Custom Figure Drawing is in it's new home!

I was so excited to get some beautiful photos from a Client who commissioned a charcoal drawing for his bath.  I love seeing how someone frames and displays my work!

The original drawing is about 30" x 40", mixed media on Watercolor paper.  The soft warm silver frame accents the drawing perfectly.

When the client sent the initial photos for reference, I noticed the marble top vanity, which inspired me to create a piece that accentuated the depth and variety of texture in that material.  The drawing has layers of charcoal and transparent medium that create a lot of interest.

I have always enjoyed creating Artwork for special places.  Figurative, Portraits, or abstract.  If you would like to get a quote on a custom piece, please contact me at any time.

I'm banning beauty magazines...and embracing my inner goddess!

Every time I travel I face the usual dilemma...buy a new book or a magazine.  How shall I fill my time? (especially considering I get delayed EVERY TIME I fly...)  Since I had just finished "The Girl Who Played With Fire", I decided to buy a Vogue magazine to entertain me on my flight home from visiting family in Western New York. 

I love fashion photography, and have painted some of my favorite pieces inspired by beautiful fashion spreads in a variety of magazines.  But along with the inspiration comes the usual attack on my confidence in the "looks" department.  My crooked nose suddenly feels like the one Nanny McFee used to have before her nose job.  My teeth are haunted by the tormenting words of my older sister "what's with the Chiclets?".  And of course my legs are too short, my hair is not cut right...and let's not even get started on the bust-line problems.

After a few days of hating my whole body and wondering how anyone could spend $4000 on one of the outfits in the magazine, especially when the majority of my wardrobe could be replace with $100 and a quick trip to Target, I start to crawl out of my funk.  I mean, I look good, sometimes, and when you take a blurry photo of me, you can hardly notice the blemishes and crooked eyebrows.

I didn't really feel beautiful again until Wednesday evening, while drawing.  When I captured a warm hi-light on the models hip in my pastel drawing, I realized that those things - the perfect smile, mile-long legs, great hair - may be not part of who I am, but I am lucky enough to be able to Create beauty with a piece of pastel and a sheet of paper.  My DNA may not have granted me Gwyneth's cheekbones, but I got my Aunt's incredible talent, and my great-grandfathers artistic eye.  That.  Is beautiful.

My outer beauty may not be picture-perfect, and I'll still spend my nights wondering if I can afford braces or a nose-job,  but I know none of that can compare with being able to capture a beautiful figure, transforming a blank piece of paper into a Work of Art.

Staying in the shadows. Figure drawing on the shady side.

I'm not entirely sure why...but for some reason last night I purposefully set up my easel on the dark side of the model stand, pretty much staring right into the spotlight, putting the model in mostly shadow with a thin halo of light. This also put me in a position where I was looking at a lot of back poses...which I really enjoyed!

A beautiful pose, the model leaning on one hip, the other cheek slightly raised, a dramtic shadow grounding her form and creating some drama.

Another gorgeous 3-4 minute pose.  Wonderful curve in her back.  I am not happy with how I captured her profile, but love everything else.

This lovely back pose was about 30 minutes.  I (luckily!) snapped a photo so I hope to finish it.  The light was beautiful along the edge of her form.  I like how the tips of her fingers are resting on her hip.  Even the drapery was gorgeous, lots of light and shadow.

This pastel drawing is mid-way thru our last long pose (probably about 1 hr 20 minutes total drawing time) Our evening went by so quickly!  That happens, of course, when you have such a wonderful model!

I was a little worried about working on this sap green pastel paper...I wasn't sure what colors would work, would it be feminine enough, was it too dark.   Turned out to be a great color to work on.  The warmth on the right side was wonderful, and the cool blues also popped on the background color.

While drawing, I realized the pose was familiar, one I have drawn a similar variation of many times in the past.  That is totally fine - sometimes that creates a great challenge.  Can I draw this even better than the last time?  Can I make this pose exciting to me, and my viewer?  I hope I did...I feel like the colors are bold, the light is interesting, the figure...beautiful.

As always - one of the benefits of drawing in a group - the chance to check out everyone else's work!  Some of the beautiful drawings created last night...

The artist told me to photograph this flat, since he drew it flat, and that is the only way the perspective works! I've been there.

American Art Collector August 2010 Portrait Artists Directory

I am thrilled to be included in this years' Portrait Artist Directory in the August 2010 issue of
American Art Collector Magazine.  This represented a unique opportunity to participte in a special section devoted to promoting portrait artists accross the country.

I chose to present my Pastel Portraits and included one of my most recent, "Reflections of Zen"

I chose this piece because it really reflects where my work is at this moment.  I am immersed in Nupastel...I am enamored of their palette and flexibility and I love working on Colorfix paper, which allows a lot of layers and interest in the piece.  You can see how I layer colors in this pastel portrait video.

Also, I think this portrait shows that you can take a photo, often a moment in-between staged poses, and turn it into something beautiful.  Intensify the colors.  Capture a fleeting glance.  Show an inner glow.  I love creating portraits where you can look at them again and again, finding new moments each time you look a them.

If you have questions about my work, or are interested in having a custom portrait created, please contact me at 81artist(at)comcast.net.

You can also connect with me on Facebook!

Nude model with leopard print blanket. Perfect combination!

Our wonderful figure model did some lovely poses for our group this past week!  (And our group was VERY full!  It's so wonderful to see so many artists together in one room, enjoying the space, the company, the opportunity to draw!)

Unfortunatly I forgot my camera!  I was so upset because she really was a gorgeous model, and had this fabulous leopard print blanket that I would have loved to work on from a photograph.  Oh well.  Just gives us an excuse to schedule her again!

Our first pose, about 20 minutes.  White and black charcoal on a light purple board.  I love working on a medium-tone surface that allows me to quickly block in light and shadow.

The longer pose was also beautiful.  The pattern in the blanket added an extra bit of interest, and we lit her from behind, creating a little bit of mystery in her face. 

I'm thinking of toning down the hand on our left...I think the focus needs to stay on the right side of the drawing, where the light and high contrast of the blankets draw you in.

If you are intersted in joining our drawing group in Woodstock, GA, or want to follow more of my art, connect with my Fine Art page on Facebook!

Beautiful Backside Drawings.

I just noticed last night that I've been drawing backsides all week!  Which is totally fine...I mean, they are all wonderful pieces to work on.   I just wonder if it was something I said..

A couple nights ago a friend of mine posed for this beautiful drawing.  She has wanted to pose nude for a while, and finally said "I'm ready!"  She has, I might add, a perfect posterior so we had to hi-light it in the drawing!  She is also a bright and colorful personality...so of course the drawing had to be, also!

The next day she sent me an e-mail saying "I had SO much fun! I'm officially addicted!"  And echoed my belief that EVERY woman should pose nude for a drawing...at least once!

Last night our drawing group also had a lovely model, who brought with her a photo of a pose idea that inspired her to take this classic back pose.

I loved the white flower against her dark ponytail.  It really added a special element to the drawing.  The lighting was perfect!  This is black and white charcoal on grey mat board.

And then, back in my studio, I am continuing to make progress on the pastel portrait of the grandpa walking with his two granddaughters.  I am trying to finish the background before putting the final touches on the figures, so I know how bright and colorful I need to make their clothing and hair.

Maybe, someday, someone will let me draw their face :)