Recent portraits

These are all 16x20 and were painted after I attended Carolyn Anderson's work shop. I see a big change, a greater willingness to leave a lot to the imagination. The other teaching I took away from Carolyn was her mantra " if you are painting a shape, paint an interesting shape". It now repeats in my head...to the benefit of my work!

Carolyn Anderson Workshop

These were all done at Carolyn Anderson's Workshop at the Jeffry Watts Attelier in Encinitas California. She is a master at lost edges. I fact, her found edges are a small fraction of the ones she looses or better yet never finds. As I am the clown of sharp edges I learned a ton. I just had these shipped home after waiting a month for them to dry and can see I am already slipping back into my overendered habits. All paintings are 16x20 inch.

16x 20

These are all 16''x20" 3 hour studies. This is the last set before going to Carolyn Anderson's workshop. You will see how much I learned about edges from her!

18x24

These are all 18"x24" all completed at one 3 hour sitting.

I am in a nude figure show at Old City in Sacramento. There's not a lot of chances to show nude studies.

The painting is 30 x 40 inches from 2008. The drawings are 11 x 18 inches.

More Figures

I am obsessed with painting people. Either portraits or figures, it doesn't matter. And I can't get myself to paint a landscape. I image I will get back to plien air landscapes at some point, but my minimal energies are focused on people right now.

Larger Portraits

These are all 16x20 inches. I have been trying to bring the values in the light and shadow closer together and I think this reads well with a lighter background. It makes sense that the lighter environment would cast more light into the shadows. I think decisions like these must be made consciously as our eye tends to see the shadows as very dark.

Larger Pieces

As the work flows easier, I am able to cover more canvas in a typical three hour open studio session. These are all 18 x 24 inches.

Unusual Formats

I often hall around several sizes of canvas to the various open studio sessions. Sometimes a pose seems to cry out for specific size and format. These are 12x24. Most of my portraits are 16x20. I no longer go smaller than 12x16.

More Portraits

More recent work. I am seeing much more these days. The shape of the orbit, the pit under the lateral upper lip, the temperature of the shadows...... The painting seems to flow with less effort...the next step being obvious. I am more sure of what designs I like, and I choose badly less often. I am greedy and want more time. I haven't enough energy to paint more than three hour a day.

Another day....another painting!

Catch Up

I have been ill and haven't posted so I am catching up. I have been painting only three days a week. All these are finished in one sitting. I have no energy to photograph the models and finish up later.