Portrait Painting of Lord Tywin Lannister, Actor Charles Dance - Game of Thrones Fan Art

As explained in my previous post about my portrait of Maester Luwin, I am obsessed with the Game of Thrones series, not just because of the amazing actors, but the brilliant cinematography.  I pretty much want to paint every scene!

So here is Charles Dance, who plays Lord Tywin Lannister, as he stares down his son Tyrion.  Spoiler alert!!!  OK this has already aired, so you probably know...this is the scene where Tyrion is looking at his father over a crossbow, as his father perches in a most humiliating spot, on the privy in the middle of the night.  Never flinching, his stoic gaze remains fixed, firm, and confident. And while all this brilliant acting is going on, I am saying to myself "look at that pretty light on the side of his face!" and I have to paint it.

Of course, poor guy, many people still look at this portrait and say "Hey!  It's that guy from "The Golden Child!"

Mother and Daughter Painting - the Start

Well hello 2015....when did you get here?  I haven't been blogging...sorry...but I have been painting!

Early this year I began a self portrait with my daughter.  Quite accidentally, actually.  I was taking photos in the studio one day, and my kids were there with me.  I asked Ari to be my photographer, and then I asked her to jump into the photos.

This is the self portrait I worked on from the photos that day...I will post a better picture when it is all dried and finished!

Of course she couldn't just sit - first she gathered up a mask and some roses to "accessorize" our pose, and THEN we could take the picture.  So about a hundred photos later, I cut and pasted a few together that gave me the look I wanted in her face and mine.

This is just one photo so you can get the idea of the window light on the floor, and of course, see the fancy accessories Ari added.

So first steps are shown below - I have so many pictures I am going to break it up into a couple posts.  But my plan was to start with bold colors and big shapes, then work into the shadows, then the details.

This is a wood panel, 36" square, primed with oil.  I did put a 9 square grid on the surface so that I could get the scale correct of the two figures.  I only began to work on the faces after everything was blocked in - no reason to have the perfect face, and then find out later it should have been two inches to the left or a couple inches smaller! I purposefully aimed to have Ari's face in the middle.  When I moved the entire composition to the right, it became to mom-centric.  It was a very conscious choice to move me to the left.

Current and Upcoming Shows and Exhibitions

Hello dear friends and followers...I am so sorry to have neglected my blog for so long!

But I am back with lots of good news to share so let's get to it!

Back in December I was lucky enough to paint a young man I met through my yoga studio.  Not only did I get a great portrait out of the experience, but I made a new friend, as we chatted and laughed and bonded during the painting session.

My original plan was to paint a simple head shot, 16" x 20" portrait.  But my model had other ideas in mind!  he wandered around my studio looking for props, and settled on a skull...but removed the jaw.

So we set up a pose and I pulled out a 18" x 36" inch canvas to accommodate his portrait, his hand and the skull

I got quite far in our three hours together, but further refined the piece using reference photos

I was very honored that this piece was selected for the 2014 LaGrange National Exhibition.  It was beyond thrilling to find out that the museum decided to purchase this painting, which I titled "Cessation of the Mind", for their permanent collection.

I'm also honored to be a newly juried member of the Women Painters of the Southeast, and to have two pieces in their 2014 member's Show

"A Step Back"

"Mona in Turquoise Scarf"

The show will be held at the Magnolia Art Gallery in Greensboro GA March 28th through April 15th.

For the fourth consecutive year I am proud to be part of one of the biggest and fastest growing Art Exhibitions in the area - the Cumming First United Methodist Church Festival of the Arts.  This year three pieces were juried into the show

"A Gentle Soul"

"Anna"

"A Deceptive Calm"

I am consistently impressed with the size and scope of this show, and the entire program throughout the two week run celebrates Art and Music.  Be sure to check the schedule and attend one of the wonderful concerts when you visit the show.

The show runs from march 22nd though April 6th.

A Portrait of an Italian Gentleman

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A Sneak Peek at the Paintings inspried by the 2013 Storyteller Experience

I don't think I have ever been as inspired as I am right now to create a group of paintings!  I returned from Italy filled with joy, excitement, appreciation, and about 1500 photos all deserving of being translated into Paint.

So my idea for the first round of paintings is to try and capture 6 of the people who made the trip so special for our group.  There was Anna, the fabulous chef who cooked for us every day at the Casale...

(detail of Anna at the sink)

And Giacomo, the DaVinci Wine ambassador who answered every question, and shared so much of his knowledge of wine with our group.  His fabulous smile and warm spirit was so wonderful!

(detail)

One of the growers, who lives on a plot of land that can only be described as Heaven on Earth

(detail)

(detail)

And the hands of the gardener who taught us how to harvest, and also everything that needs to be considered with every cut, every trim.  I just noticed all the men are wearing blue shirts...

Two more paintings to get started this week - probably another one of the fabulous growers, and one of the vintners of DaVinci.  I'll keep you posted!

The final paintings will be revealed by the DaVinci wine company in November.  In the meantime, I hope you come by and visit the studio in November and see them in person!  

Friday Night Live

November 1st 6-9 PM

Woodstock Art and Wine Festival

12-5 Saturday November 2nd

1-5 Sunday November 3rd

Art Mob Studio Tour

Friday November 15th 6-9 PM

Saturday November 16th 12-5

Sunday November 17th 12-5

Painting with Casey Baugh

Last week was the third week that I got to watch and learn from modern master Casey Baugh.  And I am still learning from this man!  He did some awesome demos, showing off some new techniques, and even using different brushes than the last time we worked together.  I posted some of the highlights on my Studio 81 Facebook Page.

So here are a few of the paintings I did in between adjusting spotlights, fetching fabric, filling jars of thinner, changing radio stations, stocking water bottles, and helping out in any way I could :)

I'm most pleased with the top two - I actually really enjoyed the back view on top.  She held the pose beautifully, including the draped hands, and the light on her shoulder was very subtle. The palette in the second one was minimal, and therefor the focus was easily kept on her face.  The bottom two are a little too saturated, and forced.  I don't think I was relaxed!!! But good practice none the less :)  I'm already looking forward to Casey's next class in June 2014.

Plein Air Painting - Grandpa's Boat

I recently made a long...long...long visit to Western New York to visit family, watch the 4th of July fireworks over the Niagara River, and - I still can't believe this - attend my 20th High School Reunion.

By the 7th day of the 13 day stay, I couldn't fight it any more - I had to hold a brush in my hand and get some paint on a canvas.   I planned for such an occasion by rolling some pieces of Claessens linen in my suitcase as well as tucking in a few of my favorite Rosemary and Co. brushes.  Luckily, my mom is also a painter so easels, paint, thinner, etc. were all found at her place.

Just to get to this point took about 45 minutes.  My parents live right across the street from the river, but the shore is a steep hill.  It required several trips to bring all of the tables, easels, chairs, paints, etc. down the slope.  Of course, as you know, every time you pass one of your children there is one of three statements they must share with you: "I'm hungry", "I'm bored", or "Jack hit me".  None of these can be ignored, so while you may have your paint and canvas and easel ALL READY TO GO, you still have to make lunch, discipline a sibling, or enlist Grandma's help and have her load all three grandchildren into a stroller and take them to the park.

So finally brush touched paint and paint touched canvas.  A quick block in.

Large and loose.  Clean colors.  

I am not good at straight lines.  I did my best to capture the stately nature of the boat, without trying to be too precise.  The wind was blowing, waves skirting along the bottom of the boat, shadows changing with every rock of the boat.  

This is about the stage where I decided to not include the blue bridge.  The boat was the focus of the painting, and I like the soft green landscape in the background.  

Great shot of my left pinky finger...

adding in a few of the rocks on the shoreline and a large driftwood.

At the very end I added my signature and a few pieces of the tall greenery.  Looking at my time stamps from the photos, this was about 90 minutes of painting.  After looking at the painting for a couple days, I saw some things I would change or "crisp" a little more - a few rocks, some deeper shadows, etc- but overall I liked the colors and brushwork.

My mom ventured down the hill with my daughter Ari to check on my progress - thanks for the pictures, mom!!  And of course, since Ari saw Mom painting...

She had to have her very own set-up in Grandma's back yard.  My nephew Joey was very impressed.

I am honored to be one of 3 visual arts finalists for a trip to Italy with DaVinci Wine and their Storyteller Experience!  You can vote for me and three other artists from various backgrounds every day until July 31st!

Thanks :)

In Uniform - Newest Paintings from the Woodstock Series

Memorial Day in downtown Woodstock was absolutely wonderful.  The weather was sunny and clear, and a huge crowd gathered in the city park to honor the Veterans of the Armed Forces.  As I approached the park, I caught my first great photo of the day - a fireman bending down to hand a red hat over to a young boy.

I was pretty far away, so I kept shooting as I got closer.  I ended up combining a couple of shots to get the right pose of the fireman, the child, the firetruck, and the group of firefighters off to the right.

I was hoping to catch a good shot of the local fireman at some point - I often see them at Hot Dog Heaven, but this was a better shot - and showed a great side to their community spirit.

Later in the ceremony, I positioned myself at the back of the Veterans Memorial, where I could watch as several men in uniform came forward to lay a wreath at the base.  Again, I took multiple shots, and I combined a few elements - and left out some extra figures - to come up with this composition.

The gentleman in the middle was the eldest of the bunch, and I hesitated to add the cane, but at the advice of a friend I added it in, and that (along with the height of his waistband!) really helps to show his age.  I liked that contrast of the elder generation in the foreground and the young children in the back, doing their best salutes.  

It was a proud day to be part of the Woodstock community.  

Rose Paintings are Ready!

A few months ago I painted a series of delightful small rose paintings.  A variety of colors, profiles and personalities bloomed on my easel.  Well, they are all dry, varnished, and ready for new homes!

I will be listing the series - priced individually - in my Etsy shop tonight around 9:PM EST.

Buy 3 original rose paintings -  I will refund 15% of your total sale.

Buy 4 original rose  paintings -  I will refund 20% of your total sale.

Buy 5 or more original rose  paintings -  I will refund 25% of your total sale.

You must purchase all of the roses you are interested at once, and you will need an Etsy account.

Drawings and Paintings from the Live Model

I will say this again, because I believe it to be true, and vital to your success as an artist:  draw and paint from the live model as much as possible.  Yes, you can learn a lot from copying master works and photos as well. But from the live model, you can chose so much more - what to leave in, what to leave out, what to emphasize, what to soften.  As you perfect those skills from the live model, you can take that knowledge to a photograph - because an Artist should not just strive to copy from a photo, but should always be trying to lead the viewer to a new point of understanding.

Male nude, oil painting on oil primed linen, about 90 minutes

Crouching male nude, oil on oil primed canvas, about 90 minutes.  I was trying to avoid creating any hard edges.  This pose was particularly difficult for the model, the balance that was needed, and so I could not lock any element into place - he was always making minor shifts (and I say that with great respect for this model - who can hold almost any pose!   See the next drawing...) But as you draw and paint from the live model, you learn to be flexible, because it WILL change over time - the model breathes, takes breaks, shifts weight - even the lighting may change.  You have to always be open to change.

So...this is our interpretation of the "Flashdance" pose...all we needed to do was splash a bucket of water onto our model as he struggled to breathe for 25 minutes....

I'll post this one just as a teaser - I do have some progress shots and I fixed the dark spot by her chin.  But this was how far I got in about 115 minutes.  Oil painting on oil primed linen

I think this was about 90 minutes.  I loved her earrings, and tried to leave the earring on our right behind - drawing the negative space around it - instead of outlining the shape.  Charcoal.

Charcoal sketch, about 25 minutes.