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| Oil over Acrylic on 1/2" thick wood panel, 6" square SOLD |
11/13/2011
10/22/2011
Drawing of Italian Woman in a Doorway for a Softgroud Etching
This is a drawing I have never posted before. I did it quite a while ago, but
I think it is interesting because most people would wonder why it is brown, unless
they are familiar with printmaking. -- I use a wonderful softground varnish made
by Lefranc&Bourgeois called "Vernis Noir Mou", which just means "Black Soft
Varnish". It comes in a small white glass jar and you scoop some out with a palette
knife and put it in a piece of nylon stocking. -- Then you heat up your zinc or
copper plate, rub the ground over the plate; it melts and you quickly roll it out
with a soft rubber roller into a uniform coating. Once it cools down you can put
a piece of paper over it and do a drawing. The ground sticks to the paper wherever
there has been pressure from the pencil - therefor exposing the plate in those areas.
The plate is then put in nitric acid (this was a zinc plate) and "bitten" until the
image is deep enough to create a print when inked up. -- The reason this drawing
is brown is that I used tracing paper and the brown is the color of the ground that
has stuck to the paper because of the pressure of my hard pencil. Complicated,
but rewarding.
10/19/2011
10/16/2011
9/09/2011
Carribean Memory
Oil on linen 14" X 20 Buy it Now
This is another painting done from memory. I am just as interested in the
abstract qualities of the piece as I am in trying to reproduce reality. I am
also trying to create some subtle color harmonies, which is always an
absorbing challenge.
Thanks for visiting.
9/08/2011
Memory of Chicoteague
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Oil on Linen laid down on board 14" x 20" I actually started this painting several years ago as part of a series that I have yet to complete. It was meant to be part of a triptych. It was painted mostly from memory, so that accounts for its very simplified treatment of certain aspects of the composition. But I like it, and it conveys, for me, what I felt was the delicate beauty of the marshes and the sky. |
7/24/2011
Pear Demo over Grisaille
9.5" x 6.5" Oil over black and white grisaille on gessoed cotton paper
This is a demonstration that I did for my "Beginning Painting and Beyond" class at The Art League
School. First we paint in Mars Black and white, establishing the shapes and forms of the pears. After
that dries for a week, we glaze the grisalle ("gris" means "gray" in French) with Gamblin's Transparent
Red Earth, blot it where we don't want too much of the influence of that color, and then paint the pears
using a limited palette. This study was probably completed in about twenty minutes, but I still like it, and
think it is a successful, loose painting.
7/22/2011
Two Life Studies of Alan from Class
6.5" x 8", Pencil and White Gouache on Brown Paper
I did this page of studies during a class I was teaching at The Art League.
It is called "Figure Drawing in Varied Media", and every quarter I have the
class try some new materials. This was done when we were using a combination
of pencil (could also be colored pencil and a different colored paper) and
white gouache highlighting on toned paper. I was happy with these studies
and saved them. - I am so sad that Alan moved to Florida. He was such a
wonderful model, and a real gentleman. We all miss him.
7/20/2011
Artichokes on a Pink Plate
Oil on Gessoed Ragboard laid down on wood, 5" x 8" SOLD
I really enjoyed doing this painting. It was truly a challenge analyzing
the colors in the artichokes. Who ever thinks about actually mixing pink
and green together? Of course, they are complementary colors, but we
usually think about mixing red and green to create a muted, neutral
color. Here, I had to create many different versions of green, and some
spots were almost iridescent. I love these colors! - I think I may keep
experimenting with artichokes, or, I bought some beautiful small
Indian eggplants at an amazing international supermarket that we
go to. They are a rich purple/rose color with contrasting green/brown
stems. Now I just have to come up with a composition that will do
them justice. Color is an amazing thing - it is almost alive in its
ability to interact and create any effect that you can think of.
Josef Albers was correct when he described color as being the
most "mercurial" aspect of art. But mastering color -- that is the
challenge that every artist faces, and for some it is a never-ending,
totally absorbing pursuit. I know that it is for me.
7/18/2011
Boston Sunset for Teresa Toulouse
Oil on Board, 5.5" Square SOLD
If it seems as though I am obsessed with this image, that is correct.
Perhaps it is because I lived here for nine years, and looked out of
this window every day. I just find the shapes to be endlessly fascinating,
and the opportunities to play with color presented by creating skies to
be endless fun.
This was painted for a dear friend whom I have known for forty-two
years - I can't believe it...time really does fly.
7/16/2011
Caribbean Seascape for Patrick Toulouse
Oil on Belgian Linen, 4.5" x 7"
Sold
This is my first post since last August....it has been a long,
difficult and enlightening year. However, it was a year
without any artwork produced, and I am so grateful to
be painting again. I have so many ideas and subjects, and
mediums that I want to work in -- I wish I could work
twenty-four hours a day! Right now I am really interested
in producing landscapes and figure paintings, so that is
what you will probably see here. We'll see.....
Thanks for your faithfulness, and thanks for visiting.