Half Figures

I have been trying to paint "half figures". That is heads with more than shoulders attached. I find it challenging....it means the head is smaller than I am comfortable with and the focus point is not always the face. Yet another way to challenge myself....or is it punish?????

Costumes

Every once in a while the model shows up in a costume. GRRRRR. I am not excited. But then again....this is a challenge. Can I make it work? Can I tell a story? How can I enjoy the pose and the session? So , not my choice, but an opportunity to learn, and to have fun with something different.

Flowers

In yet another hairbrained attempt to develop, I started painting a floral still life once a week.

Flowers are hard. The detail is eye catching, the intense colors interfere with harmony, and the translucense confuses the shadow and light. I figured that learning to simplify and abstract would be crucial and carry over to all my work. I think it is working, but most of all, I am having fun!

Landscapes

These are all painted in the studio and are 16x20.

More Heads

I especially like the third picture, the short dark haired woman. The harmonies are effective and the close values between light and shadow are but not confused . The vignette works well and the painting seems fresh and effortless. Would that all my paintings were this strong.

I much prefer the less finished pieces. Somehow the more worked over paintings become overworked. When to stop is always a battle...some portion of the piece seems inaccurate or clumsy or just plain wrong...and the next thing I know the painting has lost it's life. We only learn when to stop by repeatedly going on too long.

Posting again

Life is hard. Medical treatments have diminished my energies and I have had to choose what to neglect.....and posting to this blog was something to let go. However, my strength is returning so I have a backlog. My fascination with painting people persists.

Studio vs plien air landscapes

The first 2 are plien air... the 3rd and 4th are studio landscapes. I like painting outdoors and trying to organize a painting surrounded by the great outdoors is a great exercise. Painting in the studio means painting more than you see in the reference photo rather than less. Both are valuable.

Trials of Figure Painting

Painting the figure remains a frustrating obsession. The results so often falls short of the concept.

However as I persevere I see progress. That, and the sheer joy of the process keeps me painting the figure.