Portrait of Degas as a Work in Progress

 I thought it might be interesting to show the evolution of a black and white photo and a quick oil study on paper to an an oil painting on linen panel. This is a big panel for a portrait and I generally don't do portraits larger than life size. I remember someone telling me that once - perhaps in a workshop. But this portrait demanded a larger painting surface and when I feel that way, I usually chose to go with my instincts. Some subjects just demand to be painted larger for some reason. Using my quick study from yesterday and the Degas photo on my monitor I began laying in the likeness using burnt umber with some mineral spirits on a toned panel. I use my brush to determine angles and relationships and put in my darkest areas as I go along.

 This is the same stage as above a little closer.

 Here I had completed the oil sketch and began putting in the lightest lights.

 I work all around the painting, correcting the likeness, making color choices and determining the middle tone value relationships as I paint.

This is where I left Degas today. I will look at him tomorrow and correct any glaring errors and decide if I want to bring the background to a higher level of finish. Click on the photo to see a larger and sharper image. This was a challenge to paint as the reference photo was in black and white - but I love a challenge and am reasonably happy with this result. Thank you so much for looking and I appreciate all thoughts and comments!

Portrait of Degas

I love the texture and absorptive quality of brown paper and I keep going back to it. Today was portrait practise using a black and white photo reference of the last known photo taken of Edgar Degas. This is about 24 x 18.

Sunflowers - A Bit Past Their Prime

Sunflowers - such a timeless subject. I saw a bunch that had faded and drooped and was immediately  compelled to paint them in all their faded glory. Here is my attempt 18x24 oil on linen.

Ballerina 19

Ballerina #19 has arrived! Oil on linen panel 16 x20 and a close up of her face. Thanks for looking and all comments are greatly appreciated :).

Dali-ing Around

Some silliness today. Oil on canvas 11x14

Watercolor? Oh, my!

Combining 2 of my wild mustang photos in an attempt to find a composition that pleases me, I decided to try my hand at watercolor after a long hiatus - about 10 or 11 years! I dug out some watercolor paper and found a few tubes of paint stored in zip-lock baggies that were not completely dried out. Not remembering much at all about watercolor, I just dove in with a devil may care attitude.  I painted this piece upright on my easel as I would paint in oil - and you can see I have a few rivulets that are obvious mistakes, some blooms here and there and various smudges and undefinable watery things! Nonetheless, I am not totally displeased. It was fun and kind of freeing to try my hand at a new medium today and I must say I was not a little bit inspired by the many masterful watercolor artists who are kind enough to follow and comment on my blog. Looking at their work gave me the impetus to try this out and I thank them!

Here is a close up and thanks for looking! :)

An Approximate Symmetry

Oil on Linen 22 x28. I might reconsider some things and tweak it tomorrow but its done for today!

Wild Mustangs!

Today I went in search of the elusive wild mustang. Having seen them recently in captivity at the Board of Land Management facility where they were stripped of all dignity and majesty, I had to see them in their natural habitat. A neighbor suggested a drive along USA Parkway just west of Reno so that is where we headed today. And were greatly rewarded! We must have spotted over 40 wild mustangs and were able to get close to some and got some great photos to share. The gorgeous stallion above was all alone and let me and my camera approach him to about 100 feet. He looked so strong , so healthy and, well,  he looked so wonderfully free!

 

He showed no real fear of me but nonetheless kept a predetermined "cushion of safety" between us.

He let me take quite a few shots before turning tail and leaving me behind.

We next came across several larger bands of horses with babies - they were a little further away but if you click on this photo to enlarge it, you will see that the pinto baby in the background is nursing.

Later I went  back to the area where I had seen the chocolate stallion to find that he had returned with a friend. This second stallion was the most amazing color - perhaps a grayer shade of mauve? I think he is astoundingly beautiful - and he had no problem with letting me and my Sony get to within about 40 feet. What a beautiful, beautiful boy and a breathtaking experience for me - a city girl from San Diego with cowgirl blood in her veins!

Not a typical Memorial Day but I do want to say a word of thanks to all of our veterans for their service to our country. You are honored and deeply, deeply appreciated. Thank you.

Sarah Bernhardt

Sarah is 16x12 on an old linen panel on wood - painted over a workshop painting that was not very successful. She was done as a portrait sutdy with a very limited palette - burnt sienna (I love Winsor&Newton burnt sienna), cad orange, naples yellow, dioxazine purple, alizarin crimson and white.  Also you might like to check out this link http://www.foxhuntinglife.com/foxhunting-horse-a-hound/photo-of-the-week. It's always a thrill to see my work on another site!

Ballerina #18

Ballerina 18 is now official - she has made the transition from a sketch on paper to a finished piece on linen. She now has some proper lighting and a soft shadow to ground her. She is 18x24 on linen panel.

Ballerina 18 Oil Sketch on Paper

Trying to get a feel for the position she has put herself in! A fun oil sketch - about 18x24 on heavy brown package paper.

Palm Beach Polo & Country Club Gallery

I got some wonderful news today (and some terrible photos!) from Jeanne Chisholm of the Chisholm Gallery. She has hung quite a few of my Steeplechase Series paintings in her gallery at the Palm Beach Polo and Country Club. I do apologize for the poor quality of the photos but my excitement at this opportunity drove me to place them on my blog anyway! As you can see in photos 4 and 5, my pictures are in stellar company. The polo paintings are by Paul Desmond Brown (American, 1893-1958). Paul Brown is widely regarded as the pre-eminent American illustrator of equestrian subjects. I am so delighted!

Final Day of Life Drawing

 

  

Today was the last day of the current session of life drawing at the NV Museum of Art. The top two sketches are 40 minute attempts and the bottom was 20 minutes. I am looking forward to putting the pencils away and taking out my paint and brushes this weekend.

Ballerinas are Taking a Break-Back to Steeplechase

 Weeks and weeks of struggle have gone by where I have wiped off untold numbers of painting attempts. This has happened to me before but perhaps not so profoundly as this time. The only way I can describe it is to say that the paint feels alien to me and I no longer have any rapport with it. I am hoping that I have emerged and can regain some confidence again. I am pleased with the painting of the steeplechase mishap above - and relieved to have experienced a sense of familiarity with my brushes, paint and canvas when painting it.  It is 20x24 oil on linen board.

This is a quick oil study done on heavy brown paper as an attempt to force myself out of my painting slump.

Through all of my struggles,  I  continued to attend life drawing whenever possible. It has really kept me going and given me the strength to survive the painting slump. The drawing above was a wonderful opportunity  at foreshortening and I had fun with the white charcoal pencil on the next two drawings of Tom.

Life Drawing with Martha Voyevidka and Some Portrait Studies

Professor Peter Higgs - oil on masonite 8x10

Marie Curie - oil on canvas 8x8

Dr. Francis Crick - oil on canvas 14x11

Ballerinas have been giving me some trouble lately so I am taking a break for a while. And so I busied myself by doing a a few quick portrait studies of prize winning physicists - just for fun! Professor Peter Higgs is a British scientist known for developing a theory that gravity is carried by a subatomic particle - and the CERN reactor experiments are now geared toward trying to find this particle to prove him right. As you may have suspected, I am fascinated by this! The portrait of Marie Curie and was done from a small black and white photo. I really don't think her hair was red but it very definitely is in my portrait. She was the first woman to win a Noble Prize and the only woman to have won 2 Nobel Prizes in 2 different categories - physics and chemistry. And last is Nobel Prize winner Dr. Francis Crick one of the scientists to discover the famous double helix structure of DNA. I actually had the honor of working with Dr. Crick for a short time several years ago when he was in his 80's and still working at the Salk Institute in San Diego.

I have also been attending Thursday morning life drawing sessions. The following 3 selections are all ebony on newsprint, about 40 minutes each. I am most pleased with the final reclining piece. Looking at them here makes me aware that I need to work on shading and values.

Thank you all for taking a look! :)

Ballerina #17 - and Another

This past week I have been experimenting with incorporating male dancers into my series - not very successfully. This one is the only one that has survived so far. I do like how he is using both hands to point to himself. Your comments and thoughts are all very much appreciated.

Ballerina #16

Oil on linen - 18x14 - and a close up of the faces...
It looks like auditions are underway to replace the ballerina with the pulled hamstring! I guess the show must go on!
You can probably tell that I am having a wonderful time with these ballerina paintings. The fun part is, I just paint the next ballerina and the story line develops from there - who knows where all this is coming from or where it will go? Some of my inspiration comes from the comments I receive here on my blog - they are always so encouraging and I find myself drawing a lot of strength from them. Thank you so much to everyone who takes the time to look and to leave me a few words about your thoughts and reactions!

Ballerina #15

Oil on linen panel 20x16. Soon she will be dancing again!

Ballerina #13

Well! No wonder Ballerina #13 was late in her arrival. She spent considerable time in Urgent Care. Not to worry though - her complete recovery is assurred!