Drypoint Etching of Colette after a photo by Cecil Beaton

NFS
I did this drypoint many years ago, back when I had first learned
how to use it. It was drawn on a zinc plate with a diamond point.
I did a pencil drawing first that was really loose and wild.

I remember that I sat down to work at about 5:00 pm, and didn't get
up again until it was finished at 2:00 in the morning (oh- to be able
to do that now......!). This is truly one of my favorite dry points I have
every done, because it shows all the variation of line of which the
dry point line is capable. It is so seductive. I rarely do these anymore.

My press is in storage because of lack of space. Perhaps that will change
soon. I certainly hope so. Printmaking was my fist experience of having
a "style" in my work - something which was talked about by my less-
enlightened teachers in graduate school as though it were something
you could go downtown and pick up at the variety store. It's something
that has to evolve on its own. And, I know now, having been a teacher
for 33 years, that it often is the result of an epiphany brought about
by an encounter with an inspiring medium. That is how it happened
for me.

Oil on Vellum Sketch of Nude Male

NFS
Although this looks like a life study, it was actually

painted from Eadward Muybridge's collection of

photographs The Human Figure in Motion. This

interesting study of men, women and children

in motion, using stop -action photography against

gridded backgrounds was done in the early 20th

Century, but has been reprinted and is available

today.

It is a fabulous reference source for anyone who

wants to practice figure drawing and doesn't have

a live model. The only drawback is that the pictures

are about 1.5" x 3". One can blow them up on a xerox

machine however. Some of them are very inspiring.

He was obviously much more interested in the mails

who, in general are in lively poses, including sports,

running, even wrestling. While he has his women

walking prettily up the stairs waving scarves, sweeping

and standing nicely by tables with pitchers.

The book is published by Dover Publications, in case

you are interested.

Thanks for visiting today.

Blue & Gold Lesli Triptych

NFS
This is an oil painting on board that I did several years ago. I
know that the pose is a bit strange, but I love the "arabesque"
created by her holding her arms up in the air like this. I was
happy with the iridescent quality of the turquoise fabric and
leaves in the side panels. There were supposed to be gold-leafed
spacers between the three panels, but the gallery owner who sold
the piece never got around to framing it that way, unfortunately.

Thanks for visiting today. My arm is healing, and I hope to be able
to begin doing some painting by the end of next week. Thanks to
all of you who have written in with comments of concern. I truly
appreciate that.

Demo Drawing of a Recumbant Figure

NFS
This small drawing is a demonstration in graphite pencil of drawing a

reclining figure. The arrow that seems to be shooting out from her

right breast is pointing out the concept of "negative space", or "background

shapes" - those shapes within, and outside of, a pose that one can utilize

to make it easier to get the figure in proportion.

Leslie and Reeds Triptych - Oil Painting on Board

NFS
I did this oil painting several years ago, and I really like it. I like
the contrast between the muted colors in the side panels with
the more vivid colors of her clothing and drapery. I also love the
angle of her head which is so graceful.

Thanks for visiting today. I have a brace on my hand, because I
seriously pulled several ligaments in my arm when I fell off of my
bike, so my dreams of painting are going to have to be postponed for
a little while, hence, the exhibition of past works....

Oil Monotype of Dark Purple Iris

Go Here to Bid
This is an example of the type of monotype that is painted with

diluted oil paints on a zinc plate. I have done many of these in my

life, and with this medium have created some of my favorite

images. It is a fairly demanding medium, because you have to

dilute the paint to just the right consistency; you need to use

Turpentine, which I really can't stand (it gives me migraines,

even though I grew up with it because my mother was a painter

and used it constantly); and to manipulate the image, it has

to be semi-dry, or "set-up" to exactly the right state. At that point

you can take a pointed sable brush that is damp with solvent

and push the paint around on the plate - remove it, shape it,

add more, etc.. Then, it is printed on a dampened and blotted

piece of fine printmaking paper. The wonderful thing about

it is that oil and water don't mix, so that the oil image floats

semi-mysteriously, forever, on the surface of the paper - kind

of like a watercolor - but not. People ask my why I make these

instead of doing watercolors. That is why. They are not the

same in ANY way. You make a lot of losers, but when you make

a keeper, it is like nothing else. This isn't even one of my favorites.

Those are things I will never part with.

After Greek Statue of a Boy Wrestling a Goose

Go Here to Bid
This drawing, which measures about 5.5." x 7.5", was

drawn entirely with a blending stump charged

with graphite powder on a piece of gessoed watercolor paper.

I have always been inspired to draw by ancient works, as

you must know if you are familiar at all with my blog. But

I've always had a particular fondness for this statue. In

this drawing the goose is given a very perfuntory render-

ing so you cannot really see him, but the sinous lines of

the statue's design still come through, I think.

I did do a large green pastel drawing of this same work, but I
was never satisfied with it. In that work the goose was quite
realistically rendered, but I wasn't happy with the boy...
oh well, it's always something.

I'm so excited! I just purchased a set of an entirely new
type of acrylics, called Interactive. They are made in
Australia, and have quite revolutionary characteristics
for acrylics. More about that later. I can't wait to use
them!

Thanks for visiting today.

Watercolor Monotype of Aphrodite Removing a Thorn from her Foot (after a Greek statue c. 300 BCE)

NFS
This very small image is one of my favorite

things. It is a watercolor monotype.

There are several ways of making these. This

one was made by taking a piece of frosted Mylar,

and adhering it with some Studio-Tac to a thin

acetate printing plate.

Then I created the image with a combination of

water-soluble Caran d'Ache crayons, and Prang

watercolors.

Notice that there is a red line drawn around the

image. This is to create a barrier that will keep

any paint from oozing out into the margins

of the printing paper and spoiling the image.

This image is just about 10% larger than it

is in real life.

Thanks for visiting today.

Pastel Drawing of a Tree after one in a Medieval Painting

NFS
This is an odd reproduction of this picture. It is actually much

more colorful than this. Perhaps it is because I scanned it.

The paper I drew it on was Sennelier gray pastel paper, which

had quite a heavy texture - this is hardly noticeable in real

life. Anyway, the blues don't come through as they should.

This is a tree that has always caught my attention in a small

painting in the Medieval to Early Renaissance section in the

National Gallery in Washington, which I am lucky to say is

only about twenty minutes from where I live. Unfortunately,

I never wrote down the name of the artist, but I do remember

that it is a depiction of the devil (with very large, nasty horns,

but dressed for some unexplained reason, like a Franciscan)

tempting Christ in the wilderness. An odd picture, but the

tree is sublime.

Thanks for visitng today.

PS - I fell off of my bicycle and injured both of my arms, so

it will be a few more days before we see anything really

NEW here. Please have patience.

After a Donatello TerraCotta Bust of Niccolo da Vezzano, ca. 1430

Go Here to Bid

This is a gouache and gold paint (you can't see the gold paint in

this photo) study from a picture of a terra cotta bust of Niccolo

do Vezzano, ca. 1430. Niccolo must have been a Franciscan Monk,

judging from his dress. But what drew me to his image was his

soulful, kind face, and the wonderful shapes in his habit, that

inspired in me some loose line work with a brush of which I have

to admit I am very proud. It is impossible to really reproduce this

image, unfortunately. There are delicate pinks and blues in it,

particularly in the margins, that just don't come across in the

reproduction. There is a gold line around the image which glitters

in the light , and adds a slight sacred touch.

Susan with a Towel on her Head

NFS
This is a pencil drawing of my sister, Susan, with a towel arranged
artfully on her head. Doesn't she have beautiful eyes? They have
always looked this way, ever since she was a baby - and we have
the photographs to prove it! Except, this was drawn from life.

I know, the towel is strange....I just liked the shapes it made, and
the way the crossover at the top complemented her high forehead.
I have always been into the Renaissance. I think that is kind of
the influence here.

Thanks for visiting today.

Sgraffito Head of Alexander

NFS
I am working on some drawings that are coming

along, but they are not finished. I feel like posting

things, so in the meantime, I am posting works from

the past of which I am very fond or proud.

This piece was done in the "sgraffito" method, which

is very ancient, as it was used in pottery centuries

ago. This particular work was done by laying down a

layer of crayons in patina colors, and going over that

with a layer of olive green/brown Caran d'Ache Neo-

Color Oil Pastel. That is smoothed out, and then a
drawing was executed using a tool that has several

wires coming out of the end, almost like a comb, which

enables me to do several lines at once, to do rather

easy curved cross-hatching. I finished it off with

some embellishment with Sennelier cobalt turquoise

oil pastel, which is as soft as lipstick.

Thanks for visiting today.

PS - I promise you will see some newer

work very soon.

Gouache Sketch of a Woman with a Minotaur

Go Here to Bid
This very loose study after a Florentine sculpture
of a woman fighting off the unwanted advances
of a Minotaur was very exciting to do. I did it
on Canson Montval sketchbook paper, so I felt
I could let go and just experiment. I have a lot of'
those notebooks, because they always make me
feel relaxed.
This was created with a combination of gouache
(also known as "body color", or opaque watercolor)
and indelible ink pen. I also used a lot of thin
black outlines with a tiny watercolor brush,
and a great deal of opaque white. I love the
turquoise blue - I am always seduced by that!

Man with a Hat

NFS
I didn't have a chance to do anything today, so I decided to post

something I had already done, because I love it so much. This is

a pencil drawing, and I like its line quality and the feeling in it.

Reclining Nude - Study for a Larger Work

NFS
This is a very small drawing - about 4" by 5". It was done in
colored pencil and graphite on some thin yellow paper. The
reason it is squared up is that I intend it to be a study for a larger
work. What kind of work that is to be, I do not know. Monotype?
Painting? Pastel? Drawing? Who knows? At least I am doing
some artwork again!!!

If you have been following this blog, you will have noticed that
my last post was October 30th, 2008. Sometimes we just haven't
got it. It just isn't there. I have always had this concept of
artistic "talent" or whatever you want to call it, as something
that we don't own. It comes and visits us for awhile. Sometimes
it is a very pleasant visit. Other times....well....you know. There
are a lot of things I want to do now. I wanted to do them before.
I just couldn't. These people who work everyday amaze me, and
have my greatest admiration.

Thanks for visiting today. Hopefully, there will be something
here very soon again. NFS

Pompeiian Peaches

Go Here to Bid
Pastel on Black Paper, 10" x 10"

Three days ago I went to the Pompeii exhibition at the
National Gallery of Art in DC. It was very impressive.
They had some mesmerizingly beautiful sculptures, and
some wonderful frescoes and small pieces of paintig.

This started out as a set up with a picture of a painting by

Luigi Lucioni (one of my favorite aritsts - fabulous realist

paintings, deceased) behind the peaches. Gradually it

evolved into this picture, which appears to be a rip off from

a Roman fresco, but is merely inspired by one. It was fun

building up the pastel, spraying it, and see what would

happen after that.

Thanks for visiting today.

Two Shells and Velvet

Go Here to Bid

Pastel and Charcoal on Paper, 14" x 17

I just love these two shells. The colors in them are so different -
one is cold and the other is warm. The nautilus shell is such a
challenge, with its overall gray lustre and cold pink highlight.
While the conch is accented with an almost screaming flamingo
pink. I liked the contrast of these colors with the dark background
and the rich wine-colored velvet - I love those velvet highlights.
This was a fun and difficult picture to paint, but I'm pretty happy
with it over all.

Head of Hypnos

SOLD

Pastel, Charcol and Conte Crayon on White Paper

This is a demo drawing I did for my students in my "Painterly

Pastel" class at the Art League School. Usually I find I find it hard

to draw in front of people, but because it was a holiday there

were only three people in attendance that day. Amazingly, I was

actuallly able to concentrate, and produced this drawing, which

I actually like - a lot!

Hypnos was the Greek god of sleep, and this bronze head, which

isn't really this color (I like to mix it up when I am doing this type

of drawing....) has a wing coming out of the side of his head. It just

drives me crazy. I must have at least five pictures of this sculpture

from different angles. I just love it! I find it inspiring and beguiling

at the same time. This is the first time I've ever felt that I did it

justice, actually.

I've been in an art funk for a while, and haven't been posting -

obviously. Hopefully I'm coming out of it now, and will be back

to presenting some works for your consideration, if not daily,

at least a few times a week.

Thanks for visiting!

Landscape by a River

10" x 12", Oil Monotype on Paper SOLD

This was really fun. I used Yupo paper as the plate for my

monotype, and watersoluble oils for my paints. You can

lay down a thin layer of slow-drying medium (it has to me

the kind made for watersoluble oils) with a credit card and

work into that. I roll the paint on, different colors in

different areas, and then manipulate it with old brushes,

sponges, sticks, my fingers, whatever..........it's really fun.

Thanks for visiting today.

Blue Harmony

Go Here to Bid                                                        1 SOLD

6" x 8", Oil over Grisaille on Board, NFS, >BUT:

Offering 5 Giclee Prints for sale, each archivally

printed on Hahnemuhle rag art paper, sized at 8" x 9",

with image at 6" x 8" as depicted// For sale> Email:

priscillacalhoun317@hotmail.com to purchase @ $50.00.

There are three copies of this giclee print left.

This is a painting of my daughter, wearing an

Indian wedding shawl. Her hair is not really this

red! However, I thought that it harmonized so

beautifully witht the colors in the shawl, and the

reflected color on her skin, that I would pretend

it was. She actually does have a lot of natural red

in her hair, that really comes out in the sunlight,

and has increased as she's gotten older. This is

one of my favorite paintings I have ever done of

her.

Thank you for visiting.

Demo Essence Sketch of Figure Model

NFS
7.5" x 11.5", Essence on Canson Paper

This is a demonstration that I did in my

workshop at The Art League School. This

is why it is not finished. The focus of the

class was gestural painting. We were deli-

berately trying to keep things loose.

Academic realism was not our goal.

We had a great time! For and explanation

of essence, look at previous posts.

Thanks for visiting.

Man from the Back in Essence

NFS
5" x 9", Essence on Canson Paper

Another example of the technique

I will be teaching in my workshop.

It looks rather like pastel or gouache

when it is dry, because of the lack

of oil in the paint. I really like this

way of painting.

Did I mention that you can paint an

entire grisaille and then paint an entire

picture in color over that? So much

fun....

Lesli Modeling in Class

24" x 14", Essence on Canson, SOLD

I really was pleased with the colors in this
piece, particularly considering that I did
it from a black and white photo that I had
taken of the model after class. I find that
that is a good exercise. It frees you to be
more imaginative with "skin color".

Now, how about Bonnard......see any

"skin color" there? Then again, perhaps

he thought he was painting skin colors.

We'll never know, but whatever it was,

it certainly was sublime, and we are

luckier for it.

Seated Model & Monochromatic Sketch of Walking Nude

Upper- Essence on Canson Paper,

Lower - Oil on Vellum Tracing Paper

Because this vellum paper has a treated surface,

and is impervious to oils, it is possible to

paint on it with paint right out of the tube.

The upper study was done from life,
however, the lower drawing was

actually done not from life, but from

a tiny figure in Eadward Muybridge's

classic text The Human Figure in Motion,

which is full of hundreds of photos of nudes,

all of which were taken using stop-action

photography in the late 19th, and early 2oth

centuries, against gridded walls.

He also took photographs of horses running (one

of which Degas used as a model for one of his sculptures),

and of birds flying.

Essence, and also painting on vellum, are two

of the techniques I will be teaching

next week in my Gesturing the Figure in Oils

workshop at the Art League School in

Alexandria, Virginia. - We will be working from

live models however.

Thanks for visiting today.

Incomplete Flower Study

Go Here to Bid
3.5" x 6", Gouche on WC Paper

I'm not sure what this flower is. I did it

from a photo in a flower catalogue online,

but a just love the colors, and actually

love the unfinished quality of it. I don't think

I am meant to paint big, histrionic paintings.

I think I was probably a monk in a former

lifetime illuminating manuscripts in a

monastery, full of flowers and gold leaf

ornamentation. Things like that make

me happy.

Thanks for visiting today.

Tomorrow I am going to get back to

oil painting, and also I need to get back

to the figure.

Blue Breakers

4" x 5", Gouache on Plate Bristol Board

I did not find this picture easy to do. At one point I actually
rinsed it off under the tap. That was a good thing, as it revealed
(as it can do), some subtle tones and textures I wouldn't have
seen had I not done that. I really wanted it to be semi-abstract,
as I love a balance of realism and abstract. I find that very
intriguing.

As it is, I am fairly satisfied with this effort, as I absolutely love
the colors. If you haven't tried gouache (opaque watercolor) yet,
you ought to give it a try. You don't actually have to run out and
buy a "set" of gouache if you have a set of watercolors. All you need
is a tube of Chinese White, which I learned today was invented in
1834 (and certainly made good use of by Turner, who left no less
than 20,000 works of art at his death!).

You can mix the Chinese White with the watercolor. This is actually
how gouache (then known as "bodycolour" ) was originally done in
the 18th century. Hmm.....interesting. Anyway, it is really fun to
work with, because you can use it transparently or opaquely, and
any "mistake" can be covered up. It is kind of like oils, really, except
that you really can't "blend" it so much, and it does tend to dry a bit
lighter than it is when it is wet.

Thanks for visiting today.

"Essence" Nude Sketch of a Very Pale Model

7" x 9", "Essence" on "Sand" Canson Paper,

SOLD

This sketch was done in a technique called

"Peinture a l'essence" that was commonly used

by Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec. I think I may

have mentioned this previously a few months

back. To do this, you have to soak the oil out of

the paint on blotters or paper towels overnight.

Then, you transfer the paint to a paletter, and

use it, without adding any medium (this is very

important), but just diluting with solvent ("essence")

means "solvent" in French). This enables you to paint

right on any paper, without preparing it with a ground,

such as gesso, rabbit skin glue, or shellac.

The effect is a very mat one, and sometimes people

think these paintings are pastels. Toulouse-Lautrec's

famouse paintings on cardboard in the National

Gallery were all done this way. And, while they are

more than one hundred years old, there is still no

oil stain around the images.

I am going to be teaching a workshop in this soon.

Thanks for visiting today.

Founders Beach, Isla Morada

6" x 8", Gouache on Canson WC Paper NFS

This is a VERY loose interpretation of a beach I snorkeled

off of in the Keys. I saw some amazing Parrot Fish there

(they're the ones that have the beaks and eat the coral that

gets processed by their digestive systems into sand...what goes

around comes around.....very literally in this case). The photo

I posted before I went away was of a Princess Parrot Fish - one

of my all-time favorite fish to see. I did notice, though, that these

fish were very skittish and kept running away from me, while in

the Caribbean they are really laid back, and let you follow them

around for an hour. They come in many different colors - bright

orange, red and green, and the turquoise of the Queen and Princess.

Thanks for visiting today. I think by Monday I'll have this out of

my system.

Pink and Yellow Cloud off of Key West

5" x 5", Gouache on Strathmore Bristol,

This cloud plus the silhouette of all the trees really

caught my eye. I really want to do this in oil, I think

I could do it justice in that medium. This is just a sketch

but I had fun doing it.

Back View Sketch of Seated Model in Drypoint

3 1/2" x 5", Drypoint Etching Bid Here

I didn't have much time to work today, so

I drew and printed this sketch from a photo

that I had taken of my favorite model, Sharon,

a few years ago.

I used a zinc plate, so there was some nice

plate tone, and I was pleased with the line

quality and suggestion of darkness in the

background.

Thanks for visiting today.

Gestural Figure Study in Red and White Conte on Blue Paper

Red & White Conte on Blue Paper,

11" x 14" , NFS

I really enjoyed working from this model.

She is so statuesque. Gesture drawing is

so much fun, and good for you too! So many

students are afraid to let go and try it - they

don't realize how much it can improve your

drawing.......

Storm Off the Keys

Gouache on Canson WC Paper, 4 1/2" x 7" Bid Here

I just got back for the Florida Keys on Saturday. We spent two days

dealing with a hurricane, which was at times exciting, at other times

disappointing. But it also yielded mind-gripping images such as

the one above, which I did from memory completely, so of course

it isn't as fantastic as it was in real life.

I was five miles out off the coast of Key Largo, snorkeling from an

excursion boat. We had all just finished and returned to the boat,

when a storm pulled up really very fast. It literally started raining

as the last person climbed up the ladder into the boat. But as we

made our way back to shore (we had been at the John Pennecamp

Natural Park, which is the only great barrier reef in the United States),

and moved away from the storm, there was this amazing limpid green

water backed by a threatening black sky. There was no blue, or visible

clouds. I just stuck those in there for artistic effect.

Thanks for visiting today.

I WILL BE IN THIS WORLD FOR AWHILE........

GOOD BYE.....BE BACK HERE ABOUT THE 25TH!

Gouche Fantasy of Summer in the Shenandoah

7 1/4" x 4 3/4", Gouache on Plate Bristol Paper, Bid Here

I have always loved the Shenandoah mountains. To me they are a

magical place. I spent a lot of time there many years ago. My memories

of them are some of my most cherished. I go back to them time and

time again.

There is almost nothing as beautiful as a line of several

mountains (not depicted here), moving away from you in the distance,

getting fainter and fainter, and bluer and bluer, until you can't be certain

if you really see it or not - it almost looks transparent.

This is sort of a made-up picture. I had a small photograph. But it

was quite different from this. I also like working in gouache, for reasons

I have given previously.

This may be my last post for quite a while. I am leaving on Thursday

for vacation. I will be back on the 22nd, but as I'll be teaching on the 23rd,

and the 24th is Sunday, I doubt there will be anything here until at least

the 25th -- that is unless I can squeeze in a painting tomorrow, or the next

day with all the other things I have to do. I am taking a laptop with me, so

will not be completely out of reach.

Thanks for stopping by.

Page of Small Gouache Landscape Sketches

Canson WC Sketchbook Page, 9" x 12", sketches

in varying sizes NFS

I'm going to be teaching a Gouache workshop

in about three weeks, so I thought I should just

get back in the swing of things as far as gouache

is concerned. These sketches were all done in

a Canson watercolor sketchbook, which is one

of my favorite things to work in. If the pictures

don't get too large the paper doesn't really

wrinkle too much.

I like to use gouache as a combination of

watercolor and the way it is supposed to be

used, as an opaque medium. I love the various

contrasts that can be gotten in that way. It is

also fun to squeegee down a layer of Aquapasto

first, and see what effects that has on your work.

I will also work sometimes on Canson papers, which

have such nice colors, if I feel like working on a

colored background.

The mountains are the Blue Ridge; the river is

the Potomac (two blocks from where I live); the

trees and sky are a park down the way from me.

I really love painting with this stuff. It is relaxing.

Gouache Sketch after a Pontormo Fresco

7 1/4" x 9 1/2", Gouache on Canson WC

Notebook Paper

I have always loved this image - and certain

other things by Pontormo.

He was a really strange person. He lived in

a room that had no door, but only a window

to the outside, from which he entered and

left by a ladder. He kept a diary of everything

that he ate. He didn't like people, so he didn't

generally use models. If you look closely

his altarpieces, you will see that each person

is the same one, whether they are female, or

male, they all have the same face.

But I've always found this to be a particularly

delicate, almost celestial image. I just did a

quick sketch of it in gouache - some day I think

I'll do a longer study of it in oil.

Thanks for visiting today.

Tribute to my most esteemed model, Sharon

These are three of the many pieces of artwork

I have done over the past fifteen years with

Sharon as my subject. She has been a never-

ending inspiration, and I just thought she

deserved a little bit of a tribute. The painting

on the top is not for sale, unless someone is willing

to pay me about $8000.00 for it (seriously).

The second piece is just some 2-3 minute gesture

poses on newsprint, and isn't in saleable condition.

The drawing above is in pencil on white sketch-weight

drawing paper. I did it as a portrait demonstration

exactly ten years ago. No one else has eyelids like

that. Her father was from Ireland, and I think it shows

in her soulful face. Thank you, Sharon.

Ancient Greek Venus Fragment

Pastel and Chacoal Pencil on White Drawing

Paper, 8" x 10 1/2" ( w/1" margins),

I love this image, even though it is very high

key and the color is very subtle. I feel that it

highlights the line work that way. Line is very

powerful - something that I am always encouraging

my students to understand. Trying to master

line is a big part of learning to draw fluently.

Thanks for visiting today, and have a nice

weekend.

Oil Sketch of Lesli Posing

Oil on Gesso- and Oil-Primed Rag Board, 9" x12",

SOLD

This was a really fast sketch, and it looks like it.

I did this from a photograph - not from life. I enjoy

doing that, although I always wish I had a model in

front of me. Unfortunately, my studio is too tiny to

accomodate one, so the only time I get a chance to

work from life is when I am teaching, or if I go to an

open life class (which I should do more often...).

If only there were a pill you could take that would

cause you to never have to sleep - I'd be first in

line.

Thanks for visiting today.

St. John Day

Oil on Archival Card, laid down on board, 6" x 5 1/2",

SOLD

When I was in the Virgin Islands a few years ago I took a lot of

photographs. I am glad I did, for I never get tired of creating land-

scapes using them for inspiration. I never copy them - they are

just "memory-joggers".

I love the colors of the Caribbean, and the

way they change constantly when you are there.

The infinite number of blues never ceases to amaze and

inspire me, and they are so much
fun to play with when I am painting. I enjoy

the challenge of trying to suggest a grand space on a

small picture plane. But the process of painting is also a peasure,

because as I am creating, I am immersed in memories of the place,

and it is a very sensuous experience.

Quick Gouache Sketch of Alan Posing in Class

Sepia and White Gouache on Light Brown Pastel Paper,

8 1/4" x 6 1/2", Bid Here

This is a quick study of one of my favorite all-time models, Alan

(he has dreads), in one of my favorite mediums, gouache. For those

of you who don't know, gouache is an opaque form of watercolor.

If you ever see the term "bodycolor", particularly in books about

drawings from the past (silverpoint, Renaissance, etc.), "bodycolor"

refers to white or colored gouache.

Gouache is wonderful, because you can use it both transparently

and opaquely, so it is virtually impossible to make a mistake -

at least that you can't cover up!! I love it for quick sketches like

this, and I prefer it over watercolor for painting in water media

in general, primarily because I don't have the skill in it that someone

like Belinda del Pesco has. She rocks with watercolor!

Thanks for visiting today. I hope you are surviving the heat,

wherever you are!

Tiger Lilies

Oil Color Monotype, approx. 5" x 6", $45.00, Go Here

This quick sketch of some tiger lilies was done from some

that grew near my yard. I like doing monotypes outside.

I paint them on metal, plastic, mylar, Yupo watercolor

paper - I even once painted one on a piece of gessoed

thin wood - it actually went through the press with

the printmaking paper very well. I never print them

by hand. Well, not since I got my press in 1976.

This was fun because of the challenge of getting the little

purple pieces to hang off of the stamens (?) just so. I have

always been fascinated by these flowers; they are much

hardier than daylilies. Daylilies are very beautiful, but die

about twenty minutes after you pick them. Hard to paint

a picture quite that fast (unless you're Delacroix.....).

Thanks for visiting today.

(I'm still working on that painting - I haven't forgotten!)

Side Yard in Blacksburg

Oil Monotype on Fine Printmaking Paper,8" x 6",

$200.00, Go Here

This very painterly monotype was done from partly from memory

and partly from my memory of a beautiful place where I lived several

summers in Blacksburg, Virginia during the 1980's when my husband

was going to architecture school. It was like the Garden of Eden there.

I will always remember it as being one of the happiest times in my life.

Unfinished Painting of Sophie in a Silk Kimono

Oil Painting on Gesso and Oil Ground

15/3/4" x 22 1/4" NOT FOR SALE YET

I thought that today, since I never publish progress

pictures, that I would publish a picture of a partially-

completed painting that I did today. It is painted on a

piece of 100% rag mat board that I had previously

covered with two coats of gesso, allowed to dry, and then

covered with a neutral sort of mushroom-color oil paint

mixed with Liquin for a ground.

You can kind of see the ground color in parts of the

feet that are not painted yet, and in the upper left hand corner,

which also is not painted yet. This is not the greatest photograph

of the painting, unfortunately. I have a very good digital camera,

but sometimes something gets lost in the translation.....

I did a line drawing of the composition, using a ball point pen,

squaring up a few areas that were particularly challenging.

I like to use ball point pen, because you can paint right over

it, and the paint and solvent don't budge it, so your drawing

stays put.

I'm planning on finishing this tomorrow, so you may

or may not see it again. We'll see how it goes. So far, I'm pretty

happy with it. We'll see how it turns out. I want to try and maintain

the "loose" quality of it. I like that.

Fountain Statue in a Park in New Orleans

Oil Color Monotype, 4" x 5 1/2", $90.00,

Go Here

This piece was done from a photograph that I

took in New Orleans many years ago when I went

there to visit some dear friends. I was captivated

by this fountain, which had three figures.

I think I will do a triptych eventually.

If anyone is wondering about the scarcity of

posts here recently, it is just that life has been complicated

lately, with several ill friends, family obligations, much

teaching, and little time to paint. I am hoping some time

will open up this week, because I am dying to paint!

Thank you for visiting today.