Dreamland

10 minute color block in

Dreamland
Acrylic on masonite, 5x5
sold

A childhood friend of mine had posted this darling photo of his daughter - and I knew I had to paint her!  Capturing such a sweet moment in a child’s life has been a joy!  I started with a 10 minute color block in, allowing this to dry while I ran errands.  As soon as I was back from the gym, I started right in with my brush work.  Using again the limited palette, I find these colors work so well together. There is such a wonderful color harmony  attained by using the limited palette!  I am finding that the gessoed surface is wearing at my new brushes, though.  I normally add a bit of acrylic gel medium to my gesso to allow the brushes to move more easily over the surface.  I just primed 10 other panels - and will be topping them off with some of the medium in a cross hatch fashion.  We’ll see if that helps.  I am loving the effect I am getting with the acrylics using short, impressionistic strokes!  Painting number 1044 in 1044 days.

Baby Alan

Baby Alan
Graphite on bristol

Just arrived home from Colorado, getting ready for a workshop in the morning, and doing a little graphite work to unwind.  Working with pencil and paper helps me unwind like no other medium.  I can just let the graphite work it's magic, blending as needed with the paper stumps.  I lay a fresh piece of paper down for my right hand to rest on as I work.  This prevents the oil from my skin from getting onto the paper, changing the way the paper accepts the graphite.  I am almost finished with this one, only a couple of shadows to deepen.  I am also working on another graphite piece, which just may be one of my favorites, yet.  Can't wait to get back to it.  And yes, I have MANY more Colorado paintings to paint in the days to come.  This makes the 127th artwork completed in 127 days.

Precious Bundle

Precious Bundle
Graphite on bristol, 16x20
sold

Graphite on vellum bristol is one of my very favorite mediums.  The first medium I can ever remember using was little old pencils kept in a waxy old cardboard box about the size of a double card deck.  My Grandma Frank had these and a large tablet of Big Chief writing paper - red with a black line drawing of the profile of a chief - majestic with his feather headdress.  There was a small child size desk and chair in the northwest corner of the kitchen, my own personal cubbie for drawing and creating anything I could imagine.  I could look right out of the big window as I worked, listening to the cheerful voices of my mom and grandma talking.  So many happy memories of childhood. With the little art supplies always at the ready, my family was fostering a love of creating for me that has lasted a lifetime.  Life is all about the ties of family and I absolutely love capturing these moments in graphite.  This portrait of mother and baby is my 57th artwork in 57 days (although I have worked on this for several days and have only finished today) :)

Shakespeare by Lamplight

Shakespeare by Lamplight
Oil on panel, 11x14

I started late in the day on this one, first with a detailed sketch.  I used photo reference for the lamp (thanks, Chris!), using my own Tiffany lamp for the lighting in the interior set up.  I have always been drawn to this kind of art - but I have only just started to try my hand at it.  After the sketch, I had to stop, to later start for 30 minutes - to stop again for a meeting at the high school.  I hated to put down the brush - I was so in the zone!  By the time I returned, there were chores to finish - and I didn't go back to it.  I tried to sleep - but could not.  For three hours I tried - and I kept thinking out my next strokes, the colors, the mood.  It was hopeless, so I got up and finished this painting!  Sometimes, there is just a painting inside me that wants out so badly - I am simply forced to submit to it's will.  It is so exciting to go down this road - just as if the paintings are painting themselves and I am just along for the ride.  This is day 23 of the 30 day painting challenge - and dare I say this challenge may have changed my life?

No Greater Gift

No Greater Gift
graphite on bristol
sold

From beginning to end, this was an absolute joy to draw!  I have gently bumped up the contrast by deepening the darks, trying to keep   it all soft and balanced as I work.  If I apply too much, I simply pull it back out with my favorite pink eraser (yes - the one we used in grade school!)  I have many erasers - but this is my "go-to" one - always.  The very last thing I do is to take a small sable brush lightly dipped in water to the darkest lines.  I know it sounds crazy - but this is the real benefit of using water-soluable graphites.  It darkens the darks even more, for a more life-like result.  What better way to spend the day?