Figures...My Art and My Life

Painting The Red Robe

2012-01-26T10:48:00.000-05:00

Couple things you may know about me by now: I love painting the figure, and I love fabric. Especially patterned fabric, but any bit of fabric will do!

When you draw or paint the figure every week for many many years, after a while it may seem like you are repeating the same pose over and over again. We, as a figure group, are very lucky to have a huge list of talented models who take a lot of different poses and keep us on our toes.

If you start to see that poses are getting too similar, simply adding a new bit of drapery, a new chair or prop, or even changing the lighting can help you find something new and different to keep to engaged. You may also try a new material or surface, too.

Last night we had a fabulous model and a couple new elements to add in - a lovely carved chair with a circular back and ornate legs and a bright red robe to incorporate with the model.

I worked in oil on (I think!) an 11" x 14" aquaboard tinted with a thin layer of sap green paint. I LOVED this view! The dramatic red drape, the elegant shape of the chair, her hand gesture, the hint of her bare back. Perfect!

You can tell I was loving that red, but I did try to block in all of the elements as quickly as possible.

Establishing the cast shadow under the arm was important for showing the direction of the light source.

Towards the end I worked on her hand, and her backside to establish the cast shadow from her body to the chair.

Now we just need a new fancy chair every week!

I love that we have an energetic and daring group of artists who come to draw. By the end of the night the entire studio floor was covered with everyones' work!

All of these fun abstracts in the second photo were created by two artists, who kept passing their drawings back and forth to each other, working over what the other had done. A great way to get out of your box and try a new way of seeing and drawing!

Zebra Cake and Brownie Lollipops.

2012-01-23T15:38:00.000-05:00

Listen, I'm going to fill you in on a little secret right now. I gave up on being the mom who throws the best, most elaborate, themed-down-to-the-toilet tissue Birthday Parties for my children long before I even had children. I do, however, love trying new things and enjoy having a but of fun when it comes to baking goodies for their big day.

I have to get a little creative when it comes to making something special for Jack's birthday. I discovered a while back that food coloring makes Jack VERY hyper, and often very emotional. So it's tricky to come up with a cool looking cake that doesn't depend on bright colored frosting.

Jack is really into the show "Wild Kratts", and loves animals in general. I was thinking that if I could come up with a way to swirl chocolate into an animal pattern, we could do something cool looking and that tasted awesome.

My first stop was the baking section of a local hobby store. I saw two things that looked cool to try: zebra cake, and brownie lollipops.

We'll start with the brownie lollipops. First: the steps to making a normal pan of brownies.

Mix batter.
Pour into greased pan.
Cook 28 minutes.
Cool.
Frost.
Eat.

Total time: 37 minutes.

Now, here's how you make brownie lollipops.

Read brownie lollipop pan directions. Ask three different people in the store if they understand the directions. Get three different opinions. Purchase the pan anyway .

Also buy two boxes of brownie mix, sucker sticks, cooking spray, white chocolate and dark chocolate for decorating.

Mix batter.

Spray each individual vessel in the pan pan.

Figure out how to get gooey brownie mix into miniature holes in the brownie lollipop pan without getting mix all over the pan or over the 2/3 mark.

Attempt to move flexible brownie lollipop pan into oven without spilling the brownie mix.

Burn your hand while trying to figure out how to balance curved, flexible pan on wire oven racks.

Set timer for 25 minutes.

When timer goes off, set again for another 3 minutes.

After they look fully cooked, remove flexible pan from wire racks by using three different size and shape pot holders. Burn other hand.

Set pan on counter to cool.

Curse yourself for overfilling the little holes, because you now have several weird shaped brownies that in no way shape or form resemble the brownies on the box.

Start to wonder how you are going to hide the fact that every brownie is lop-sided, over-baked, and indented on the bottom where you had to forcefully shove it out of the pan.

Re-spray.

Re-fill pan. Hey - you've only made 8 brownies so far (well, only 5 made it out of the pan in one piece!) and you need AT LEAST 24 for your child's class tomorrow.

Check the time. Realize it's taken 49 minutes to get 5 brownie lollipops cooked, cooled, and popped out of the pan. Calculate that you'll be making brownie lollipops until 3 AM.

Repeat steps above, trying various alterations to ensure the brownies will pop out of the pan in one piece.

Cook one pan an extra 7 minutes.

Place one pan in the freezer for 10 minutes after removing from oven.

Spray pan twice.

When you finally have the minimal number of brownie pops required to ensure you can give one to every child and to the principal, who, as it turns out, knows your child by First, Middle, AND Last Name, it's time to decorate the lollipops.

Here's where I could have saved myself a LITTLE bit of time and just did it myself. But no. I wanted Jack to be a part of the - let's call it - "fun". And of course, if Jack gets to play with chocolate, then his sister should, too!

How to decorate your brownie lollipops:

Melt white chocolate in small bowl.

Place small bowl in between a 7 year old and a four year old. Ask them to take turns dipping brownies into the bowl.

45 seconds later, realize you are a moron and microwave another bowl of white chocolate.

Pull three brownie lollipops that are stuck on the bottom of the bowls out of the bowls and curse the fact that you now only have 21 brownie lollipops and you need to make more.

Wash white chocolate off of hands, faces, tables, chairs, and the dog.

Against your better judgement, melt the brown chocolate for the stripes and fool yourself into thinking that you can show the 7 and 4 year old how to drip chocolate onto the white zebras.

Melt a second bowl of brown chocolate because - DUH! - were you not here for the white chocolate fiasco?!

When the final brownie is covered in chocolate remind them through your clenched jaw that it is 3 am - way past their bedtime - and they need to get in bed.

Look upon the little collection of lopsided, drippy, zebra inspired brownie lollipops and realize - you know, they are ugly, and they took forever, but they sure look yummy! And the kids had fun.

Put the top of the cake holder over the brownie lollipops to transfer them to school.

Realize that the lollipop sticks you have used are 1/2" too long to fit under cake dome.

Swear.

Swear again. Explain situation to husband. Not because you need his help - you need his empathy! Hold yourself back when he states from his spot on the sofa "just cut the sticks"

(insert round of applause for husband who states the only obvious solution that I NEVER would have thought of)

Head out to garage and search for wire cutters.

Come back into house and take a small amount of gratification in snapping an inch off of each sucker stick. Try to not pretend you are cutting something else.

Finally put dome on cake plate and go to bed.

Total time: 4 hours, 26 minutes.

Now, Zebra cake.

While I was looking around the baking section, I did notice a $9 box of Zebra cake mix. This must be one friggin' amazing box of cake right?!? $9? and it makes ONE 9" round layer? I'd be a FOOL not to buy it!

Call me a fool...but here's what I did. Bought two boxes of cake mix at the grocery store: one white and one dark chocolate, then followed the directions on the zebra cake mix (shhhhhh!!! I read the box for free!!)

You start with about half a cup of white batter right in the middle of the round cake pan. Then, aiming right for the middle of that circle, you add about 1/3 a cup of dark chocolate batter. Keep alternating white and chocolate, always aiming for the center of the circle. As it spreads, it forms lines!

I guessed I should fill the pans just about half way, although I think I went a little over...my layers ended up really lopsided! But, I did get two layers and over a dozen cupcakes (which I also made half and half) for the party.

I took this picture on an angle so you really couldn't tell how crooked it is...

and here's what the stripes looked like!

It was super yummy and very unique looking. Jack really enjoyed his zebra themed birthday treats.

Brownie lollipops will have to wait for another special occasion. Like when he graduates. From law school.

The Week of WTF

2012-01-19T09:51:00.000-05:00

Something is in the water, the moon is in a weird phase, I've been eating too much gluten...whatever the problem is, it has lingered for a week and I'm ready for it to be over!

The week of WTF started last week, when I brought several of my figurative drawings to a local gallery to submit them for their annual Figurative Show. The gallery owner called my work "Academic". OK. I can deal with that.

While the Gallery is a beautiful space in a beautiful setting, the visit reminded me of why I only participate in juried shows the past few years: the gallery owner spent most of the time congratulating herself on changing the way her artists work, to create work that will sell to her clients.

Now, I'm not so narrow-minded that I think that this should not be considered in any way - YES - you DO need to know what Sells. But, what you also need to know, is that most of the time, when Artists like myself are in a mindset of "Hmm...what color will sell?", the work will not be authentic: it will be forced, often uninspired.

Instead of applauding yourself for changing an artist's style, why not seek out artists whose work you like? Would I want you talking to a client about MY work taking credit for how you changed the way I work? I would imagine a Collector would want to know about the Artists' vision...not yours.

So anyway, the gallery did accept two pieces for the figurative show, I signed the papers and started my long drive home. By the time I got home, I had a FB message telling me "Oh...I am sorry. I can't take the pieces in my gallery because you offer prints on your website"

Now...we have been communicating for over a year. I sent the gallery links to the very same website MONTHS ago.

What I don't understand is: if you know your clients' tastes, if you know they want originals, how is an $18 print on my website going to compete with the original in your gallery?

I know there's an argument for ONLY selling originals. But here's my arguments for selling affordable prints:

My website is visible all over the world. I often sell small prints to collectors quite far away, and then these very same collectors come back to buy original art.

Some paintings are very popular, lots of people LOVE the image, but can't afford the original. Not only am I providing a way for someone to enjoy a beautiful piece of work at an affordable price, but I can often double or triple the income from one painting by selling reproductions. It's a business model that keep me in business, and I have never had a collector tell me that the fact that I offer reproductions stopped them from adding an original to their collection.

So anyway, that put me in a funk, and the vortex of WTF continued into the weekend. After a blinding, vomit-inducing headache on Friday afternoon, I forgot all about my bunco night! Bunco night is usually once a month, and a great time to get together with all of my friends and neighbors. I have missed a lot of bunco nights this past year, and was really looking forward to this evening out. What made that worse was everyone said how fun it was, and apparently they were all wondering where I was...but not one of them called or sent a text? Ok. It's my fault for forgetting. But it would have been nice to be reminded.

And the week of WTF capped off last night with not being able to find a replacement model for my figure drawing group at the studio. I made 26 phone calls looking for a model after the original model called in sick.. It happens! People get sick! But 26 people couldn't fill in? I wasted an entire afternoon on the phone hunting down models, forgoing painting, printing, watching my daughter's dance class, and sitting down to dinner with my family, just to try to find a model. And I couldn't find one.

The problem with cancelling class is this: I need to have these classes to help pay my rent. On a good month, this one night a week can help pay for one third of my rent.

And that's really just the icing on the cake: these Wednesday night sessions are not just about drawing the live model, they are about networking, connecting, dedicating a few hours a week to your Art. Many of the artists are parents, they work hard, they - like I do - look forward to those few hours in the studio.

OK. I am declaring the week of WTF officially over. Starting today, I will...

***Set the alarm on my phone to remind me of events I really want to attend. My brain is not what it used to be.

***Still hold Wednesday night drawing sessions even if my model cancels. I will call three new models, if they can't do it, I will stop wasting the rest of my day. We can draw each other, draw a still life, talk about books - whatever! But I will not cancel again. The time is too important, beyond just the drawing part.

***Wait for galleries to come to ME and be ready to say "if you think you can sell it in your gallery - great! Buy it from me then you can have the inventory". I will follow the advice of this article. I will not sacrifice all of the hard work I have put into developing my body of work. I will not question my vision. I will keep creating what moves me, I will keep creating Authentic work.

Wishing you all a good week!

Portrait Painting and Abstract Nude update

2012-01-14T17:02:00.000-05:00

Sharing the progress on my latest portrait...I'm trying to keep the focus on her exquisite face. The paint will be thinner everywhere else.

I've also finished up this colorful abstract of the nude.

Classic Nudes, Modern Portraits. Lots of Painting.

2012-01-12T19:23:00.000-05:00

In my studio for another long stretch of time today (many thanks to a friend who wanted a play date with Ari after school today!)

I started the day trying to finish up a small oil painting from last week. After an hour of trying to finish her profile (a section that is only 1" square, let me add!) I finally wiped it off and decided to go get some Mexican food for lunch. I felt much better. I didn't take a photo of the current state of the painting. I still hope to resolve it!

But as it sometimes happens, I decided it was time to move onto another piece and step away from the mess I was making.

I started to added color to the modern portrait I began yesterday.

I am starting with the color a little bolder than in the reference photo I took last year. Working with a large brush I started blocking in some of the shapes on her face. The face will be the focus, and the only area of the painting completely developed.

I also added another layer of color to the environment. At this point I am not using any media except thinner - no liquin or other materials.

The challenge will be to keep this fresh and painterly, but still capturing her beautiful features.

I also finished up a couple paintings that were started during our session with the live model last night. We have had this wonderful woman a few times before, and I love working with her.

The first painting I worked on was 12" x 9" panel in oil, 40 minutes.

This is not a great photo, but you can get the idea: bold colors, limited detail. If the sun is shining tomorrow I'll try to get a better shop of those lime greens and purples.

The second pose was longer, about 90 minutes, and we incorporated some drapery into the pose. I loved the geometric shapes formed by all of the elements - her head, the drape, her leg, the bench. The energy and dynamics move across the 14" x 11" panel perfectly.

My goal is to get these finished and listed in my Etsy shop soon!

I keep starting paintings...

2012-01-11T13:43:00.000-05:00

I'm in one of those productive periods of time where I have TOO many ideas and SO many wonderful things that I want to paint! My problem is that I keep starting new paintings instead of pushing through and resolving what is already in my studio. Today I was very tempted to start a new tree painting, after already starting a new portrait!

So let's catch up. I DID work on the painting of the lady in the diner yesterday, and I am loving it so far.

After a lot of thought, I changed her hand on the table - it was taller, resting on the side of her hand, and I turned in so that her palm was facing down a bit more. By doing so I also had to change the thickness of her forearm. I am trying to decide if she needs to be holding something.

I do love her face - I think I am getting closer to her bemused "You want to take of photo of me, crazy lady?" smile!

And the SHOES! Those darling purple shoes...

So I did take a break from that painting today, and set it up across the studio so I can look at it farther away, decide what needs to be done.

I started this figure painting back in November, and I love the pose and the scale, but was having a very difficult time with the palette and her profile. I've painted over the darker blue background and I am trying to blur the lines between her form and the space. It's a process, but I do love all of the layers. The deep blues and purples are showing through the grey background, and I have moved her ear and her hand so many time now that there is a delicious build up of paint in those areas.

And I did allow myself to start one new painting.

WAY back in January of last year I took about a hundred photos of this lovely woman in the blue tutu and boots.

She has a stunning face with beautiful features, and was a total natural in front of the camera. I have wanted to paint a portrait for a while now.

I'm starting this one a little differently - I sketched on gesso with charcoal, then used gesso again to block in the light.

It was very tempting to start with her eyes or lips, but I had to make sure the whole figure, the whole composition, was working with size and scale.

After it was blocked in, I did allow myself to define her features a bit more.

I am going to start glazing over the acrylic and charcoal layer tomorrow with oils. I'm picturing this being very painterly and loose, with only her face in focus.

But that's how I feel today. Tomorrow may change. We'll see.

New Year, New Paintings...

2012-01-05T21:23:00.000-05:00

I've already decided that one of my resolutions for 2012 is to find beauty everywhere, and be inspired by anything and everything. If I want to paint a tree, I'll paint a tree! Of course the figure is still my main muse, and I love our weekly figure drawing group...creating new painting and drawings every week keeps me engaged and fresh. This week I did a small oil of our model seated on a striped blanket.

I also started a painting of a stunning young woman that I saw in a coffee shop in Savannah. Part two of my Resolution for 2012: Be brave and take pictures of people who inspire me!

There have been several instances in the past where I have seen beautiful, stylish women while out. A striking young woman with jet black hair and ice blue eyes sitting in a Restaurant in Rochester, a beautiful brunette with her own unique and funky style who spoke with me at an Art show in Atlanta, etc. Every time I think to myself "I would paint her JUST LIKE THAT!" But I never get up the nerve to say "Hi. I'm an Artist and I would love to paint you!"

Until last week.

I was having lunch with DH at a small diner in Savannah and spotted a lovely young woman seated by the window. I know I stared at her about 300 times, probably totally freaking her out, but I was already painting her in my head! Her adorable flipped bobbed hair, her light skin, a stylish dress with a delicate striped pattern. All of the lovely shades of grey on the walls, the chrome table, her dress...and then...can it be?!?! Bold purple suede shoes. That did it.

I placed my breakfast order, sat in the corner booth, took ten deep breaths and grabbed my business card and my camera, and approached this darling woman.

I'm sure I sounded like an idiot, thrusting my cards at her and *I think* telling her that I'm an Artist. Somehow, she saw past my nerves a graciously allowed me to shoot a few photos - even grinning as I directed her to "look here" and "place your hand over here". I moved as quick as I could while still getting the needed photos, quickly asked her name and shaking her hand, then escaping so she could continue her breakfast without being bothered by the crazy lady with a camera!

BUT YEAH! I did it! I was brave enough to go for it! And now...yippeee!!! - I've started this beautiful painting.

I began with a thin layer of burnt sienna and then worked on a painted sketch.

I slowly started adding more value.

Then I started adding in all of the wonderful shades of grey. I had no idea how difficult it is to mix multiple, subtly different shades of grey - some light green, some more blue, some with purple. And I have no black on my palette.

Just before I left the studio today I added the first layer of purple on her shoes!

In addition to the challenge of mixing a variety of fresh and beautiful grays, I am faced with her beautiful face! She has delicate features and a very unique eye shape. The portrait is so small...every small shift makes her whole face look different.

So I'm trying to do justice to that beautiful face, her easy grace and elegance. And I thank her for a beautiful start to 2012.

A few recent art sales...

2012-01-02T22:09:00.000-05:00

Lots of pretty drawings and paintings are off to new homes...

Sending out drawings and paintings gets me excited about creating new work! Tomorrow I am back in the studio :)

Looking Back at 2011

2012-01-01T22:41:00.000-05:00

I started thinking about this post over a month ago, but am only now finding the time and brain power to finally pull all of my thoughts together.

2011 was an incredible year for my Art in so many ways. In early March, I moved into an amazing studio space that I share with another wonderful artist. This was a serious financial commitment, and I needed to really push myself to make it work financially.

Luck smiled upon me, and put one of my favorite portraits in front of a huge audience: Heather Armstrong shared a portrait I created of her daughter, Leta, on her blog, Dooce. That exposure led to months of portrait commission work, steady income, and the ability to pay my rent all through the middle of this year.

By working on so many portrait commissions in a few months time, I really saw my technique improve and my style become more confident. I am excited about where my next round of commissions will take me and my work.

The opportunity also arrived for me to pay back Heather's kindness by creating a series of paintings to benefit a Charity close to her heart, Every Mother Counts. Those five paintings are among my favorite of the year. I really put my heart and soul into those paintings, and found myself painting for hours at a time, completely absorbed in their creation. From start to finish, that project fed my soul.

2011 saw the creation of over a hundred new paintings and drawings, through my portrait commissions, figure drawing sessions, and other paintings. I won my first Grand Prize in a Juried Show. I am heading into 2012 with numerous ideas. I also have a new sense of commitment to keeping the studio - which not only helps me be a better artist by providing the space I need to really flesh out my ideas, but brings together so many of my fellow artists for our weekly drawing sessions and other events. Being part of a supportive, creative, and dedicated group of artists is a vital part of staying motivated as an artist. I am honored that the studio space can keep this group together.

Of course, the Art was not all that happened over the last year. I was lucky to experience some beautiful moments with my family in 2011...and even some not so beautiful moments, but ones that changed me.

Sometimes family members spill it - say how they really feel about you, and you have to sit back and think about what they have said, and decide: Is That Me? Am I really that person? And if you find that their views, opinions, and judgements hurt you more that help you, then you need to question how much you need that person in your life. If all they do is make you feel small and unwelcome, then it's time to just step away. Your positive energy needs to go towards what's important to you and your mental well-being. I made that decision early in 2011, to not let that person poison my life as much as they have in the past, and I think it was a good decission.

I found out a lot about myself in 2011. I am willing to see, and accept, that I need to create - I need to paint - I need to be in my studio. It is not a hobby or a whim, it is Who I Am. I by accepting this, I no longer feel guilty or have the overwhelming need to justify time in the studio. I am dedicated to my children - and do everything I can to help them become all they can be. But I am not willing to sacrifice Who I Am in the process. And truthfully...I am a better mother when I am a balanced woman.

Of all the moments I have swirling around in my head, there is one very special one that keeps coming back to me. To most people it may seem silly, but I get tears in my eyes every time I think about it, and so I feel it is my most important moment of 2011, and I need to write it down, so that someday, this person will read it and know just how much it meant to me.

You may know that I have had a rough time with my son, Jack. He is an amazing little boy - smart, funny, sweet. But he can also be a handful. He has had disclipline problems in school since he started going two days a week at 18 months. He does not respond to rewards, charts, punishments, routine, and all of the usual methods that every one of his teachers have recommended over the last 5 years. I have tried getting him involved in sports, tae kwan do, dance, gymnastics...any class that could channel his strengths. In every class, every sports game, I sat tense and anxious, knowing his tantrum would erupt at any minute. No other child acted as bad as Jack.

Not a day would go by where he didn't cause trouble in his pre-k class, then his kindergarten class, and into his first grade class. It was taking a toll on me as a Mother. I was doing everything I could possibly think of to be "The Good Mom" - he had healthy foods, a full night's sleep, discipline, responsibility, he wasn't spoiled, had limited TV, lots of child-directed toys (legos, play doh

His Dad was right there with me - fielding the daily phone calls from the principals when I had reached my limit, talking to Jack until his throat was parched, getting Jack involved in special outings just for the two of them as rewards for good behavior.

As this went on, I found myself resenting the situation more and more. I had exhausted every thing I could think of, including scratch making his lunch to ensure he was getting the right amount of nutrients and no junk to throw off the balance of his little body during the day at school. I thought that Jack and I would constantly be at odds. We lived in the same house, and of course we loved each other, but all signs of affection were nearly non-existent.

Then, one day as I was getting him ready for school, I was bracing myself for the usual morning argument about me wanting to brush the Brillo pad out of his hair before he went to school. He acted like I was sticking him with a white hot poker every day.

Except...on this day...he walked over to me, put his arms around my waist, and rested his head against my chest while I brushed out his hair.

He was hugging me.

I could hardly believe it. I realized that we hadn't done that in months. I was so wrapped up in trying to be The Mom That Straightened This Kid Out, that Jack and I had become enemies. When he hugged me, and hung on for those few moments, it was a total turning point for us. Ever since, he has allowed me to kiss him on the cheek whenever I want, we hug, we kid, we joke. I want to hug him all the time.

He still has issues in school, and there are moments that I just want to cry from frustration, but then I remember that Hug, and how it made me crumble...Jack Hugged Me.

So that's my top moment from 2011. My son, and a hug. I hope he will always know that no matter how much we are at odds, I can always use a hug.

And just to make sure we end on an amusing note...this is what happened when Jack tried to climb over the fence instead of open the gate. His shoes got stuck and he took a header into the grass and dirt. Now, I'm a GOOD MOTHER - I made sure there was no broken bones or need for stitches before I burst out laughing and took a picture of his shoes stuck in the fence. Love you, Jack :)

Drawing and Painting the Female

2011-12-17T11:25:00.000-05:00

Another wonderful night of drawing this week! I quick 25 minute drawing in charcoal. Mostly blocking in bold sections of light and dark.

It was challenging to draw from this angle, looking right at her extended legs - the foreshortening was pretty severe. I also wish I hadn't tried to indicate the features of her face - just used the light and shadow to show which was she was looking. But I like the bold lines and dramatic values.

Our long pose was really beautiful. She took a reclining pose accented with a beautiful turquoise robe on top of a deep aubergine blanket.

I was so absorbed in my painting that I forgot to take a picture before this stage, which would have been good to show you. I actually did everything BUT the model when I started. Her pose was very complex - reclined with lots of angles. So by blocking in the large ottoman, the drapery, and the background, the model became the last piece of the puzzle - in the correct size and position.

I was painting on a Clayboard designed for watercolor. I can't remember when I first tried this, but I like using the surface for quick oil studies. The paint soaks in pretty quickly, so I can apply a couple layers without getting too muddy. However - it does reach a saturation point pretty fast - you end up just moving paint around rather than applying paint layers on top of one another - if you do too much in the first sitting.

I was lucky to get a reference photo and I look forward to finishing up this painting.

Another beautiful drawing from that night by my friend Shane...

A lovely pose from multiple vantage points!

Charcoal Drawings of the Male Model

2011-12-16T13:35:00.000-05:00

OK I'm going to post and run...just a couple recent drawings from our awesome male model. Charcoal on white drawing paper.

16" x 20" charcoal drawing on white paper, 25 minutes

Charcoal drawing on 18" x 24" white paper, about 80 minutes

Dorothea Tanning. I think I'm in love.

2011-12-14T09:38:00.002-05:00

A couple years ago I was flipping through the TV channels and happened upon an interview of Katharine Hepburn at Dick Cavett. I watched, enamored, for at least 30 minutes (I'm not really sure how long the interview actually was). But, like Mr. Cavett, I think I fell in love with her about 10 times during the interview.

(I had painted this picture years before, based on a photo that was used in her Obituary in EW magazine.)

Strong women do that for me. Women who speak the Truth, even if it against what they are "supposed" to say or feel. Women who are well read, who are independent (marital status aside). Women who know who they want to be and go be it.

This article has introduced me to another one of these dynamic and forthright women - Dorothea Tanning.

A few of my favorite quotes (be sure to read the whole interview !)

"It was a kind of a statement, wanting the utter truth, and bareness was necessary. "

"Keep your eye on your inner world and keep away from ads and idiots and movie starts, except when you need amusement"

"Art has always been the raft onto which we climb to save our sanity"

What more can you add to that? Art has always been my Sanity.)

Japanese Maple Tree Painting

2011-12-11T21:37:00.001-05:00

It's not often that I venture away from my usual subject matter of figures and faces, but a few weeks ago, right at the end of Fall, there was a beautiful Japanese Maple Tree just around the corner from my house that was the most gorgeous shade of red. It was one of the last trees in the area to hold onto it's leaves, which made it stand out even more. I happened to pass by one late afternoon, and the sun was just low enough to light the entire tree from behind, giving the red leaves an incredible glow.

The next day I made sure to have my camera in the car, and I stopped again in front of the tree so I could take a picture of the tree in the late afternoon light.

I used a 30" square panel, starting with a charcoal drawing and then applying a thin layer of modeling paste. After that dried, I blocked in some of the sky and ground. It was very strong colors at this point, and more cool than warm.

Next I used copper leaf under the tree to show all of the dried leaves below. I only wanted a few pieces, I didn't want the copper to dominate the painting. I also used a palette knife for the first layer of red leaves.

Once these dried, I added more leaves in an intense cadmium orange and red mix.

The thick palette knife application took several days to dry, and I added a few more layers of color to the sky, settling on a soft greenish grey that complimented the red tree. I finished the painting off with a glaze of ochres and brown to bring warmth to the entire piece, also emphasizing the texture of the modeling paste.

I loved the creation of this piece and I think there will be more to follow!

Pastel Drawings of the Female Nude

2011-12-03T11:01:00.001-05:00

I bought a pad of the Sennelier Pastel La Carte paper, 9" x 12", and it's just the right size for quick colorful studies of the female model. Three from our model a couple weeks ago...

Pastel Figure Drawing

Abstract Pastel Drawing

Nupastel Figure on Sennelier Paper

I abstracted the figure slightly, emphasizing the light and shadow through bold strokes of color.

And last Wednesday we had another wonderful pose that I wanted to capture quickly from both front and back.

Sassy Pastel Figure on Black

Hot Pink Nude on Mint

The paper I chose in this case dictated what direction I took the drawing - the dramatic black inspired me to grab bold neon colors that added energy and dynamism to the pose. The soft mint compelled me to take a more feminine and delicate approach that emphasized her beautiful, subtle curves.

A Dog Named Cat

2011-12-01T20:11:00.001-05:00

I just want to take a moment to introduce you to our newest member of the family, Catalina. We adopted her last weekend from a shelter. She's a black lab about a year old, and so sweet. INCREDIBLY smart and loves to play.

We don't know why she was at the shelter, or why her family dropped her off...but we feel very lucky to have her. Whoever raised her - you did a wonderful job, and we will take good care of her.

We've shortened her name to "Lina"...because calling her "Cat" would have been to wierd :)

Thank You for Believing in Me

2011-11-24T09:46:00.000-05:00

When you add one of my drawings, paintings, or prints for your collection, or commission a portrait, you are not just buying a piece of my work. You are saying to me "I believe in your talent, and your potential". Your purchase does not just cover the cost of producing that particular piece, but helps support my studio space, telling me "Go! Create more!" Every purchase, big or small, also helps support another aspect of growing as an artist: entering juried exhibitions. Entering shows are costly, but to be selected as a finalist could mean incredible exposure for my work.

So...Thank You. Thank you for every kind word on my blog, every link you have share on FB, every RT on Twitter, every post you StumbleUpon, every purchase you have made, because your belief in me, and my Work, is what I am truly Thankful For.

Happy Thanksgiving :)

Capturing the Conversation on Canvas

2011-11-20T22:59:00.000-05:00

A few weeks back I worked with a new (to me) model, (E.) and thought she was fantastic. She had wonderful gesture poses and great stage presence - she reminded me a lot of one of my other favorite models (C.). In fact half way thru out modeling session I started thinking "I have to get E. and C. together!"

So I scheduled both of these lovely ladies for a special Sunday afternoon modeling session. I had in my mind that I wanted them in some light slip dresses, so I brought in two with similar colors, but not too "matchy". After a few 5 minute warm-up poses, they settled into this conversational pose on the couch.

I was painting over an old painting - which I love doing because there's already some color and texture on the surface to play with.

I tried to keep it loose and blocked in the larges shapes of light and shadow, focusing on getting the right proportions and relationship between the two girls.

After blocking in some cool grays and dark browns, I moved into fleshy oranges.

The light changed a little as the afternoon went on, but luckily it was an overcast day and there wasn't a strong window light that dramatically moved across the room.

I'm very happy with the pose - the two girls were chatting the entire time, so the painting captured that energy - they were amazing at holding the pose but also engaging with each other - and I think that translated onto the canvas. The model on the left feels like she is just sitting down, not stagnant and posed.

While there are some color adjustments to be made, I don't want to get much tighter with this piece. I love the atmosphere and painterly quality. I will post the final result...soon? we'll see!

Watercolor Figure Drawings from the Live Model

2011-11-20T10:24:00.001-05:00

New watercolor sketches from our last Wednesday evening figure drawing group. I was working on Wallis paper, which is lightly sanded, but also primed so it can accept washes of watercolor - up to a limit. (The paper is also a light creamy color...the photos came out a bit cool) If it becomes to wet the surface will start to crumble (in my experience). For these two drawings I used watercolor pencil, one color at a time, and lightly brushed the lines with a damp flat brush.

Watercolor Figure Drawing Art

The palette below is a little different for me - I tend to use brighter colors, but this time I used a steel blue (almost a silver) followed by yellow ochre and then a dark brown. I like the warmth the classic feel of the colors.

Classic Art Nude in Silver and Bronze

Flourless Almond and Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-11-17T21:24:00.000-05:00

I got to spoil my younger brother for a few weeks while he was in town for some job training. By spoil - I mean cook lots and lots of yummy gluten-free meals. With vegetables - LOTS of vegetables. Which spoiled me because no one in my household eats veggies except for me.

Anyway. Thanks to the discovery of Almond Meal at Trader Joe's and the need to cook Gluten free deserts, I came across this great recipe for Flourless Chocolate Chip cookies.

The recipe was super easy to try, and not too threatening - you are only making a dozen cookies, so experimenting is easy to do.

The first batch was very good - and made according to the recipe. They were especially good right after they cooled off. Which is another plus - make a quick batch right before dinner for a warm, delicious desert.

The next time I tried the recipe I added 1 tbs of flax seed. This made the cookies a little puffier and added the benefits of ground flax seed. Very yummy.

I had a full 6 weeks to feed my brother so I tried the recipe a couple more times, and after reading the notes on the original blog I followed one of the suggestions in the comments - add 1 cup of coconut. This was so good and nearly doubled the yield of cookies. The sweetness of the coconut and texture balanced very nicely with the almond meal.

1 cup almond meal

14 cup sugar

12 tsp baking soda

1 egg

Variations: Add 1 tbs ground flax seed, and/or 1 cup coconut

1 Preheat oven to 350 and grease 1 cookie sheet.

2 Stir together almond meal, sugar (I use 1/4 cup loosely packed brown sugar) and baking soda in a large bowl.

3 Add beaten egg, chocolate chips and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.

4 Place dough balls one inch apart on cookie sheet . You should be able to fit all 15 on the single cookie sheet.

5 Bake until puffed and golden, about 10 minutes.

6 Cool cookies on baking sheet about 2 minutes and then transfer to paper towels or rack to cool.

7 Note: I personally avoid artificial sweeteners, so I don't know how they would taste made with splenda.

14 cup chocolate chips (mini chips work)

1 tsp vanilla extract

I have no cookie pictures so I'll just show you my Brand New Nephew!

Isn't he cute :) Just born yesterday! I can't wait to meet him...and make him and his daddy some Almond cookies.

New Watercolor Figure Paintings

2011-11-11T17:21:00.001-05:00

My favorite night of the week is Wednesday, when I get to draw and paint from the live model. But really, it has become much more than just a night to draw. The artists who participate in these weekly sessions are truly kind and generous people, who form a diverse group of artists of a variety of skill levels and styles. And among all of this, there is no competition, pressure, or inclination to be anything but Who You Are. It thrills me to see such a broad range of interpretation when it comes to drawing the live model - precise and tight, loose and quick, abstract and gutsy. And it's not just me who thinks this. So many of the wonderful models that work with us remark about how enjoyable it is to work with our group - the camaraderie is palpable, but they are also there to work, which makes it so successful. It's not just a drawing group anymore - it's a circle of friends.

But I have been really slacking with showing you my weekly drawings! So in an attempt to get back on track, a few of my sketches from this past Wednesday...

A 25 minute watercolor on Wallis paper (using watercolor pencil and softening the lines with a damp brush)

We have worked with this lovely model several times in the past but this was our first time where she had this adorable pixie haircut. I am now wondering if I should chop my hair - she looked so cute!

Also on Wallis paper, I started with a watercolor wash then added layers of pastel on top.

I didn't want to over-work the pastel, so for the last 20 minutes of the pose I worked on another watercolor on Wallis, using a red watercolor pencil and a damp brush to soften the lines. It's tricky to know what to define and what to leave loose - I added and subtracted information from her face several times.

Forced to look at myself

2011-11-10T11:20:00.000-05:00

My 36th birthday is approaching way too quickly. This year keeps pressing upon me like some terrible deadline. Even my clocks are against me - it seems like I'm always catching "11:21" on the clock, it's way of saying "You can't escape it!"

I'm totally steeped in self-evaluation lately. Partly because I have just finished this self-portrait in oil.

And partly because I am having to justify keeping my studio space. No one is asking me to give it up - DH is totally supportive, my studio partner and I are totally sympatico - but my sales on-line have slowed down and I am having a difficult time allowing myself to see myself as being worthy of this beautiful space.

I think part of the problem is that I have a difficult time accepting my self-worth, as an Artist and as a teacher. I have always had this problem. It mostly manifests itself in my pricing. I am constantly hearing from other artists "you are pricing your work too low! Do you know how much other artist's are charging for custom portrait work? For original paintings?!?"

And in some ways they are right. I found some of my portrait pricing lists from years ago - almost a decade - and I am not charging much more now than I did way back then. And I KNOW my work has improved. I KNOW that my work is worth more, because of the finished product and the years of study and practice that have gone into making a great portrait.

But here's where it gets tricky. Every time I feel like "I'm worth it", something else, or someone else, steps up to tell me otherwise. When I got a nice present from my mother as a child, which was rare because there were six of us, I would often be made fun of by my older sibling, especially in front of other people - "Oh my GAWD is she spoiled or WHAT?" And I would sit there and think to myself "I get straight A's, cook dinner and clean all the time, and I pay for all my own stuff all the time...mom buys me one present and I'm spoiled?"

I can't bring myself to buy a single article of clothing that isn't marked down 75% off...who am I to spend money like that on clothes? The guilt that I feel with spending money is almost as great as when I get paid for my work. Guilt. I feel badly taking money, I feel even worse spending money. I get physically sick when I go shopping. Even to the grocery store.

There are things that I am certain of. I am a much calmer, happier mom right now with my studio being out of the house. To be able to work on my art and not be thinking about the sink full of dishes or the dirty laundry has mentally put me in a better place.

I am a good teacher. I know what I'm doing. I know how to verbalize instructions and how to fix a painting or drawing. I love watching students accomplish new things - it brings me great joy.

I know I am a capable Artist. I know I can accomplish great things.

But this inner conflict has been plaguing me all year. One sibling called me spoiled again, in a very public way, and I can't get past it. I have gotten to the point where I barely even speak around my family, for fear that they will think I'm spoiled for talking about myself. I fear that every time I open my mouth it will only be to provide them with another opportunity to attack me.

So where do I go from here? I'm committing to another 6 months in my studio - that's already a certainty, I can pay that right now. But in order for me to stay in that space, I need to accept my own self-worth and evaluate everything - from the prices of my custom portraits to the cost of lessons. If I can't make the money on my own to keep the space, then I don't want to stay there...I don't want to be spoiled.

I had a visitor to my studio over the weekend, and when she walked up to my self portrait she said "You are very self aware". Let's hope that can translate into self-worth as well.

Portrait Classes and Open Studios in Woodstock, GA

2011-10-26T12:53:00.001-04:00

I'm excited to announce that I am adding more classes and studio times at my Woodstock Art Studio!

Portrait Drawing and Painting

This will be an on-going class, new artists may join at any time. The first 4 weeks for each

student will be a series of exercises to study anatomy, learn about proportion, and how to

capture a true likeness. Students will start with black and white and then progress into color, in your choice of media, including pastel, watercolor, oil or acrylic.

Tuesday Mornings 10:30—1:30. 4 Consecutive Weeks $108

*Classes Start November 7th!*

Open Figure Studio

Every Wednesday evening join a diverse group of Artist as we draw and paint from the live model. A variety of short and long poses. Professional models (male and female, nude unless otherwise stated.) Work in your choice of media (Orange paint thinners only, please) Some easels are available—portable easels or drawing boards are recommended.

$12 per week or $45 for five consecutive weeks

7:30—10:30 Wednesday Evening

Studio opens at 7:10

4 hours 4 art

Join me in the studio to dedicate 4 hours a week to your Art. You could bring in a painting you have been trying to finish, resolve a drawing you started from the live model, get a critique on some new work, get help photographing your work, pick my brain on setting up a Blog,

an on-line shop, or Facebook business page, or hire a model and work!

Dedicate 4 hours a week to building your portfolio, making new connections, finishing new work—being an Artist!

Every Friday 10:30—2:30. $20/Week

*Additional sessions will be added!

I have really missed teaching regular classes. Portrait and figurative work is my specialty, but I am willing to critique or help you with any other paintings or projects during 4 Hours 4 Art. 4 Hours 4 Art is not just the name of the open studio time...it's a promise to yourself to dedicate 4 hours a week to becoming a better Artist. As the sessions grow, I hope to establish a group of artists who support and encourage each other to create, try new things, enter shows, share their work, share a model, whatever!

View my entire Event and Studio Schedule.

Contact Me if you would like to sign up!

I can only handle Mistakes on Canvas

2011-10-20T09:07:00.000-04:00

I am one of those people who fears making a mistake. Not that mistakes are a bad thing, they are part of everyday life. I guess it's more about a fear of being WRONG. I really hate being wrong.

Cooking, for example, is one of those things that brings out the worst feelings of fear and inadequacy. For example I made a half a turkey breast the other day, and I called my mother and had a 20 minute conversation about whether or not I should add onion and carrot to the pot or cook them separately. Then, as if that battle of willpower wasn't enough, I decided to make soup from the leftover turkey carcass the next day.

Have you ever looked up how to make soup from a turkey carcass? Be prepared to set aside 48 hours to boil, steam, peel, strain, re-boil, and cook. I just want to cook a turkey into some soup darn it!! But when you are WRONG in the way you prepare a dish, you can't just say "I meant to do that!" because everyone can taste your mistake.

Perhaps that is why I am most at home in front of a canvas. I can turn almost any moment into "I meant to do that". Of course I wasn't always this way. I feared doing it "wrong" when I was in college - at first. Luckily I had some amazing professors who pushed and prodded and even cut me down a peg or two and just said "TRY!"

I have seen that fear of mistakes in students in the past. That fear of putting a single mark on the paper, the first stroke of color on a canvas. I would say often, and loudly, "I can't fix what's not there! If you want me to help you I have to see what you're doing!" Students who would wait for 30 minutes for me to come around to their easel, petrified that they would DO IT WRONG.

What would happen if that fear of doing it wrong took precedence over the thrill of getting it right? Had I never tried making turkey soup I wouldn't have this big bowl of yumminess with turkey and rice and fresh carrots and zucchini and oh my goodness it came out SO GOOD. And I didn't follow any one's recipe or directions - I knew what I wanted to make and I tried.

I had a wonderful studio partner during graduate school who worked in encaustic, a media I had never tried before. Her work was inspired by her family's land in south Texas. The cracks when the land was dry, the various colors in the earth, the tracks the animals made thru the brush. Her work consisted of layers and layers of color that she would scratch into, each scratch revealing the colors down below.

She would often tell me - it's not just about the final layer, it's about all of the layers underneath.

When you are creating, don't fear mistakes. Embrace them. Let them become part of the history on the surface, the process of discovery as you create. Take ownership of your successes and failures - be willing to TRY - be willing to fix it.

One of my favorite figurative pieces, that was three different (bad!) paintings before this layer finally resolved all of my mistakes...

"Withhold"

Prints now available on Canvas!

2011-10-19T17:03:00.000-04:00

I often get asked for some of my post popular prints on Canvas, or larger than what I can produce in my home studio. After asking around and getting great feedback from my fellow artists, I have decided to offer Prints on canvas, paper, and greeting cards thru Fine Art America.

"The Center Ring" available on Fine Art America

I have started with a few images but will be adding more every day. If you don't see your favorite - please let me know! I'll be happy to add it.

I hope you can check out my shop - which you can also access on my Facebook page.

"Concealed" available on Fine Art America

I still offer beautiful 8 1/2" x 11" and 13" x 19" Archival Prints (signed by me) thru my Fine Art on Etsy shop.

And I'm always here is you need a custom painting or print size - thanks!

Generosity Can Be Contageous

2011-10-16T21:48:00.000-04:00

This is what happens when a popular blogger like Heather Armstrong (aka Dooce) inspires peoples with her actions and her words...

Heather traveled to Bangladesh with the groundbreaking charity Every Mother Counts, she came home and share her stories and photos on her blog, I was inspired to create some paintings based on her work, I posted an auction on a fantastic site, Daily Paintworks, to benefit the charity, and now the entire Daily Paintworks community is joining in to build the auction into something even BIGGER!

I am so excited that the DPW community will be adding their amazing work to the Challenge - inspired by the theme "Mom" - with all proceeds going towards Every Mother Counts, either directly to their team that is participating in the NYC Marathon or to the charity.

And where does the money go? To tangible, concrete projects that truly work like training midwives, building health centers, and donating medical supplies.

What can YOU do?

I encourage you to start by visiting the Every Mother Counts education page ("Toolkits") - watch a couple of the movies, see what needs there are. It only takes a few moments, and you will see that change can and should happen.

If you are an artist - paint! Think "Mom" - paint from your favorite photo, set up a still life with her favorite colors, ask her to sit for a portrait! (Don't stop there - you can also donate any painting you'd like!) Sign up to add your painting to the auction.

If you are an art lover - BID! These are amazing paintings for an amazing cause. I guarantee good warm fuzzies and general feelings of happiness whenever you gaze upon your original work of art!

If you are reading this - SHARE! Chose a few of your favorite paintings and click the "LIKE" button to post it on Facebook, tweet this post, post your favorite paintings in the auction to Pinterest - whatever! By sharing the auction you are becoming part of an amazing team, and we appreciate it so much :)

***A quick note about my paintings...I had an technical issue with my auction duration when I listed the paintings, and now that is fixed! So they will be available until October 25th instead of October 20th. Thank you!***

Happy Painting!

My Kids Are the Future. I'm sorry.

2011-10-15T09:16:00.000-04:00

Every morning I have to walk Arianna into her Pre-K class, answer the question on the wall, sign her in, and extract myself before she decides to climb me like the monkey bars. A few days ago our-question and answer session went like this...

Me: "Ari - can you name an animal that lives on a farm?"

Ari - pausing to think - replies "Sure. Let's call the horse 'Mom'".

Bidding Has Begun!

2011-10-11T13:11:00.000-04:00

I am so excited to report that bidding has begun on the Bangladesh Series inspired by Heather Armstrong! You can view all of the paintings in the auction in my Daily Paintworks Gallery. This project has been so special to me and I am so moved by the actions and motivations of the Charity, Every Mother Counts. So bid if you can! And if you can't...I humbly ask you to link, share, tweet, post, and spread the word! Thank you :)

Dooce's Favorites. Painting number five

2011-10-07T07:20:00.001-04:00

The first paragraph of Heather's blog entry describes, in a very potent way, the differences in the voices between the older generation and the younger women in Bangladesh.

I wanted to illustrate the "silence of the young girls and the brilliant, almost piercing voices of older women who have been empowered".

So...what does a brilliant, older voice look like? I think this woman embodied that description. And how about the silent young mothers? This beautiful new mom.

At first I was going to just use the print from the older woman's fabric behind the girl in blue, but that wasn't exactly what I was looking for - the different voices of the young and old.

So I scaled down the young woman and places the older woman behind her. The way they over-lapped built a strong shape in the middle, leaving a lot of negative space on the sides. To address this empty space, I spent a lot of time looking at figurative work by Gustav Klimt, trying to figure out how to use pattern effectively.

Starting to block in color and pattern.

I filled in areas with various patterns, activating the entire surface.

The black block was something that Klimt had used in many of his pieces, and I tried to use that shape here, to break up the space behind the figures and along both sides.

The painting was feeling too dark - and masculine. I wanted their to be a sense of feminine energy - I painted over the dark green sides and the grey block behind her head on the left with shades of yellow. I also changed the shapes of the patterns - instead of a row of rectangles, I wanted them to feel more like drapery.

The yellows helped, but the black block was still too heavy. I tried to address it in two ways - I layered a kidney-shaped brown pattern over the black area, then softened the corners.

Closer...but the black, finally, had to go. I chose an intense red-orange to cover the black and changed to a rounded form.

"You Shall Be Heard". It's practically shouting from the the older woman to the young mother. This painting celebrates the colors, patterns, and personalities of the Women of Bangladesh.

This painting will be auctioned to benefit team Every Mother Counts, participating in the New York City Marathon on November 6th.

Click here to bid.

Dooce's Favorites. Painting number four

2011-10-06T00:03:00.002-04:00

As I continue to share the paintings from the Bangladesh series, I return frequently to the sites that have inspired this work - of course, Heather's posts on Dooce, where this began for me, and also to the education page on Every Mother Counts. If you have a few moments, watch the videos and read the fact sheets about Global Maternal Health. The video about Obstetric Fistula and how it can effect a woman's entire world will move you.

One of the pictures that Heather took on her travels that really grabbed me was a line up of women waiting for health care at an Upazila Hospital. (That is a photo from the Bangladesh Album on Every Mother Counts' facebook page)

I loved everything about this photo. The variety of fabric, the patterns of light, the children being held by their mothers (the bare bottoms are too cute!)

The first day that I sat down to start this piece I painted for 6 hours straight. By the time I put down my brush I could barely move my hand! I did however manage to take several progress shots, and I have put them together in a short video.

I wanted to use the white squares of their paperwork as a design element that connected one end of the painting to the other - a visual connect-the-dots.

Each woman has a distinct personality, along with her unique dress. With the fabric and their profiles being so defined, I decided not to add the features to their faces. They were already Beautiful.

This painting will be auctioned on-line starting October 10th to benefit Team Every Mother Counts participating in the New York City Marathon on November 6th.

Click Here to Bid!

Dooce's Favorites. Painting number three

2011-10-05T07:22:00.002-04:00

Sometimes I come across a photograph that would barely needs any adjustments if I were to translate it into a painting. This was one of those photographs.

Heather captured a young woman, in the most glorious yellow and red outfit, posed in a doorway. She was tentatively looking into the darkness behind her. The sunlight seemed to want to drag her outside, yet she was being pulled back into the dark space inside. A woman of an older generation appears in the background, slightly out of focus, entering a back doorway, perhaps catching the young woman off guard.

Heather didn't just frame a stunning picture of a beautiful young woman, she captured a dialogue between young and old. She captured a relationship that could be interpreted in a million different ways by a million different viewers.

I painted with oil on a 12" x 24" birch panel that I primed with a clear gesso, allowing the grain of the wood to show thru.

I started with a pretty dark palette of prussian blue and alizarin crimson, blocking in the largest shapes. Then I added the bright light coming thru the back door in a shade of light turquoise and grey.

I was pretty excited about the fabric in this piece, especially the red satin. A rich red requires several layers of paint and glaze to develop a truly saturated red. I actually started the red area in more of a fuschia tone, which would then be covered by a warmer red alizarin glaze for the perfect final color.

I continued to block in the shapes of the yellow fabric and her skin tone. These two colors needed to work well together. I didn't want her skin to appear washed out, which is difficult next to such a saturated color. However, if I went too far with the color of her skin, maybe too orange or red, it would appear more like make-up than skin color.

Adjustments are made at every step. Colors are fixed. Edges are shifted.

The look in her eyes was so important. You make look at her once and see fear, but look again and see defiance.

The fabric folds and patterns took the most time. I don't mind telling you I took several breaks to check Facebook when my eyes started to glaze over...

This painting will be part of an on-line auction starting on October 10th to benefit Team Every Mother Counts, participating in the New York City Marathon on November 6th.

Click here to bid!

Dooce's Favorites. Painting number two

2011-10-04T07:28:00.004-04:00

As Heather Armstrong shared her remarkable experiences in Bangladesh, she spoke about a time when she was sitting among a group of men and women, learning more about the concerns for the pregnant women of the village.

"Two men in the group had lost their wives to childbirth. Another man had lost his son. When we asked what had inspired them to organize this group one man spoke up and our translator said, "Two years ago they
learned that women did not have to die when giving birth. Before then, they did not know there were options."

What would have my husband done had I died during childbirth? Or our son? Or daughter?

So I wanted to create at least one painting focused on the men, of all ages, who could be effected by the loss of a mother. There were stunning photos of babies, teens, and elders, and I brought them all together in a layered mixed media piece.

This is charcoal on watercolor board. I blocked in the shapes with vine charcoal then started defining the features with charcoal pencil. I chose to put two of the faces upside down, as a way to activate all the space and create an interesting flow among the faces. It's also a little off balance...is that what I felt when I thought what the men go thru when a woman dies in childbirth? A loss of balance?

I slowly added some color with washes of watercolor.

I liked it at this stage, but it felt unfinished.

Then the color got a little too intense! So I had to tone it down a little. I added a thin later of modeling paste, then re-defined some lines with charcoal pencil, and added another layer of glaze to unify the colors.

The eyes on every face were so expressive and had totally different characteristics. I kept trying to add the second eye to the sweet child in the middle, but every time I did, it made the face seem older, and too engaging. There was something that worked about the simple negative shape in the middle of the circle of men.

I was a little worried that this piece might feel too "quiet" among the colorful oil paintings of the women, but during an open studio event, when the paintings were on display, several people walked right across the room, as if drawn in my their faces. It has an incredible presence.

This painting will be part of an on-line auction starting October 10th to benefit Team Every Mother Counts participating in the New York City Marathon on November 6th.

Click here to bid!

Dooce's Favorites. Painting number one

2011-10-03T07:36:00.004-04:00

There are two different attitudes that usually manifest themselves as I begin a new painting or series of paintings. 'Total Excitement' or 'Confidence Crushing Fear'. This painting brought out a little bit of both! As the first painting in the series of Dooce's Favorites from her travels to Bangladesh with the charity Every Mother Counts, I knew that this painting was going to set the tone for the whole group.

I loved this photo as soon as I saw it - the expressions on the children's faces, the pattern of their clothing, the gestures of their hands. I started with a loose sketch in oil on a panel, 24" x 36".

From the beginning i knew I wanted the focus to be on the tallest girl of the three. I wanted a lot of layers, transparent under opaque, dark under light, lots of focus on pattern and texture.

This layer is a little spooky...transparent glazes and a bit of color on top.

I think this is when I realize I made the arm of the tallest girl too short. I was really upset, because I loved the color and the shape, but it was in the wrong place! But painting in oil is very forgiving, because every layer adds texture and interest, so I painted it over...

Experimenting with background color...would a cool blue work? Does it need more detail?

Warmer background, but now there was SO much going on in the painting, I was losing the focus on the face of the tallest girl - should I block out the other two faces to balance it out?

Sticking with the plan to fill in the background, I inserted a little girl from a different photo, thinking she would address the negative space along the left. It didn't work...everything was feeling too pieced together and not cohesive.

After talking it thru with a couple of my fellow artists, I added the faces back onto the two other girls. Now, they felt like they belonged together.

I toned down the blues, going back to my initial plan of utilizing an earthy palette. I still wasn't sure about the girl on the left, and...painted her over...

...and now it's done!

These three girls have unique personalities, and the whole time I painted I was thinking about their Potential, how their future might somehow be written on their face. How would the little girl on the right be served by her defiance and self confidence? How would the young lady in the middle turn her level-headed temper and ability to empathise with those around her into her biggest asset? How would the pretty one on the left force you to see past her beauty, and realize that she has ideas to change the world?

This painting will be auctioned on-line starting October 10th with net proceeds benefiting Team Every Mother Counts , participating in the New York City Marathon on November 6th.

Click here to bid!

Dooce's Favorites. The Story behind the Bangladesh Series.

2011-10-02T23:57:00.006-04:00

Earlier this year, I was beyond thrilled when Heather Armstrong featured a portrait I created of her daughter, Leta, on her blog. Following that beautiful post, I was overwhelmed by the kindness, enthusiasm, and support that came forth from her amazing community and beyond. I have been lucky enough to create dozens of beautiful portraits for clients all around the world who were introduced to my work thru Heather. It's been incredibly satisfying, challenging, joyful! to be creating custom portraits for clients who were inspired by Leta's painting.

A couple of months ago, Heather shared her experiences when she traveled to Bangladesh with the Charity Every Mother Counts. The stories she shared were emotional and compelling, accompanied as always by her illustrious photos.

(Detail, Painting One)

As I read the stories and learned more about the charity, I couldn't help but be completely enamored by the beautiful faces of the men, women and children she met on her trip. As a portrait artist, I am always looking at people's faces - watching how the light reacts to their skin tone, noticing how their eyebrows frame their face, taking note of how they tend to tilt their head when they talk, what Presence they have. The subjects of Heather's photos were beautiful, not only for their engaging eyes and sculpted lips, but the honest emotional content in every nuance of their expressions.

Could I ever, as a portrait artist, rise to a level where I can capture all those beautiful things that Heather captured in her photos - the light, the context, the story, the emotions - in a painting? I spent many restless nights running those photos thru my head, dreaming of ways to translate her photos into paintings.

(Detail, Painting two)

After a week of tossing and turning, I knew I had to try to paint these portraits. But - Why? Just to see if I can? It had to be bigger than that. So I contacted Heather and proposed an idea: "Heather, you did so much for me, my family, and my business this year...Could I create a series of portraits based on some of your favorite photos from Bangladesh, and then we can auction the series of paintings on-line, with all of the proceeds going to the charity Every Mother Counts?"

Then I held my breath...

And Heather said "YES!!!"

So I pored thru her Bangladesh photos on Flickr and watched her video about a hundred times, coming up with a list of about 15 photos that kept stopping me again and again. When Heather finalized the list, "Dooce's Favorites" were ready to be painted.

(Detail, Painting three)

I began the first painting on August 3rd, and just finished the fifth painting over this past weekend. In those two months, I have spent hundreds of hours in front of my easel, trying to do justice to my subjects, while considering the fact that an amazing woman has trusted me with her personal experiences, and believes in me to create something - mind blowing? spiritual? moving? pretty? - to the best of my ability!

So here we are - the five paintings are done, and I can't wait to share them with you. The plan is to introduce a painting each day this week, and then start the auction on-line Monday October 10th. The auction will run for ten days, and all of the money raised (minus the auction site fees) will be going to Team Every Mother Counts , participating in the New York City Marathon on November 6th.

(Detail, painting four)

I don't know if these painting will inspire you the way they have inspired me, but I hope they do, and I hope you consider donating to the charity, even if you don't bid in the auction. I couldn't get on a plane to see these strong-willed, able bodied, positive, and hard-working men, women and children in person, and I am so grateful that Heather DID go, and brought their story to my attention. It made me realize and appreciate how lucky I was before, during, and after my two pregnancies.

(Detail, Painting five)

Every Mother Counts. I want to count. Women around the world want to count. Their Children want to count. Their husbands want them to count. This auction could be small, it could be huge - who knows? EVERY LITTLE BIT COUNTS, when it comes from the sense that You are part of Something Bigger.

Click here to bid!

Sketching the Live Model in Oil

2011-10-01T10:19:00.001-04:00

As you know I work from the live model at least once a week when our figure drawing group meets in my studio. Most of the time I work with pastel (Nupastels are my favorite) or watercolor. Lately I have been using my oil paints more and more to work from the live model.

A couple of weeks ago I painted this 11" x 14" panel in oil, about 80 minutes of painting time.

One of two paintings I did that evening, the other was a study in watercolor. I especially like the stool she is sitting on - I didn't fully paint all four legs, a couple are only implied, but work very well.

This past Wednesday we had another wonderful model, and I chose to create two more oil sketches from the longer poses (about 50 minutes to work on each) These are 6" x 12" textured panels.

I like the horizontal pose, the way she fits into the space, her pressure on her elbow, the subtle indication of the knee under her leg.

I only did a little work on it the next day, filling in the rest of her leg. When I do work on these paintings the following day, I have to find that balance between defining shapes and keeping the loose, immediate quality of working right from the live model.

I also worked on the vertical pose, filling in the background the emphasize the sheer white drapery.

I was tempted to "fix" her hand - define the shape and the fingers, but restrained myself! It would have eliminated the "abreviation" I used the night before - the quick stroke of dark skin tone on the back of her hand and the quick dab of yellow to show the light on her fingertips. Sometimes less is best!

Citrus Colored Nudes. New Watercolor Paintings

2011-09-26T22:25:00.001-04:00

The past few weeks I have had the privilege of working with some of my favorite models. I've also had several requests for more paintings in the citrus colored palette that I explored early last year. So...I have some new lovely ladies to share!

These were both created from the live model. I used orange, lemon, fuchsia and red watercolors on 12" x 18" Archival Wallis Paper. The paper is actually designed for pastel, but I love using it for light watercolor washes.

You can view these paintings in my Etsy shop here

http://www.etsy.com/listing/81600554/reclining-female-nude-in-citrus-colors

http://www.etsy.com/listing/81600138/original-watercolor-painting-of?ref=v1_other_2

I also did three more vertical pieces, base on some photos of another model from the previous week.

Art Print Block! Petite Artful Accents

2011-09-12T20:53:00.001-04:00

I am so excited to offer a selection of Fine Art Prints mounted to ready-to-hang blocks in my Fine Art on Etsy shop! There is only one of each available at this time, so don't wait...

"Pensive" Art Block

(I hope to make more in the future!)

"The Center Ring"

See the whole art block selection!

Amazing Artist Loses Her Studio in Texas Fires

2011-09-10T09:40:00.001-04:00

I have come across Carol Marine's blog several times in the past, getting fully absorbed in her lush paint strokes and glorious color. I was devastated for her to learn that her whole house in Texas, and her studio, were engulfed by flames only a few moments after they were warned by a neighbor that the fires were very, very close.

I hadn't seen Carol's work in a little while, and while reading about her plight and investigating her site, I found that she and her husband are the ultimate creative couple. She paints, and teaches, and markets her work. He builds the perfect shelves for her studio, the ultimate canvas support, or the exact light box she needs to help her make her visions come to life. They also recently took the next step in making Carol's business thrive - they developed a platform to sell her Daily Paintings on-line, that allows Carol to continue to auction of her popular paintings without getting bogged down by the fee structure of Ebay. This is obviously a couple that continues to strive to be successful in a time where success is eluding many others.

Carol has mentioned that she is committed to her current teaching schedule, in spite of their devastating loss. I was inspired by her paintings before, but now I am even more in awe of this couples' commitment to each other, their level of perseverance, and the example they set for the rest of us to work, work harder, and work smarter.

I hope you take time to explore Carol's work, maybe leave a few words of encouragement on her blog. Obviously her work has inspired thousands, as the donation set up by her friends has already raised over $18,000 for the family. This money can not replace all of the paintings, memories, and objects they have collected over the years, but I am sure that this outpouring of positivity will be giving them a great start on building a new future together.

Can't write. Painting!

2011-09-04T09:47:00.000-04:00

I can't believe I haven't updated my blog in three weeks!

August has been a very productive month for me in my studio. With both kids in school most of the day, I find myself painting for long stretches of time, sometimes 4-5 hand-cramping hours. And that is in no way a complaint - it's fantastic! I get completely sucked into the paintings that I am working on. My current body of work, in addition to the custom portraits that keep me busy and engaged, are really special and are demanding a great deal of my focus. I am pushing myself to really take the pieces as far as I can, the best way that I can, using the best painting language possible.

I am not sharing the series yet...but I promise to do so - soon!!!

But what I can share is this lovely 2 hour oil painting from last Wednesday night.

The panel is 11" x 14". I did not tone or prep the panel before we started, and I am not going to fill in the white areas now, either. I like the loose quality of the paint and the intense moments of color on her figure, especially the two shoulders.

My son Jack and I participated in the first "Chalk Art" competition during the Marietta Square Art festival this weekend. While the competition has a few kinks to work out, they had a great group of young artists participating and I think it can be a wonderful addition to an already vibrant show in the coming years.

Jack had so much fun drawing.

It didn't take long for the 6-yr old boy to take over. Soon his goal wasn't to just draw but to see if he could turn the front of his hands, the back of his hands, and his entire legs blue! He went home in his dad's car.

I find that now that I have several hours a day in my studio, away from the house (which includes the laundry, the dishes, the gardening, etc) that I am really enjoying my time with my family much more. I'm finally allowing myself to accept the fact that I am not a 24 hour mother. I have to continue being an Artist, and I have to find the time to be in my studio creating for several hours at a time. And this balance is helping me become a better artist AND a better mother. I can spend my weekends enjoying family time, without feeling like I am neglecting my painting. I am lucky, too, that both my children enjoy school, and want to go. That helps!

Sorry about the long stretch between posts...if you miss me, come and hang out on my facebook Art page!

Pastel Figure Drawings Everywhere!

2011-08-11T09:32:00.001-04:00

There are times in life where I don't get into my studio as often as I would like. This is unavoidable, and sometimes, for a brief time, even a welcome time to step back and think about where I want to go next with my work. But I am grateful for our figure drawing group that meets every week, so that these stretches away from my easel are not absolute. It is so important to stay connected with that part of myself - the artist. I love being a mom, relish my marriage, and delight in spending time with friends. But I have come to realize, and accept, that I actually get depressed when I am away from my studio for too long, and therefor everything else tends to suffer. So...as I embrace being 35, and really accepting who I am, I will be more determined to keep the balance between my work and my family.

This week the kids were both in school all day, and I got a much needed "fix" of painting and drawing! I put some finishing touches on a lounging nude from a few weeks ago...(nupastel on colourfix, 20" x 27")

I was so happy with the way this profile drawing from the live model turned out that I didn't even touch it after our 90 minute drawing session (nupastel on colourfix paper, 13" x 20")

I also bought a pack of Sennelier Pastel Card that I have been having fun with. I think the size is 9" x 12". Love this bluish-green (that's an artistic name for this color) paper with the magenta in her skin tones. Quick - about 15 minutes I think.

I just framed a couple of these new pieces for the last open house at the studio (mixed in with some other favorites!) Can you tell I love that dark red color family?

Last night we had another wonderful model, and I tried to keep my work loose and fun (I am working on several portrait commissions right now, so I enjoy letting myself just play a little bit during figure drawing. And often, I find that these little sketches come out quite nice!) Horrible photo, but I promise to add some better shots later...

The top two are pastel on sennelier pastel card, the bottom two are watercolor on 200 lb paper.

I also have a lot of portrait work in the middle of creation right now - I can't wait to share it with you! That will happen after the clients get to see them....I promise!

I hope you are finding time to create :)

Summer Reading

2011-07-30T12:37:00.000-04:00

Summer reading...do you aim for light, romantic reading or thought provoking novels? I am one of people who likes to read a little bit of everything, and managed to get thru a good pile of interesting books this summer.

(I know what you are thinking...it's AUGUST! Summer isn't over YET! I'm basing this on my kids' school schedule...they head back to class next week, meaning our summer break is over!)

Some of my picks are random, meaning I found them for 50 cents at the SPCA thrift shop. Joyce Carol Oates (who I have read before and really enjoyed) "We Were the Mulvaneys" was a great find, and a very thought-provoking novel on family dynamics and the predicament that some mother's may face, although maybe not in such dramatic fashion - stand by your children, or stand by your husband?

"Bee Season" by Myla Goldberg was also an interesting study of family, with each individuals quest to find their place - within their family, and within a religion. The study of language was fascinating, and an excellent illustration of how studying one subject (an intense study of letters) can lead you to understand so much more.

A tragic romance has to show up every once in a while, in this case a story of teenage lovers who have know each other since birth. "The Pact" by Jodi Picoult is an easy read, but one of frustration, and also one that brought a lot of fear to me, as a mother of a little girl. We can hope that our daughters will always come to us in their time of need, but this is a tragic example of a young girl who felt so alone, even when surrounded by those who love her.

Ebay is also a great source for bargain books, and I scored three excellent reads for under $10 (this is one reason why I am very hesitant to buy an e-reader like the Nook or the Kindle...I love a great deal on a great book!)

A friend had recommended "The Book Thief" by Zusak so my hunt started there. This was a beautiful book, written by a unique perspective (one I do not want to spoil for you). Like many other powerful books I have read, this is in the middle of the Nazi horror, and focuses on a young girl who marks significant moments in her life with stolen books. The writing is inspirational, especially for me as an Artist who dreams in color. The lines describing the sky, for example "the sun was the color of breakfast", were descriptive without sounding pretentious. I highly recommend this book!

Of course once I started hunting for one book a couple others popped up who I had heard about but not yet read. One was Jon Krakauer's "Into the Wild", which was made into a movie (haven't seen it yet!) The writer smartly used his own experiences and emotions to bring validity to his theories on the motivations and mindset of the main character, Christoper McCandless. There were also wonderful quotes throughout the book from various authors, and several of these passages inspire me to read more by those quoted authors. As an artist, too, many of the struggles presented of the main character rang true to me (not that he was an artist) including the desire for solitude and a need for personal space. Of course, I was reading this in the middle of summer break, when I didn't even get time alone in the bathroom, let alone my studio...so you could see where I would also want to escape to Alaska...

Finally I cam across another familiar title, "The Namesake", by Jhumpa Lahiri. I found this to be a very enjoyable read, but one that really left me wanting more. More insight into the character's motivations, more resolution to conflict, more passion in their convictions. That's the Italian in me speaking. But I did love the way Lahiri shared so much about the culture and their traditions, and the struggle of finding your own way while still honoring the place you came from.

So 6 great reads for $11.50. Not bad :) My goal is to let my kids see me read actual books as much as possible. I want something to be technology free! I also love the process of going to a library or a shop and flipping thru the pages, reading the covers, checking out the feel, heftiness of a book.

What are you reading this summer? And are you reading it the old fashioned way or on a electronic reader of some kind? Please share! I'm always looking for my next great read!

Recent Portraits in Watercolor and Oil

2011-07-19T15:48:00.001-04:00

The summer has been going by so quickly. Somewhere among the days on the beach, the trips to visit family, and the never ending quest to achieve a clean home while the children follow behind me making it messy again, I managed to send out a few commissioned portraits.

Two brothers, created in watercolor on mounted watercolor paper, 16" x 20" each.

Both boys have long hair and sweet faces. I decided to down-play the hairstyles and focus on their facial features.

Dark and sensuous portrait based on a photo at dinner...Oil on panel, 12" x 16.

I love the setting, the moment where she looks across the table at her companion...

A studio tour and a portrait is home!

2011-06-24T13:08:00.000-04:00

I feel very lucky to be featured on a couple of wonderful blogs today.

First off is a delightful photo essay on the arrival and presentation of the Boxer portrait. I adore the pictures of the little boy and how big his dad's smile is! Thank you so much Jackie...these photos are so special! It means so much to me when a fellow artist (you can see Jackie's delightful art shop here) has such high praise for my work.

http://www.educatingjackie.com/2011/06/one-more-round.html

"One More Round"

Next is a studio tour that I put together as a series of short videos for a lovely friend, art collector, and talented glass artist, Jennifer Cameron from Glass Addictions.

She suggested a video tour, and I did my best to speak in my "sophisticated artist voice" and not my "mommy is really stressed out right now and if you don't stop torturing your sister I am going to throw you in the lake" voice. Although, that would have been kind of funny...and angry studio tour....maybe next time :)

So please check out both blogs and comment and share - thank you so much to both of these wonderful talented women!!

Father's Day Portrait - The Boxer

2011-06-19T19:05:00.000-04:00

I was so excited to work on this awesome Father's day gift for an athlete from his wife. Inspired by a portrait I painted of a bodybuilder with a superman tattoo, she sent me several photos of her husband in and out of the boxing ring. I combined a couple of the photos for the large oil portrait.

I wanted to create a strong, energetic, and powerful image of an athlete.

There are several of layers of color, and I built up a lot of texture on the surface as well.

This was one of my favorite parts - the small scene of him boxing in the ring. I like the loose brushwork and the indication of the feet without defining everything. The movement of the boxers is a great compliment to his stoic gaze above.

Sometimes I am diligent about taking process photos, and this was one of those paintings that inspired me to capture each stage. I linked the photos together in this short video...

Creating custom portraits like this are truly rewarding.

Perspective.

2011-06-16T17:50:00.000-04:00

OK I was a little bummed out during my last post, and I'm not normally like that. I've been rejected before. Trust me. I should be used to it by now!

I was lucky to gain a little perspective the other night. A good friend and fellow artist got two pieces in the show that I did not get into, and for one of the pieces, this was her third time entering the same piece, and it finally got accepted.

I really am excited for her, and it humbled me, too. Every juror is different, and each show has a different look and feel, and maybe my work just wasn't right for this year's show. I am inspired by her to keep trying, keep entering, keep creating, because she believes in her work - and I should, too.

I look forward to opening night so that I can support my fellow artists and their wonderful work!

Rejection.

2011-06-13T15:55:00.000-04:00

It never gets old. Rejection still stings. OK rejection sucks. As an artist it comes with the territory. I have good days and bad days in the studio, I know that not every piece I make is perfect, good, or even salvageable. Sometimes the need to create is just that - a need to create, and if nothing good comes out of it that's fine.

When I enter a juried show, it's a nerve racking experience. What will the juror be LOOKING for? What will they WANT? What if I submit this piece and they reject it, yet they would actually select that piece? What if this slide doesn't show the piece well enough? Urg. It's a wonder I enter a show at all...

But it's part of the whole process! Art can not exist in a vacuum. It needs to be seen. It needs context. It needs to hold up in a room full of other pieces, being part of the conversation. I enter some shows because the group is prestigious, the juror is well known or the venue is beautiful. Sometime I enter local shows because the entry fee will be supporting a good facility.

So why am I still upset about a rejection letter i got three days ago?!? Rejection. I can handle it when 1000 people look at a piece of my work yet no one buys it, why can't I handle the fact that one juror decided not to include my work in a show?

I submitted, what I thought, were three of the strongest pieces I created this past year, excited about showing them locally, since they are so heavy, and I couldn't ship them to a show in California, for example. Now I question those pieces - are they technically good, but emotionally stunted? Are they too - pretty? all flash and no substance?

I guess at the end of the day I need to take the good with the bad, the praise along side the critique. And keep creating, because the next opportunity - I am not going to pass it up!

Blurring the Line - Dance and Movement

2011-06-09T21:15:00.001-04:00

Sitting here watching "So You Think You Can Dance" and reflecting on my years as a dancer...I loved it! I miss it! I wish I was younger so I could try out for the show!!!

But something else cool crossed my path today. The addictive page Design D'Autore on Facebook floods your news feed with delicious eye candy every day. In the album Dance, they posted a few images from photographer William Wadman.

They took my breath away - as a dancer, and as an artist. For my MFA thesis exhibit at TCU, my body of work was all about capturing the movement, the energy, the dynamics of dance in my paintings. Not stagnant figures, but layers of arms, legs, torsos, hands and feet moving together across the canvas in layers of paint and charcoal.

This is "Can You Feel It", a very large canvas.

This photographer was capturing on film what I was striving for on the canvas! I loved it.

"Can you feel it?"

Another large painting from the series, "Movement in Thirds"

It's always a delight to come across another artist who is striving for some of the same goals in a different media - how we both came to a different solution to capture a similar feel.

New colourful watercolor portraits of sisters!

2011-06-04T21:16:00.000-04:00

A couple of cute custom watercolor portraits sent out recently...

Figure Drawing and Painting in the Garden

2011-05-25T09:26:00.000-04:00

Drawing and painting the figure is my all time favorite thing to do as an artist. I love posing the models, playing with the light, planning what media to use, figuring out how to capture their personality and body language. Being part of a group that enjoys the same thing really helps this endeavor - sharing model fees for one thing! But also being able to put together special drawing events in unique spaces.

This past weekend our group gathered in the beautiful Zen garden of our friend Bruce. Bamboo, large rock formations, a koi pond with a bridge, all provided a beautiful backdrop for multiple figures. This event had a couple of goals - one being to create! and the other to support our fellow artist who is still recovering from her brain tumor. The models all donated their time (we worked with four models...and many more volunteered as well! You are all so wonderful, thank you!) and the artists all donated whatever money we could to help our friend, who still cannot drive and work during her recovery. During the paint-out I would shout "Create something beautiful and send healing thoughts!", as our friend was too weak to attend the event in person.

Three of the models wore colorful dresses, and one brave model withstood strong sun and busy bugs to pose nude. Her figure among the rock formations was really special. The figure in nature, you cannot help but appreciate the design, the lines, the form. You can see the figure here in this painting by Shane McDonald

I really had to admirer the determination of a couple of the artists! No tree was going to stand in their way of the perfect view...here artist Charles Young Walls tucks himself among the foliage as he paints the figure among the greenery.

In another part of the garden an artist was actually standing IN the magnolia tree to get the perfect view! I sat right in the middle of shrubbery to paint this quick watercolor sketch. (I actually started 4 pieces...I still need to photograph them!)

The day was a huge success. I think we had 15 artists, 4 models, and a large amount of money donated to our dear friend. You really can't ask for anything more!

New figure drawing model and a fresh perspective

2011-05-19T16:47:00.000-04:00

I say it often... I am so lucky that I get to work with some amazing models! Our weekly figure drawing group is my opportunity to play, explore materials and techniques, keep my skills sharp, and of course network with my fellow artists.

This week we had a lovely model who was new to most of us, recommended by a fellow artist who worked with her at another location. She is tall and has beautiful long arms and fingers, a swan-like neck (or "superhero" neck as one artist called it!) and what really makes her a great model - wonderful stage presence. Every pose was regal, elegant, graceful.. She was a joy to draw.

A 20 minute charcoal drawing, her knee is resting on an ottoman.

Oh...and her hair is closely cut, almost shaved, and it was SO interesting and challenging to draw her head and neck! Just fabulous shapes and amazing highlights.

One hour pose, in watercolor, 11" x 14"...

I especially like the colors in her head. There was a dramatic line on her neck, the turn of her head causing tension in the tendon.

And for the last 40 minutes of drawing, a portrait - I had to just focus on her beautiful features! The shape of her head, the determined chin, the sculpted lips - wonderful! I look forward to finishing this sketch...

I love meeting a new model and drawing from them for the first time. It forces me to look a little closer, to really see the particulars of their shape, build, gestures, balance. The lines of their arms, the curves in their neck, the length of their legs. When I get to know a model well and work with them often, I sometimes find myself drawing or painting with a quick glance, being familiar with their figure, rather than slowly absorbing and translating the information like I would do in our first encounter.

Fresh faces, fresh perspectives, fresh work.

(but I'm not giving up any of my models - I love them all!)

Grand Prize at the Cumming FUMC Art Festival - my pastel portrait Reflections of Zen

2011-05-18T15:16:00.001-04:00

Well I am stunned! Thrilled and humbled to share the news that "Reflections of Zen", my pastel portrait, won the Grand Prize at the Cumming First United Methodist Church Art Festival.

Keeping with my track record, I was not there to accept the award (bummer!) It seems I only win something when I'm absent :) I got to view a portion of the work in the show, and I could tell I was in excellent company and this award is a true honor.

Fellow artists - I hope you check out the Festival's Group Page on Facebook and watch out for next year's event - it continues to grow, offering a wonderful opportunity to exhibit and share, and the award money and purchase awards are significant...well worth your entry!

This award is also timely as my fellow artists and I plan to gather this weekend for "Figure Drawing in the Garden", in the same setting where I took the photo for the portrait. This is a photo from the last time we worked in my friend's Zen garden with this model.

It's such a wonderful space, a great time to gather together and create and enjoy nature! The light is always stunning, and it's so different from working in a studio. I hope that wherever you are, you are creating, and sharing with your fellow artists, too.

A Home Portrait and A Special Mother's Day Gift...

2011-05-09T14:40:00.000-04:00

A couple more portraits found their way home in the last few of weeks! For Mother's day, this beautiful watercolor portrait of a mother and newborn baby...

I also shipped out this multi-media portrait of a house, painted on panel. The request was for lots of color - and an understanding that I am not very good at drawing straight lines :)

This was one of my favorite spots on the painting!

I don't often accept commission work for house/architectural portraits, but I really enjoyed this one!

And of course our figure drawing group is still active, enjoying our Wednesday evenings with wonderful live models. Last week I created this nupastel drawing of the male model on grey pastel board

I have had requests to show more progress shots, so hang tight...I will do a post on the progress of my pastel figures - soon!

Cumming First United Methodist Church Art Festival - A great opportunity to experience Art and Music

2011-05-04T16:17:00.000-04:00

Over the weekend I dropped off three pieces at the Cumming FUMC Arts Festival. I have never been to the church before, and was not only impressed by it's beauty, but the lovely people who I met. John Hutchinson, the director of Music, has really brought together an amazing collection of Art and Professional musicians, and I hope you check out the show schedule and make time to visit.

The event lasts from May 8th thru the 22nd. On Facebook, too!

Be sure to look for my painting, Angel of Hope, and two of my pastel drawings.

Does Tradition Trump Creativity?

2011-04-29T20:51:00.000-04:00

Today has been an interesting day for the argument of "Traditional vs. Creative" for me. Like millions of others, I started this morning extra early, setting my alarm to wake me for the Royal Wedding. I know I could have watched it a million times in re-runs (it's on again right now!) but there's nothing like seeing it as it happens.

I was giddy with the anticipation of the wedding dress. A modern, stylish bride, any designer at her beck-and-call, ready to design what would become the most iconic wedding dress of the century. In my head there was an asymmetrical neckline, innovative pleating, a nod to the past while looking at the future. When I caught the first glimpse of the dress, I couldn't help but feel disappointed...hadn't we seen this before? I wasn't the only one who felt that way...in seconds twitter was abuzz with references to Grace Kelly's wedding dress. (PS...I thought she looked gorgeous! Just not what I expected...and I totally understand her design)

That was about all I had time to watch before mom duty took over, and after getting the kids off to school and a short visit to the studio to take care of some portrait work, I headed into Atlanta to visit the Portrait Society of America's Conference. I was eager to see what was new in the world of portraiture - what was deemed the best of the best.

Of the top 15 works represented at the show (some works are only shared during a slide show lecture) many were very traditional oil portraits, reminiscent of many of the portraits you would see in galleries around the world, including a portrait of a religious figure (stunning for it's drapery, detail, and the quality of the skin.)

But the pieces that held my attention, the pieces that went beyond impressing me to inspiring me, were decidedly not traditional.

This self-portrait by Evert Ploeg was just fantastic. Decidedly direct and un-adorned, the artist is posed just stepping out of a long shower, as evident in the foggy mirror which has been half-wiped to reveal half of his figure, just the top of a towel wrapped below his full stomach. I only mention "full" as a description because I took great notice of the reflective light under his stomach and chest - it was so important. When I was staring at the portrait, it didn't occur to me to think "oh he needs to do more sit-ups!" which is really funny because...a few moments later I got to meet Mr. Ploeg in person! And one of his first self-depreciating comments was "I should have done more sit-ups, huh?" I re-assured him that it was a non-issue.

I thoroughly enjoyed talking to Evert for a few moments, telling him how much I enjoyed his painting - the way it made me want to paint, how I loved his pallette, his use of that slate blue square to balance his warm fresh from the shower skin on his face. He shared with me his genuine shock that his painting was selected, seeing that it is very different from the traditional portrait styles and subject matter that the PSA seems to favor. To me - that was exactly the reason it needed to be in the show!

And that got me thinking about tradition again...can traditions of style, a desperation to hang onto the classics, be stifling creativity? Are we occasionally trapped in a desperate attempt to "appease the masses" that we deny our true desires and tendencies to speak in our own voice?

I do not want to discount tradition, I have seen too many artists completely skip the LEARNING process - how to draw, how to paint - before jumping into styles of their own, yet not having the (painting and drawing) language to express themselves effectively.

I also want to mention one of my other favorites from the show - this portrait by Rose Frantzen.

Forgive the poor picture...I wish you could see the quality of the light she captured! I could have stared forever at the colors she found in her subject's hair. I could feel the temperature of the cool air under the shade tree, knowing the warmth of the sun was a few steps to the right.

The subject matter, like Ploeg, was not monumental nor traditional. But human. I love the relationship between the wife and husband seated behind her.

I hope you take a minute to look thru Mrs. Frantzen's website - she captures the most amazing light quality in her portraits.

So how can I bring my two synaptic misfires together? Traditional wedding trumps individuality? A quest to please the establishment squelches artistic expression? I'll have to share my latest wedding portrait and see if this helps...

Custom Portraits are leaving the studio

2011-04-26T12:06:00.000-04:00

It's been a busy month full of portrait work! I usually enjoy sharing progress on my blog...but some of these were surprises and I didn't want to take any chances posting them too early.

At the beginning of the month I had a line up of portraits in progress....

A couple pieces have still remain, but this portrait of a lovely older couple has been delivered to the UK.

And just yesterday the husband surprised his wife by bringing her to my studio for the big reveal of their family portrait

It was entertaining to watch her wandering around my studio with the look of "why is my husband taking me to a gallery full of nudes?" to "oh my gosh that's US!"

A fun day for me :)

Spring Cleaning! Original Art on SALE

2011-04-23T09:43:00.000-04:00

It's spring...time to clean out the studio and get inspired by the changing season and create new work! I have just marked down a number of beautiful figurative Art in my Etsy Shop. Take a look...pass it along...enjoy!

HAPPY SPRING!

Shop my Spring Cleaning ART SALE

Favorite color, favorite flower

2011-04-18T14:27:00.000-04:00

I love working in the garden in the spring, before there are too many bugs, before the sun gets too hot, while the ground is moist and ready to be worked. I love the idea of Potential - a seed that can grow to a sunflower, a vine that can climb a trellis in a single season, a bush that is ready to burst forth with dozens of blooms.

One of my favorite vines is a Clematis. I have been trying to cultivate several different ones in my backyard for 5 years now. On the advice of an old friend, I have been patiently waiting for them to take hold - "first year to sleep, second to creep, the third one to leap"

Well this one has LEAPED! It's my favorite color, periwinkle blue (or purple, depending on your perspective!)

I have it in a spot that makes it very happy. The roots are low, below my deck, and remain shaded thru out the day. But the trellis gets at least 6 hours of sun, which the vine and flowers thrive upon.

While my mother was visiting I was explaining the good fortune of the spot and how happy the clematis is there. She replied "Sure - hot head, cold feet"

I nodded my head, while suppressing a grin. Now I know why the clematis is really my favorite flower...we have the exact same personality.

Hot head, cold feet.

Figure Drawings in Pastel and Charcoal

2011-04-16T15:24:00.000-04:00

We've had a spectacular line up of models in the studio the last few weeks, and I am just now getting around to photographing and sharing some of the drawings.

A couple of new pastels on colourfix paper...

This pose was about an hour and a half...with lots of breaks so the model could regain feeling in her arms.

A 45 minute pose with no breaks, a beautiful arch to her back, and I love the foot tucked into the fold of her knee.

Vine and compressed charcoal, about 20 minutes. I didn't want to over-work this loose drawing, so I did a second one from a different view.

And a 20 minute charcoal from the male model - great twist in his back!

Gotta share these beautiful figures!

2011-04-12T21:23:00.001-04:00

This past week I have been working a lot with acrylic paint, enjoying the brilliance and quickness of the media, yet also feeling some frustration as they keep drying so quickly. I spend so much time mixing, and re-mixing as the first one dries, and less time painting. I actually just got out my water soluble oils, hoping to get back to the flexibility of oils in some way.

Seeing beautiful paintings like this, that really embrace everything oil paint can do, makes me want to get back into the media even more.

Please check out Costa Dvorezky and his work.

Learn, forget, re-learn, repeat.

2011-04-11T14:40:00.001-04:00

Last week my children had (another!) week-long break from school. Luckily, two things happened during this time off...the sun was shining and grandma came to visit, doing lots of babysitting and allowing me to continue working on the full list of portrait commissions waiting in my studio.

We were treated to an especially lovely day on Thursday, with the sun shining and the temps right around 70 for most of the day. Anxious to enjoy the gift of the day, we packed a lunch and headed to our spot on the lake, preparing for a brief visit - the water is probably only about 40 degrees!

I am one of those mom's that cover her kids head-to-toe in swim shirts and sunscreen, tolerating teasing from my siblings "you are such a worrywort! so overprotective!" Yet this was our first trip to the sand and sun for the year and it was just warm enough to be outside, the water was still freezing, how long would we really be out? Sunscreen was applied, but barely beyond the shoulders, and Jack ran up and down the cool sand without his swim shirt.

Much to the surprise of my mother and myself, we were still at the beach three hours later, our arms a crisp red and our feet just starting to darken and burn. Gathering up the kids, who were goosebumpy from the cold water but delighting in sand castles and surfboards, we finally called it a day and headed home.

For three days after we could barely move our shoulders and were rarely seen without slathering aloe over ourselves and the kids. I was beside myself with frustration at my ignorance, my forgetfulness, and my lack of "mom-sense" - how had I just sat there in the sun for three hours and let my kids crisp?!?

Why didn't I insist on the swim shirt, the full-body spray of SPF 50, the sun hats? Did I forget what 3 hours of clear sun can do to our skin?

Today in the studio I was faced with another instance of time wiping out years of practice and experience. I am working on a family portrait (it's a surprise or else I would share!) and I am faced with combining a couple different photos into one in order to capture everyone's likeness as requested by the client.

This is a problem that I am just now remembering facing a few times before - there are references photos of some the subjects in focus, but other reference photos are blurry. Some of them are in full color, others are in sepia tone. My goal - my job - is to bring all of these different sources together seemlessly and cohesively in one family portrait.

I know I can do it, and I know HOW I can do it, but I got so far into the painting without considering this issue that I ended up with three figures that don't belong in the same painting. I have to un-do several hours of work in order to bring the faces together.

Spending several hours in the sun without considering the consequences of skipping the sunscreen, stepping back from a painting and realizing that you have created three separate paintings within one. Lessons learned, forgotten, and re-learned.

But you know...these things happen, and getting over it, gathering ourselves up, applying a salve and working our way thru it...that's what we've got to do. And tomorrow is a new day in the studio, and I will fix that painting! (Plus, my red legs are finally better, so now I can shave that weeks' worth of hair and start fresh!)

Eyes - Details from some of my portrait work

2011-04-08T15:36:00.000-04:00

I was in the mood to share some eyes...I don't know why. I guess part of it is the fact that I really don't think the portrait is "done" unless the eyes are right. The eyes are so important - a little too far apart, or a highlight in the wrong spot, and it can throw off the whole face.

New Watercolor...

2011-04-03T10:27:00.000-04:00

I was recently commissioned by a fabulous collector to re-visit a series that I created last year. A number of female nudes in a Citrus color palette that were designed specifically for the beautiful renovation of Brennan's Restaurant in Houston, TX.

My client had several favorite features from the first series...the softness of the facial features, the amounts of oranges and yellows present in the palette, the flow of the figures and the drapery.

She had asked for only one piece, but because I was working with watercolor, and a specific pose was not set in stone, I decided to work on three pieces at once - allowing her to chose which one fit her vision best. I was so pleased that not one, but two of the pieces captured her heart and found their way into her home.

The third piece is also lovely and I have just made this Original Watercolor available in my Etsy shop.

I hope that if you ever have a vision that I can help create, you contact me as well!

April Newsletter

2011-03-31T15:54:00.000-04:00

My April newsletter is out...A brief update on what's happening in my studio AND a code for FREE SHIPPING in April...enjoy!

The Paintings of Charly Palmer, Atlanta Artist

2011-03-28T15:51:00.000-04:00

Last night my husband and I, and I'm betting along with everyone else in our neighborhood, were woken up at 4:30 am by the loudest clap pf thunder I have ever heard. The entire house shook for a full ten seconds. The rain never let up, so when I got ready to take the kids to school I turned on the TV hoping to catch an update on the road conditions. Well I never made it to the news because I landed on a channel that was profiling local Atlanta artist Charly Palmer.

I only got to enjoy about 5 minutes of the program, but I was immediately drawn to his brushwork, his palette, and his obvious joy in his paintings. He has a wonderful way of telling a story about his subject matter, layering time and space and multiple vantage points on one canvas.

I look forward to learning more about this fantastic artist.

Tinkerbell brought her magic today

2011-03-25T19:21:00.000-04:00

Today was a special day...Tinkerbell came to my studio to paint along side me...and when she isn't painting, she's skipping around the studio. Just skipping. It's her preferred mode of travel. And it makes me smile.

I was getting started on a new painting, very excited...family of three, they asked for lots of color and texture, so I prepped the surface with my favorite mix of modeling paste, paint and gesso and then sketched out the figures.

I also finished a watercolor portrait, and photographed this drawing from our Wednesday night figure drawing session. This was our first time having this male model, and he did an amazing job. Wonderful pose!

Time in the studio...

2011-03-24T07:51:00.000-04:00

I walked into the studio first thing in the morning the other day and was filled with a great sense of appreciation. That I have this beautiful place to come to and create, a new commission sitting on the easel. That I have wonderful clients full of enthusiasm and great ideas. That I have a supportive husband and two delightful, healthy and creative children.

I am so thrilled to have a full custom portrait schedule for the next 4 months. I can't wait to finish each unique and special piece.

Portrait Information and A Painting Update

2011-03-19T05:43:00.000-04:00

This has been a very exciting couple of days. I was truly humbled and honored to be featured on Heather Armstong's Blog last Thursday. Her kind words about my work meant so much to me. (To be honest, my goal is to make every client go "Holy Crap!" ...much better than "Eh, it's OK")

Within minutes of her post going live I had thousands of visitors to my blog and my Etsy Shop. The response has been overwhelming, and in such a great way. The positive words, the genuine kindness about my work, and enthusiasm for my style has been amazing.

Heather took a big chance on me, and I am only now beginning to comprehend what that means. By sharing that painting, she basically has said "I believe in Kristina's work". Believes in my work. It is hard to put into words how that makes me feel.

I am not taking this opportunity lightly! I hope that I treat every new visitor and client with respect and fairness. I look forward to creating many more beautiful pieces, and I am so excited that so many clients are drawn to my colorful and eclectic style. I have several portrait commissions lined up, and if I can take on yours, I will do so, depending on the schedule.

Here is a little more information on my Custom Portrait Process.

In the meantime...as I order new supplies and get ready to start on new orders...I really want to finish up the model in the red skirt and striped vest!

This media is awesome to work with. A primed panel, I spread a thin layer of a modeling paste/gesso/paint mix that gave it a textured layer similar to venetian plaster. Glazing and painting several layers on top of that, I am building up a lot of color and interest on the surface.

So I better finish this one VERY SOON!

Thank you so much for checking out my blog and my work. Cheers!

A new painting on my easel...

2011-03-15T14:18:00.000-04:00

I have been in the new studio (yay!) for a couple weeks now and as soon as I moved in I knew I wanted to work on a large painting. I had taken some photos about a month ago of one of our gorgeous models in a red tutu, a little striped vest, and a black cap, keeping with the ballerinas and the stripes and the dancer motif I have been exploring!

Yesterday I started on a 30" x 40" primed panel, first sketching out the figure in charcoal. Then, I added a layer of primer - a mix of gesso, modeling paste and paint to seal in the sketch, put some color down, and build up some texture on the surface.

Next I drew on top of that with some blue paint, working out scale and position of model.

I wanted to start with blue because I thought the red of the skirt, which is a really true red with cool undertones, would work best on top of blue rather than an olive green or brown.

Today, back in the studio, I worked with very thin layers of paint to block in the larger areas of color - the background wall, the cast shadow, the skin tones, the red skirt. I love the texture from the modeling paste!

I love this stage of the painting, where everything is loose and bright. My goal is to build up several layers of color, maybe sanding back to the blue primer in some areas, or rubbing in some dark glazes in the textures. It's hard to predict where I will go...but I always enjoy the ride!

The Healing Portrait

2011-03-08T20:45:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago our wonderful family of Artists experienced a harsh dose of reality. One of our fellow artists went into emergency surgery to remove a fist-sized tumor from her brain that had gone unnoticed for almost a decade.

After the dust settled and the shock wore off, if only a bit, our good friend organized a Healing Portrait Painting Party at his studio.

We each took turns painting and collaging on the canvas, capturing different aspects of our friend and her personality. Her love of swinging, a picture of her dog, a photo of a woman hiking, beautiful flowers. I'd like to say we all bowed to each other's vision...but no. We painted over each other's work, we added colors and layers over different pictures, we all wanted to make adjustments.

But as each artist stepped back and glanced from the painting to our friend, we each returned to the same goal. To capture her likeness, to heal our shocked hearts and her stapled head.

It's times like these that reinforce my belief that Art, and Artists, have a truly important and worthwhile role in our society. I feel so blessed to be part of such a talented and nurturing group.

My Creative Little Girl

2011-03-06T15:39:00.001-05:00

I have to share a story before I forget it. My little girl, Arianna will be four this month and it seems like her imaginative play has kicked into high gear. She is always making up stories and drawing pictures and just chatting a mile a minute, lego men living very complex lives on top of the kitchen counter.

A couple weeks ago we had some warm sunny weather and the first opportunity to clean and rake the yard after a very long cold GA winter. As I was raking the pine needles in the back yard, Arianna was sitting on the edge of the deck, talking to the ground (I'm not sure if the ground was talking back, but she sure had a lot to say.) Suddenly she calls me over, exclaiming

"Mommy mommy look the baby bird is hatching from the egg!"

Being pro imagination I went over, bent down and looked real close and said

"Oh yes I see the baby bird coming out! Where is the mother bird?"

Arianna responded with a long explanation of the mother's bird absence as I went back to my rake and the never-ending supply of pine needles in need of attention.

A short while later she calls to me again, a bit of panic in her voice

"Mommy mommy you have to help the baby bird he's stuck on the roof!"

"Oh no!" I cried, coming closer to the house, looking up as high as I could.

"You have to rescue him" pleaded Arianna.

Abandoning my rake for the second time, I bravely climbed the wooden swing set, determined to rescue the ill fated young bird from certain death. Reaching the top of the swing set, I reached my arm up as high as I could, adding a grunt, putting forth a great deal of effort to retrieve the small creature.

As I craddled the tiny bird in my cupped hand, I deftly climbed back down the swing set, prepared to be hugged by my grateful daughter as she cried "Thank you mommy!" over and over again.

I presented my cupped hand, proudly saying "See Ari - he's okay!"

Ari peered into my hand, and said

"That's the wrong bird"

Ari in my new studio space. I cleaned, she created :)

Figure Drawing and Sculpture Show is all set!!

2011-03-04T13:32:00.001-05:00

SO excited! Last night sculptor Matt Lewis brought some gorgeous sculpture to my new shared studio space and this morning I was setting up for Mardi Gras on Main, and everything came together beautifully. Matt's sculptures and my drawings found a wonderful dialogue, and I can't wait for everyone to see the pieces in person.

If you can't make it this evening, please contact me and I will arrange studio hours for a tour. Thank you!

New Pastel Figure Drawing...

2011-03-03T14:23:00.000-05:00

Just taking a quick moment to share our long drawing from last night's drawing group! One of my favorite models, a lovely pose and subtle lighting. This is Nupastel on cranberry colourfix paper, 13" x 19". I started with dark blue and dark red, slowly adding the lighter skin tones.

I made sure to develop the drapery at the same time as the figure. Because the drapery was light silver, I had to make sure the light value of the drapery was correct compared to the light values in her skin. Also, being silver and a little shiny, it had a reflective quality. So, as I found the colors in her skin tones, I had to pick them up in the drapery as well.

If you are interested in joining us in Woodstock, GA for figure drawing, please check the Studio Schedule.

Figure Drawing and Sculpture Show - part of Mardi Gras on Main, Woodstock

2011-03-01T12:06:00.000-05:00

So excited...I am actually moving into this studio on Main Street in Woodstock! A place to create, share, teach and sell my work. This show is going to be wonderful, and it sounds like Mardi Gras on Main will have a lot going on! See you then!

Artists Helping Artists Radio Show - Listen for my Advice on Selling Art on Etsy

2011-02-24T03:59:00.002-05:00

I was invited to be one of the Artists on a radio program called "Artists Helping Artists". Along with two other Professional Artists, we will be giving tips and helpful hints on sucessfully selling Art On-Line. The program will cover two major venues - Ebay and Etsy, discussing the pros and cons of both sites, helpful pointers on getting started on the right foot, and how to build your business thru networking, blogging, and utilizing the best of what each site has to offer.

(And don't worry...I have promised not to sing OR swear OR talk over any other guest OR use sarcasm. I know what you're thinking...so, I'll be muted the whole time?!?)

The program will air on http://www.blogtalkradio.com/artistshelpingartists Thursday February 24th at Noon EST. Have questions? A success story? Want to request a song? (think long and hard about that...I paint, but I can't sing!) Call in at (646) 915-9243. Miss the show? Listen anytime on demand.

And while I'm here...just finished this new drawing on modeling paste! This might be my favorite in the series so far.

What's happening in the studio...

2011-02-18T21:11:00.002-05:00

Wow I feel like I've been going a million miles a minute lately! Even now I am rushing...but I want to share a few things that I either recently finished or are in progress, so you know I'm REALLY busy...not just ignoring my poor blog :)

I have two big announcements to share in the near future, so please...stay tuned!

And if you have bee WAITING for some mini, affordable art...check out my art magnets in my Etsy shop!

Imagination or interpretation? Where does your Art come from...

2011-02-09T09:46:00.000-05:00

I am wondering if most artists can fall into one of two categories - Imaginative or Interpretive. A loose definition...Imaginative Artists build their work from within, based on passed experiences, images in their mind, colors and textures that flow naturally. Interpretive Artists need a reference source - a live model, a photograph, a landscape, a still life. The artist can Interpret the inspiration any way they want, but it still has to be physically in front of them.

I am debating about this because I definitely fall into the second category. I have tried to create work based on books, dreams, ideas...but they never seem to become fully fleshed out a realized. I always admire art created by those who can just let it flow from their imagination to their fingertips, it comes out right from their subconscious onto the page, and is as real as anything else. If you put me in front of a model, a photograph, a still life, I can turn it into anything I want, in many different ways - realistic, abstract, painterly, whatever! But I can not just "come up with" an image.

What kind of artist are you? Imaginative or Interpretive? Do you think most Artists fall into one category or another?

Just finished...from a photo I took of the live model..."The Center Ring", charcoal on textured panel

Drawings and Paintings from the live model. Two weeks to catch up on!

2011-02-03T16:16:00.000-05:00

Where does the time go? How did I get so far behind...

Last Wednesday we had a fantastic male model for our evening group. After a round of gestures that left all of us exhausted from trying to draw as fast as we could, catching every twist and turn and muscle and shadow, we slowed down with a 20 minute drawing. These are all charcoal on white 14" x 17" paper.

We then moved on to a tricky pose where our model was lying on his back, but his torso was lifted and twisted, as he reached above his head with one arm and held on the his ankle with the other. It looked awesome, and there were some amazing shadows, but once we realized he was losing all feeling in his shoulder we moved onto another pose!

We ended the evening with a classic standing pose, amazing lighting, a great time to just slow down and capture all of the subtleties of light and shadow.

This week we had a lovely female model who also warmed up everyone with a series of two minute gestures, then we worked on a 15 minute pose. This is nupastel on brick red colourfix paper.

We ended with a 2 hours pose with lots of drapery and a warm spotlight. This is a 9" x 12" panel, acrylic paint. I totally neglected her front leg, so that's first on my list to resolve.

After class the model and I worked together for a few minutes, playing an adult version of "dress up" with an awesome red tulle crinoline I found at the antique store and a sassy black and white striped vest I found at a consignment shop. Along with the picture I took of the ballerina last week, I have about 13 new drawings in my head...I can't wait to get started! A preview of the outfit...

Sell, Create, Grow, Sell, Create, Grow...

2011-01-30T21:21:00.002-05:00

I'm in a place right now that is often elusive to artists...Art is Selling and new ideas are coming to fruition. To have some of my favorite pieces heading off to new homes is, as always, bitter sweet.

This beautiful and sensuous nude in Crimson is making a trip across the country. She was part of a National Juried Competition last year, but has been hiding in my closet ever since. Now, she will be gracing a wall, where she deserves to be. (Prints are available)

I had received an e-mail about this drawing of the ballerina in the striped stockings before I had even finished the piece. I had turned down the sale, knowing that I wanted to continue the series, and felt like I needed to "live with" the pastel for a little while. But as I started preparing for the next drawing/paintings in the series, I faced the usual dilemmas...the need to buy supplies and the need for space! So...I e-mailed the collector and she bought it almost immediately. (Prints are available!)

And, the second drawing of the ballerina is heading for a long journey as well. It sold within 5 hours of listing it in my on line shop. Almost a little too quickly for me! I'm finding it difficult to say good-bye...

(Prints are also available)

I saw a quote from another Etsy Artist, Panchromatica, that sums up what I am feeling, and asked his permission to share it here...

"Unless you are content to let your work pile up at the back of your studio or in the attic, you need to sell your work. That puts you in business and the ultimate purpose of any business is selling a service or a product to someone willing to buy it at a price that makes you both happy.

Being in business as an artist is of course different to a degree. Selling art and selling cars may share some characteristics but they aren’t identical. When you sell a painting or a print, you are partly selling something of yourself. Paradoxically though, you don’t lose anything when you sell. Each painting, each print you make takes you one step further towards being a better artist. So, in a strange way, selling your work, by giving you the capacity to make more, can be an integral part of your development as an artist – and let’s be honest - who doesn’t get a buzz when somebody likes your work enough to pay over cold hard cash for it?"

For more from this artist, please check out his blog. This quote is from a future e-book on Business Planning for the Working Artist.

So, I'm saying good bye to some pieces that I am very proud of, but my sorrow, thankfully, will be replaced by new energy and the need to continue creating. This morning I met with a beautiful young dancer who continued the theme of Classic meets Quirky, like the ballerina above. Here is a teaser from our photo session, and I look forward to sharing new work with you very soon!

Start your own Mini Art Gallery right on your fridge!

2011-01-28T10:50:00.000-05:00

I have just listed my first Art Magnet in my Fine Art on Etsy shop! "Grace and Light" is a beautiful 2" x 3" lightweight and flexible magnet that has been professionally printed to capture all the colors of the original drawing. Limited quantities are available! Enjoy :)

Art Magnet - Ballerina in Striped Tights - "Grace and Light"

My Top 3 Tips to Better Paintings

2011-01-26T15:22:00.001-05:00

Over the years I have had the opportunity to teach artists of all ages and skill levels. Young 4 and 5 year olds just learning the color wheel, to 80 year olds who wanted to learn portrait painting. Just last week I was approached by an artist for some advice on a painting she was working on. I have been thinking about the tips I gave to her, and felt that they were probably 3 of the most important tips I have consistently given over the years to all of my students.

Tip 1 - Have good reference material.
   One of the first things I noticed when the artist presented her painting and her reference photo to me was that her photo was blurry and a little faded. The pose, of a ballerina, was lovely, but a lot of detail was lost because it was out of focus. It's difficult for any artist to invent the small subtleties in a person's profile, or the quirks in the folds of fabric, or the specific shape of the cast shadow of a foot on the floor.
   Start out with a GOOD, large, sharp, reference photo. 5" x 7" or larger works best. This is a lesson I learned as I began my Custom Portrait business. No matter how cute a wallet sized photo is, there is just not enough information to blow it up to a 2 foot by 3 foot painting. For this pastel portrait of my son, I used an 8" x 10" photo that was taken outdoors.

Tip 2 - Use A Variety of Brushes
Looking at her paint application, I asked the artist "How many brushes did you use for this painting?" and she showed me 3 - all flat, all pretty close in size. The reason I asked was the flowing fabric of the ballerina costume, her warm skin, and the hardwood floor were all approached with the same size and style of brushwork. This gave the painting an over all sense of flatness.
One of my favorite artists, Joan Mitchell, had a particular dislike for what she called "one brush paintings". I'm not saying it can't be done (a beautiful painting with one brush that is) for in Art, if no where else, there are no Absolutes. But I encouraged the artist to work with a variety of brushes and to use a broader painting language.

   And you may be thinking "what does an abstract painting have to do with a painting of a ballerina?" The truth is at the end of the day it's all paint on a canvas. It's how we use that paint that's important.

Tip 3 - Learn from the Masters
   This is not earth-shattering information to most of you...almost every book or teacher will tell you to "study the Masters". But do you know WHY they are telling you this? Because even with a natural ability and instinct for drawing and painting, you still don't know it all. (I thought I did but have been repeatedly told otherwise.)
   Buy some good Art magazines, go to the bookstore and grab a few books, and have them with you when you are creating. I am not saying COPY their work - but look for how they solved problems. How do you make a wood floor recede into space? How do you depict folds of fabric? What color should I use to show the reflection of daylight on her shoulder? It's incredible how having books, pages from magazines, even my fellow Artists paintings around me infuses my work with different ways of seeing and problem solving. They are a never ending source of information and inspiration.