Three Colorful Pastel Figure Drawings from the Live Nude Female Model

There's nothing like fresh supplies to get your creative juices flowing! I just recieved a big package of colored, textured pastel paper and was raring to go when we had our figure drawing group last night. I strated with a deep blue piece of paper and grabbed lots of bright colors. I'm pleased with the composition and alot of the lost/found lines, and the variety of ways that I defined her figure, but I think I still need to work on the face and perhaps soften the background.

I didn't want to over-work the drawing above, so I quickly grabbed a piece of sap green pastel paper and three colors - orange, bluish grey and red and sat on the other side of the room for this quick (about 5- 10 minute) sketch. The colors worked very well together!

The last post of the night was an "artists request" - we wanted to draw the model's gorgeous hair down! So she struck the dramatic pose and I positioned the light high above her head, creating a lot of interesting shadows, especially in her torso. This is a warm, earthy paper (almost the color of the Georgia clay!) and I was surprised at the beautiful color relationships that I could build with my Nupastels. The upper left corner is my favorite spot! That's a light mint green layered over a rich magenta...awesome combo!

A Variety of Gesture Drawings from Figure Drawing Sessions

Hi!!! I'm doing a little bit of everything today...I painted a mini watercolor, gessoed some masonite so I can start a new painting, and cleaned the studio a bit. The mini watercolor was based on a gesture drawing, and I realized as I flipped thru my sketchbook that there were some I hadn't shared with you before! So here is a collection of gesture drawings for you...a few that have been posted before, a few that are new!

Kathy Jones - An Artist I Admire

My dear friend Geri sent me a recent copy of American Art Collector to show me a quote from her daughter, a collector (and also the subject of this portrait!) and I came across the work of Kathy Jones, an incredible figurative artist.

Ms. Jones paints with intensity. There is an emotive quality to her subject matter, matched by her paint application and her color palette. I am drawn to the variety of paint application and her facility with the media. Surprising color combinations, and the sense that there is a history on the surface - layers of paint building up and effecting each layer that comes after it.

Even though her figures are faceless, you know who they are, you can feel their thoughts, you can sense a time and place in which they exist. It's amazing how much information the viewer can bring to her work...every viewer can finish the story started by her painting.

I picked the piece above "Fade With Time" because of the red line, which I have been experimenting in my own work. It makes me yearn for time in my studio to really push my work to the next level.

I can't show you anything!

I just want to say "I'm sorry". I can't show you anything! I just sent out 2 commissions today, and although I'm DYING to share then with you, they are gifts! And who knows who might stumble upon my blog and see their gift early! (insert a pair of shifty eyes here...) I'm even starting a NEW commission portrait this week so that will have to wait! But I promise, as soon as the cat is out of the bag, I will catch up and show you the work!

But here's something to entertain you until then,

The other day hubby was using the laptop and I said "Have you read my blog lately?"

Hubby "yeah it looks good. You don't talk about me enough".

Me "yes I do - I just told everyone how nice you painted the dresser!"

Hubby "I mean you should be declaring your undying love for me at least once a week"


So...because I have nothing else to say today...

"I hereby declare my undying love for my Hubby"

Bunco Night - Salmon Puffs, Mojitos...and Custom Wine

Once a month a group of lovely ladies in my neighborhood get together for Bunco Night. It's a great excuse to catch up, have a few drinks, and share some great food and fun! Last night was my turn to co-host and I tried a recipe from the Pilsbury Bake-Off contest that came out AMAZING - Salmon Pufs with Dill Pesto. You can see the recipe here.

Look at all this gorgeous food! I also made my Green Tea Mojitos - which tasted great but apparently weren't strong enough! Next time - more rum! I'll also get Danette's recipe for her awesome Arugala Salad with warm Squash and Cranberries (out of this world!) and her pasta with artichokes, mushrooms and parmesian cheese...I had two huge servings!

Of course when all the dice have been rolled and all the shouts of "BUNCO" have died down, it comes time to award prizes to the winners (and losers!) Danette and I aren't normal people, so why would we give normal prizes? We made custom Wine bottle labels with our pictures on them. The first one is Danette and I making kissie faces... with a Judy Garland quote "Twas not my lips you kissed, but my soul". The second was Danette and I staring into each other's eyes and the wine label read "For that moment when you fell like you've never felt before...BLUSH" and the last picture was a swirled picture of Danette and I with red-rimmed glasses on. The label said "Rose Colored Glasses. The more you drink, the better we look".

Here are to of the very lucky winners opening their prizes! I didn't get pictures of it because I was laughing too hard, but there were also MATCHING NECKLACES for each bottle! When I saw Freda put on her necklace of Danette and I staring into each other's eyes...well, that was it. Game over. I was rolling on the floor!

Bunco babes...that is my favorite night of the month! Thank you for the laughter, the food and the friendship! I love you all!

The T-Ball Banner...do I have too much free time?

OK. The kids are 4. They probably don't care what their Team Banner looks like. But give me a project and some paint and I just can't keep it simple!

Hopefully the parents will like it :). Good luck Marlins! I hope you have a great season!

Building Layers of Color in a Figure Drawing of a Black Male Model

Our very lucky figure drawing group had the incredible james model for us last night! He is one of the best! His gesture poses are phenomenal - this is a quick shot of one of his two-minute poses. By the time we are done with gestures, we are all wiped out! (PS...always ask the model's permission before taking photos!)

After gestures we set up a long pose. I was working on a grey piece of mat board and started blocking in the form with a lilac pastel for the highlights and a blue Nupastel for the shadows - being careful not too get too dark or specific too early in the drawing (this pose will go for 2 hours)

I then started to add warmer colors to the highlights and further define the form.

I took some time to start developing the head/face - there was such an amazing highlight on his forehead.

But I was spending TOO MUCH TIME ON THE FACE. So I put a sticky-note on it and forced myself to develop the whole drawing at the same time.

Right at the end I added a little bit of light sap green to the environment - finding that little triangle of light under the arm on our left. I think that helped to define the space. Overall I'm pretty happy with the drawing, and I think there's a focus on the face, while still providing enough information about the whole figure.