“Liz”

This is a good friend who picked up and moved to San Fran, with her family, days after I finished this painting (weep weep).  I’m glad she took the time to sit. Thanks Liz. We miss you guys.

“Mead”, Comments on Working From Life

This is a portrait of a sixteen year old girl named Mead. Ya, like the title. One of the pleasures of working from life everyday is that I get to know so many people. Every person I paint is so interesting and unique. Mead was no exception. Also, when I look at a drawing or painting that was done from life I feel that there is an added level of truth and honestly to it. It is the sum of numberless variations in position and expression rather than a stiff reproduction of a single moment caught by a camera…

Mead had a really hard time holding still.  It seemed as though she would forget she was posing and she complained that posing hurt. I am grateful she stuck it out.

“Bonnie”

I haven’t been showing a lot of paintings because I am preparing for a solo show in September 2010. This one wont be in the show so I thought I’d show you all that I’m still working.

I’ve included a detail to show the paint quality I’ve been experimenting with. I guess ‘experimenting’ goes without saying.

“David”

“Dave”,  the finished drawing from the previous post “Drawing in Progress”.

Drawing in Progress

I did a drawing of one of the models that will be in a few of my upcoming paintings. Here are a few shots of the process. I actually put a few more hours into it so the finished drawing looks quite different. I forgot to photograph it. I’ll try and add it later.

Model or Puppet?

I’ve recently begun a multi-figure narrative painting. It is fairly complicated and incorporates several sheep and 7 figures. Many of the figure will be in motion or in positions that are fleating in everyday life. Because I only work from life (the pictures are just for you) this requires a little resourcefulness.  I cant wait to get the sheep in the studio.

First Crack

Ok, Here are my first few studies of an elephant.  One thing I am always reminded of, when doing stuff like this, is that what I learn from the experience goes so much deeper than what is revealed in the sketch.

Art Calender

This month (June 2009), I and the Hein Academy of Art were written up in Art Calender. The article is titled “Rethinking the Atelier”. I also had the privilege of having one of my pieces chosen for the front cover.

Drawing lately

Sketching Elephants: Renaissance Project

I spent a few hours sketching elephants at the zoo yesterday. It’s a challenge studying a moving object but I am learning a lot  and beginning to understand their anatomy a bit. Hopefully I will be able to get close to an elephant before I begin painting so that I can move with the elephant and get sufficient time studying specific details. Yesterday, I would draw two or three lines in for the head then look up from my paper to find the elephants butt square in my view.

I am not aware of  any paintings of elephants done in the 16th century, but the subject of this piece was one I wanted to paint long before the birth of this project. I think that it’s a good fit for this project partly because it involved a large animal and, in my opinion, it actually presents more problems than a subject involving a safe domesticated animal like a horse (a common renaissance subject).