal, with her. He was so gorgeous and a perfect gentleman.In fact, when a deliveryman knocked at the door, he immediately jumped up and demanded to know exactly who it was that was interrupting us! I badly wanted to paint him but Nicole has such a beautiful and interesting face that I chose to do her portrait instead. If I had brought a larger canvas I think I would have attempted both Nicole and Cole.

Nicole and Coal, her Hearing Aid Dog