Yellow Flowers

These flowers grow all over my garden.  I guess I planted them a long time ago and they keep coming back.
This time, instead of focusing on the flowers and the vase, I decided to include some of the elements in the room.  I'm tring to expand and vary my compositions a little; nothing is ever learned by repeating the same thing over and over again.

Oil on linen.  6 x 6

Beach Sketches: # 12

I was content painting the sky and ocean in my little canvas when this fellow showed up and stood in my line of view.  OK, if you insist.

Oil on canvas.  4 x 6

Anna: Day 3

Last day not so good; the model developed a stiff neck.  We tried to accomodate her by changing the pose and I feel that my concentration suffered.  Another lesson that I must learn: to deal with these things without compromising my work.  I thought it would be best to leave the painting for a few days and get back and re work it from memory.

Oil on linen.  11 x 14

Anna: Day 2

Fixing, adjusting, learning; it takes time.  It also takes dedication and above all, you have to love what you do.

Anna: Day 1

First day of the second portrait workshop and we have a beautiful german lady.  I'm very inspired by her looks, especially her eyes.
About the craft, I feel  comfortable with the intructor's manner of handling paint and color, it's a lot closer to the way I was originally trained.  There's something to be learned from everyone, but I feel that it's very important to stay true to our own style.

Andrew: Day 4

Last day, I'm so glad that I stayed late and put that background in.  It looks like I'll be going home with a finished piece.  That will be a first!
I had to ask the instructor about the likeness;  a few pointers got me on the right track.  I seriously need to give drawing skills more time!
Well, here it is! I'm very glad I did this and I'm looking forward to my next workshop; which will start tomorrow.

Oil on linen.  11x14

Andrew: Day 3

Things are shaping up nicely.  I'm concentrating on the nuances of the skin tones and the form.  The likeness is a drawing problem and I will work on that.
I stayed late putting on the background.  It made the whole thing come alive!

Andrew: Day 2

Today, we  model the form paying attention to skin tones.  I like what I'm doing, but it bothers me that I don't have a very good likeness.  Something is off and I can't figure out what.

Andrew: Day 1

 I consider myself a landscape painter, and I choose to be outside rather than inside a studio.  Having said that, there are so many faces that I would love to paint and express how I feel about them. So, I signed up for two portrait workshops.This is the first step in acquiring the necessary skills.  After that, it will be practice, practice and more practice.
Today was all about  drawing, composition and establishing the light and shadow masses.  I'm always a little behind out of the gate, but I'm confident I'll do a good job.

Happy Birthday,Eddie!

I wanted to paint something to honor my friend's birthday and what can be better than his favorite lunch?
Happy Birthday, Eddie; you have won our hearts!!
About the craft, I haven't painted in a few days, lots of drawing. The whites and the geometric shapes are difficult to represent, at least for me. But it was fun, it took about 2 hours to complete. I need to do more of these. I don't like not painting, it makes me grumpy.

Oil on linen.  6 x 6

Fridays at the Met 8

Eight and last chance to work on my master copy.  I am very pleased with the work; I feel that I learned so much!! It was definetely worth the trouble.
My main concern today was to finish the hair and its decorations and to get the gesture of the eyes.  I feel that I accomplished that.  There's still a lot of details that I would like to add and a few things that I would like to fix.  But I won't, I don't want to mess it up.
So happy to finally have my "Judith" home.

Oil on canvas.  18 x 24

Beach Scketches: Memorial Day

My first scketch of the season, now I have a better idea of the information that I need to collect for future paintings.
Oil on canvas. 5 x 7

Fridays at the Met 7

My last "official" day at the Met; but since there was a little chaos at the beginning, we are getting 2 more weeks at no charge. No instructor, just museum time.
Today was very challenging,  I thought copying the face was difficult but the texture on the fabric of her dress was just as bad.  I, again, thought that I could make "my version of". Well, no! Copying is copying stroke by stroke. I'm not sure how close I came, but it was an exercise in discipline and patience.  The instructor said that most people settle for something not entirely right, because they want to be done with it.  As a result, their work never progresses to a new level and they end up wasting their money and time.  There's a lot of truth to that and, just between us, I was going to settle. I was going to let that fabric pattern go and dazzle everybody with her beautiful face. But once he called me on it, I couldn't, because I want to be the best artist that I can possibly be, and there are no shortcuts. Maybe that was the real lesson today.

Lifeguard Boat

Yes, I'm on Summer mode!!  I have a show coming up in Brigantine, so I'm working on a few new paintings.  This is a studio painting done from a plein air sketch.  I did use a photo to remind me of some of the details; but mostly, it is my own notes that tell me about the colors and values.  I like it, it has a "fun" feel to it, I'm not sure if I should put the writing on the boat. I'll try it once the paint settles, so if I don't like it, I don't ruin the entire thing.

Oil on linen.  8 x 10

White Irises

"Nothing in the whole world is of interest to me but my painting and my flowers." Claude Monet.
This statement was very true for me this morning.

Oil on canvas.  8 x 8

Fridays at the Met 6

Today was the best day I had so far, even though I managed to get lost, again!.  The guards were unusually cooperative, not disturbing my time by asking me to move back and forth.
I started early on the face, before the instructor came.  I wanted to change some lines that he put in last week.  I wish he wouldn't paint on my canvas.  I did get a lot of useful critiques from him today, mostly concerning skin tones.  I seem to lean towards the yellows too much.
The painting is coming along nicely and I'm enjoying my time at the Met.  I'm learning a lot!

Irises

Sometimes I don't want to get involved with the details.  I like these quick sketches.

Oil on linen.  9 x 12

Flower Study: Iris

Not a good picture, I'll re take.
Vincent Van Gogh is my favorite painter of Irises.  He painted them in a vase or growing in the garden;  always taking care to show the individuality of the plant as a whole as it reaches out from the group to get to the light.

oil on canvas.  4 x 4

Fridays at the Met 5

Today was the first day that I did not get lost in the museum looking for my gallery.   Now the copying is getting more intense, trying to match the colors and overall mood of the painting and putting the eyes and some color on the nose and cheeks.  Time goes by so fast, that before I know it, it's 3 o'clock and have to rush to finish.
I love what I'm doing!!! I know there's a lot of things that could be improved with the painting, but it's not really that important to me right now, just being there, doing this, is great.  The tourist and onlookers are pretty distracting, it only bothers me when they stand too close. And I can't figure out why they would want my picture!!  I'm thinking of hanging a sign that says:"May bite if provoked", but I don't think the museum would be too happy with that.
Anyway, this is what "my Judith" looked like today.  I can't wait to bring her home.

Copy after :

Judith with the Head of Holofernes

Massimo Stanzione  (Italian, Neapolitan, 1585–1656)

Orchids

This is the first of many more; my orchids have been blooming for a while now, and if I don't start painting them soon, I would have to wait 6 months to a year.
They are so beautiful and perfectly symetric, one could never do them justice.  I think of my painting them as an opportunity to study and admire them.

Oil on linen. 6 x 6