K Chesebro is obsessed with Art

Half Figures

2011-12-23T11:33:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-23T11:15:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-23T10:54:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-23T10:48:00.000-08:00

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

More Heads

2011-12-15T17:38:00.000-08:00

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.

2011-12-15T17:31:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-15T17:21:00.000-08:00

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

2011-08-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

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.

Headhunters

2011-08-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

I continue to feel fairly competent at painting the human head and I love to do it. However I try to avoid always doing a head as we all need to go where we are uncomfortable in order to develop. Those who cannot resist are sometimes called headhunters!

Catch up time

2011-08-03T09:42:00.000-07:00

I have been ill and one of the things I decided to let go was this blog. As a result...no posts for 3 months. Also no paintings varnished or photographed. I am feeling stronger so here's to catching up. These are all done in class with Susan Sarback. Still lifes are not really my thing but I love the change up and I am learning a lot.

Color Still Life Studies

2011-04-22T14:49:00.000-07:00

These are color studies done in classes taught by Susan Sarback. She is teaching me to turn masses with color rather than value. After years of using mostly value it seems almost magical to watch a mass become three dimensional using color alone. She set up these studies. It is always fun to be told what to paint and I am learning a lot from Susan. She has taught for many years out of her School of Light and Color.

Kim English Workshop

2011-03-31T10:23:00.000-07:00

These are small sketches done in oils at the Kim English Workshop at the Arizona Artist's School.

Kim had two models interacting together in public spaces for the entire week. They would hold a

position for 5 to 20 minutes while talking, interacting, and generally pretending not to pose. We each painted about 70 paintings over the five days. It was a great challenge getting organized and painting quickly. One had to decide on the pose and capture it as the models moved thru it.

Wow.... what a workout!!!

Headhunting

2011-02-28T09:58:00.000-08:00

Painting heads is an addiction to me. It is what I enjoy the most and it is the work I am happiest with. I think that some much of our thinking power is dedicated to face recognition and analysis that heads are endlessly interesting.

Fugures

2011-02-28T09:52:00.000-08:00

I have not been happy with my figure paintings recently. I am unsure if my skills have deteriorated or if my eye has outstripped my hand. Hopefully this discontent heralds a breakthru in the work as it often seems. Most of my recent figure paintings have been scraped. Here are two I saved.

Some Landscapes

2011-02-28T09:47:00.000-08:00

I have been doing a few more landscapes (16x20) using the principles that Terry Muira teaches. These are from photos and done quickly as studies.

Smaller pieces

2011-01-17T16:27:00.000-08:00

These are 12x16 which is pretty small for me. If things arent going well a change in subject or size or pallet seems to help. I am not sure why......I think the change reduces expectations and trying to live up to one's expectations is self defeating.

Landscapes

2011-01-17T12:02:00.000-08:00

These landscapes are all painted from simple photo references and are 11x14 or 16x20.

Recent Work

2011-01-17T11:55:00.000-08:00

I have been unhappy with a lot of my recent work ... it is OK...it happens.... so I have been slow to post. These are 18x24

Recent portraits

2010-11-10T09:21:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-10T09:07:00.000-08:00

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

2010-10-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-04T07:57:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-23T10:25:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-23T10:17:00.001-07:00

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

2010-09-23T10:11:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-31T09:17:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-31T08:01:00.000-07:00

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.

2010-08-30T15:41:00.000-07:00

Another day....another painting!

Catch Up

2010-07-05T12:09:00.000-07:00

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.

More Recent Paintings.

2010-05-12T20:09:00.000-07:00

Enough said.

A Good Week

2010-05-11T08:27:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago I had a really good week painting. Five days of class and open studios and four good and one fair painting. It is rare I am this pleased by my work. It didn't last. The next week I had health issues and didn't paint a stroke. That's the epitome of a bad week. No paintings at all!

The Successful Failure

2010-05-11T08:11:00.000-07:00

I try to learn from my failures but it is tough. If I could see what's wrong I could fix it. Right?

But sometimes, if I go back and look later I can figure it out. This time I took the time to get some help and Terry Miura was kind enough to lend me his eye. I started out with the concept of the Perky Young Lady and I morphed the drawing to push the concept. I ended the initial painting session with a figure that had some charm but a painting that did not make it. 24hours later even I could see I had distorted the torso too much . Terry helped me see that I had also erred in that I used the tonal approach (large value shifts between the light and the shadow) in some areas and the colorist approach (little value shifts but more color shifts between light and shadow) in other areas. The result was a schitzo painting that did not hang together. After spending just a few minutes over multiple days I feel like I greatly improved the painting but mostly like I learned a lot! It really showed in my next paintings.

I Am Showing!

2010-04-29T09:29:00.000-07:00

Over the next three months I will have three shows at The Bold Mark Gallery in Sacramento.

Each month will be different. The May show is called "Remembrances of the Evening" and will include these still lifes.

A Part-time Painter's Efforts

2010-04-13T07:42:00.000-07:00

Since I got back from the trip two weeks ago I have been busy with everything but painting. I was totally inspired to buckle down and be more regular at doing the essentials... you know...

drawing, anatomy, master studies. But alas life intrudes and I have resigned myself. I must complete the small business venture with my son Alex ( manufacturing airsoft weapons) and

I have had a lot of Doctor visits trying to get my health problems under control. And of course to top it all off, my stamina stinks... which is frustrating for someone who routinely worked

80 hour weeks.

So for now I am a part-time painter!!!

These are some of what I have managed to paint over the last 2 weeks. Seems like I often end up with a profile at classes or open sessions but ya takes what ya gets and ya goes for it.

Four Days Of Portraits

2010-04-12T20:10:00.000-07:00

I flew down to San Diego for a four day workshop on portraits with Jeffry Watts. God it was fun. We studied and painted 3 hours in the morning, three hours in the afternoon, and the came back for three hours of open studio with model at night. Had to leave early every night as I couldn't see. Too too tired. Watts is an super artist and an amazing teacher. There are some 72 classes a year at his school or atelier. Each class meets 3 hour once a week for 10 weeks with lots of home work. He rotates anatomy thru body areas, has quick and long study drawing classes, figure and portrait and still life and plienaire painting. He has been teaching so long he has a methodical and well organized curriculum that will make you an artist. I wish I were 25.

These are some of the paintings I did at the class. Disclaimer : some of these have been worked on by Watts as well. He is really good at taking anyone's painting up a notch. He circulates around the class spending 10 to 15 minutes with each artist and talking nonstop. He is really interested in each students needs and deficiencies and gave great direction to us all. Thanks Jeff. The man in blue is a copy after Nicolai Fetchin's " Cruzito". You can see that the girl in red scarf is not my usual style...I tried to do what I was taught rather than what is my usual.....although I am all over the place anyway.

The Cropped Figure

2010-03-11T21:15:00.001-08:00

I don't understand why, but I like, that is prefer, cropped figures. So I paint them. Sometimes I go with full figures but it is usually to push myself and given a choice I crop aggressively. Off with their heads!!
I really had fun with this one. At 16x 20 it is big enough to get loose but without a lot of heads and hands pretty easy to get near to completion in three hours. I wanted that apple a cool red with the flesh even cooler and the background cold. As usual I painted the shadows too dark at first but I went back and lightened them.

Larger Painting

2010-03-11T21:02:00.000-08:00

I have been painting much larger . I find switching size is a good way to change your luck or break out of a rut. I have always done this with drawing and I have finally gotten fast enough to cover a 18 x 24 inch canvas in one three hour session. These are all 18 x 24. I really prefer painting large... it fits me better... I am a loud personality!

2010-03-11T20:52:00.000-08:00

Ahh the little full figure! I find this is the hardest picture to pull off. Mine usually end up looking like a puppet in a box and I think I have finally figured out why. Not enough focus and subordination. I think I really have to push the color, contrast, value, what ever at the focus and

be aggressive about subordinating the rest of the painting. This is really hard to do unless you have very damatic lighting.

Brita

2010-02-23T21:19:00.000-08:00

Found this model manning the register at Dad's Sandwiches and she finally came and posed for us. This painting came together in large, simple shapes without many paintovers. God they look so much better when not overworked. I believe it is better to leave minor "errors" and retain a fresh spontaneous look than to "correct them" and and up with an overworked dead piece. I guess the trick is to know which things must be repainted and what can be left alone.

Tery Miura says " a wrong brush stroke executed well is better than a correct stroke executed timidly" and I guess I am talking about another variation on that theme.

Recent portraits

2010-02-23T21:10:00.001-08:00

Did this portrait of a middle age football player in Debbie Gualco's class. I am pleased...hangs together well..not too tight..but the background is boring!
I prefer the composition on this painting. I went back and subordinated the values on the shoulders and I need to repaint the lips but I love the simplicity of the eye.

Draw back of dark grounds

2010-02-23T21:02:00.001-08:00

We had to paint copies off heads from a master painting for Terry Miura's class. I realized that Madame X by Sargent didnt work on the dark grounds. It is impossible to get complete coverage of the dark values on the slippery oil primed surface. The results is muddied flesh tones. I wont use such dark grounds in the future. Plan to bring the ground value back to above a midtone.

Painting on dark grounds.

2010-02-23T20:43:00.000-08:00

I have been experimenting with grounds for about a year. I have been using the settled pigments from my Gamsol recycling can, tinted or shaded, warmed or cooled, and mixed with walnut oil and Gamsol. This gives me an oil primed surface. I love how the darker grounds make the high values and intense colors jump off the canvas and being able to leave a lot of unpainted surface is appealing to my eye. Over time the grounds have gotten darker. Cool seems to work better indoors and warm does well for landscapes.

Simple shapes equals good design

2010-02-13T14:01:00.000-08:00

I painted this in Don Hatfield's class. He is always reminding us to find the large shapes defined by the simplified values and work from them, always adjusting in relation to each other and avoiding detail when ever possible. After hearing this for years I think I am finally figuring out how do it. If you can't make as simple thumbnail value sketch don't waste the paint.

Less can be more

2010-02-13T13:51:00.000-08:00

This fast sketch done in an hour with Indian Yellow, white, and purple on white canvas is full of errors but I left as many alone as possible while working towards a painting that still reads well. It feels full of energy and engages my brain! This is the direction I want to take my painting.

detailed realism

2010-02-13T13:31:00.000-08:00

This portrait of Alexis is really tight. I think the colorfull scheme keeps it attractive but it's hard to imigine anybody but Alexis ( or those who love her) wanting to own it. Well done but not exciting. The portrait of Jane below was painted five days after she was assaulted. Although it is not as realistic and has some obvious errors ( pasted on lips !) it is a lot more interesting and has wider appeal.

mono chrome self portraits

2010-02-10T08:45:00.000-08:00

I have been taking classes from Terry Miura for the last three weeks. I studied with him for about a year and a half when I first started painting. He is a great artist a a super guy. I am delighted he is teaching again. He gave us home work! First self portrait in a single color plus white.

Stilllife Fossils and Flowers

2010-02-05T13:52:00.000-08:00

I have a casting of a sabretooth tiger skull (smilodon californiacus)and I loved how it looked next to flowers. I liked the poetic juxtaposition on the fierce with the fragile, the carnivore with the photosynthesizer, the extinct with the alive. The skull was fun to paint and I think the painting all have good color harmonies, but the flowers are overpainted. They are all a little higher key than they appear here but I tend to paint dark. I think I would have done better to scrape and and repaint the flowers. I have been doing that lately on overworked sections and it is a really powerful tool. These are 14"x 18" or 12"x16" and I painted them in 2009.

Portrait in Blue Shirt

2010-02-03T21:20:00.000-08:00

OK I'm just getting started so bear with me. I plan to post my representational art. Some will be old....some will be current. I want to talk about what I like and hate about the work in an attempt to grow as an artist. Art , like life is complicated (which is why it is so much fun) so I hope to raise a lot of issues. I painted this portrait (11"x14" canvas panel) about a year ago. I love the shirt ...the economy of brush strokes on the dark gray-green ground worked well. I wish I could work this simply and effectively more often. The dark ground is dramatic but it shows thru a lot of paints lessening the intensity.