Sunflowers 4

I've always wanted to paint portraits. To me the human face is the most beautiful thing in the world. However, I've always been intimidated by the complexity involved ~ not just the physical form but the emotional component that's a part of every face. While I was working on the sunflowers today I came to realize that they are faces as well ~ each one with it's own unique personality, each manifesting it's individuality. Henry Ward Beecher says it better than I can ~ "Flowers have an expression of countenance as much as men or animals. Some seem to smile, some have a sad expression, some are pensive and diffident, others again are plain honest and upright." I'm still a long way from getting all the facial expressions even close on these beautiful flowers but I do feel I'm getting to know each one a little better.

Russian Girl 4

If children grew up according to early indications, we should have nothing but geniuses.
Goethe




I spent the better part of today staring at this little girl's face. She has such depth to her eyes. This kid knows things! Anyway, while I think I'm just about finished with the ribbon, hair, and dress I want to come back and put some finishing touches on the face. It needs a little more modeling to give it more dimension. That's the problem I've found with drawing children ~ no wrinkles or facial hills and valleys to give the drawing depth. Of course it could be I'm just not ready to tell her good-bye.

Key West Rooster 4

Slow down. Take long looks at everything. Single many things out for grateful consideration.
Marcina Wiederkehr

If you could understand a single grain of wheat you would die of wonder.
Martin Luther

I have reached the point now with this painting where I am checking details. They are, of course, countless. But the more I fuss with it, the more little dabs I put here and there, the more alive not just the rooster, but the whole composition, becomes. Its why I love to paint ~ it makes me slow down and see. When I walked out of my first painting class, I literally stood in the parking lot and looked at the world around me like I had never seen it before. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was right on when he claimed "God is in the details." I will probably only visit this painting a couple of more times but it would be just as easy to come back to it a thousand times.
I like "seeing" that much.

White Tulips 4

Victor Martinez is one of my favorite watercolor artists. Born in Peru he now lives and works in Arizona. Whenever I get discouraged painting with watercolors, which is practically every time I attempt to work with them, I visit his website at http://www.victormartinez.com. His website alone is a work of art and well worth taking a look. Anyway, today I added the striped fabric and the small piece of maroon velvet. This is truly tedious work because of the intricacy of the prints. But maybe the prints are why I am so drawn to Martinez' s work ~ his work depicting Peruvian native costumes is magnificent. Look at his stuff today ~ not mine.

The Backward Glance 3

One of the many painting secrets Kevin Raines, my first painting instructor, shared with me is that if you want a painting to sell put some red in it. Ever since Kevin told me this I have looked for that dash of red in every painting I see. It's almost always there. Furthermore, to my amazement, even elephants are aware of this fact. If you don't believe me google You Tube and search for "elephant painting self-portrait" ~ sure enough, the big guy sells it with a red flower. He's got a pretty good handle on perspective as well which is more than I can say for myself. My critic says my floor adds a touch of surrealism to my painting. I say its still off. No matter, at this point, I'm just hoping to sell it with the red!

Sunflowers 3

In Thomas Moore's book The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life he
discusses cultivating the practice of trying to discern the "presence of an invisible personality" in order to bring enchantment to everyday places or things. Brush strokes visible on a canvas, according to Moore, provide a supreme model of the painter's imprint on his work. At a distance a painting is seen as one complete whole ~ only upon close examination do all the thousands of strokes made by the artist become apparent ~ the unique hand work of the artist becomes evident. Such thinking reminds me that although I am trying to become much more free with my painting that each time the brush hits the canvas both the color and the movement are important in conveying my interpretation of the composition.

The latest session with the Sunflowers was spent getting another transparent coat on the whole canvas with a little more attention paid to the upper left corner. While it is still fairly loose, I am also beginning to tighten up some edges. This painting is definitely going to take a lot of time but it is definitely one I am enjoying.

Russian Girl 3

Today I revisited the Russian Girl to finally give her some hair. The Strathmore charcoal paper I'm working on has some lovely grooves in it that work well for getting a realistic look. I also worked on her dress, particularly the elaborate collar. Charcoal drawing is one of my favorite mediums to work with. Once the basic lines are put down drawing becomes a song and dance of putting down and taking off color. I love that "aha moment" when lifting just a little color off the page produces dimension in the picture. That's why I've saved the best for last. The next time she and I meet again, I will hopefully give this little lady the cherub face she has in her photograph ~ little round pudgy cheeks, a button nose, and slightly pouty lips.