Portrait Practice

Four quick oil portrait sketches - practicing skin tones and trying hard to capture, age, expression and character. Quite a challenge!

Making maximum use of my painting support!

A closer look at the female sketch as I was happier with this one.

12 x 16 oil on linen

8 x 10 oil on corrugated cardboard

 

My husband and I just got back from a short trip to Palo Alto, California, where we were lucky enough to visit the Cantor Museum of Art on the campus of Stanford University. This is our third trip there and on this visit I fell in love with a Picasso oil portrait (also done on cardboard titled Courtesan with Hat from 1900). She was so lovely that I spent a long time admiring her beauty and the absolute elegance of the execution of this little masterpiece. What a joy to see it!

Courtesan with Hat oil on cardboard Picasso 1900

 In certain areas of this painting you can see the original brown cardboard peeking through and I found myself wondering if Picasso (and others like Toulouse Lautrec and Degas who also painted on cardboard) used any kind of sealant. I searched the internet and could not find out what their techniques may have been other than the use of oil paint thinned with mineral spirits. The information that I did find recommended using either gesso or PVA glue to seal the cardboard prior to painting to decrease absorbency and prevent warping. I wonder if anyone else has experience using cardboard as an oil painting support?
 

Wednesday Portrait Studio

Hannah / oil on linen panel / 18 x 14

The lovely Hannah posed so serenely for us yesterday morning. It was a tall order to try to capture her beauty, youth, energy and vitality in paint - but I certainly gave it a whirl!

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 

Portrait Painting and New Gallery

Tuna / 14x11 / oil on canvas

Life is slowly returning to a more normal routine now that I have returned from vacation, recovered from jet lag, shipped my two entries off to the Women Artists of the West exhibition in San Diego and attended the portrait society session this week. Tuna (yes that is his name - apparently it was a nickname that stuck) was our model and he did a great job for his first time modeling. He will be running for public office in Reno in November and spoke a lot about the real estate market as we painted him. Interestingly, I was so focused on the painting that I can't remember any of the details of the conversation or the office that he aspires to.  All I remember is that it is not Mayor!

Susan Roux of the Roux and Cyr International Gallery of Fine Art in Portland, Maine was kind enough to send me some photos of the gallery in the final stages of renovation. It will be ready and open for business in May. The gallery has new paint, new carpeting, refinished hardwood flooring and wonderful art from around the world waiting to be hung. In addition to being a beautiful, light filled space to display art, the gallery will have weekly classes and host workshops. It promises to be a dynamic and exciting venture and I am happy to be part of it!

The Mayor of Portland will be participating in an official ribbon cutting ceremony on May 2 at 5:00 PM. It marks the soft opening of the gallery and the commencement of  First Friday Art Walks and will be open to the public. Then the Grand Opening celebration will be on Saturday May 24 from 5:30 - 8:00. I wish I could be there! I heartily invite any of my blog readers who are in the Portland area to stop by and enjoy the celebrations and the international fine art that will be displayed.