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.

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.

Sharon Posing Seated on a Stool

Sanguine Conte Pencil on Blue Canson Laid

Paper, 8" x 11", $80.00 Bid Here

This drawing was done as a demonstration in a

figure class. It was meant to show the use of

sanguine (red) conte chalk or pencil for linear and

tonal work, and then the addition of white as

highlighting of highly illuminated areas. It is a classical

drawing technique. The demonstration part of it

explains the unfinished hands and feet, which I actually

like. It leaves something to the imagination.

Completely finished classically-rendered figures

are not something that appeal to me tremendously, but I

do love to draw!

Thanks for visiting today.

Jaclin Posing in a Kimono

Oil on Board, 5" x 7 1/2" , $100.00 SOLD

This is another composition that I have played

around with several times. I took a series of

photos of this model in various positions quite

a while ago. I was so captivated with her long

torso and legs, and her white skin, which really

was pale like this. She owned the kimono, and

the colors weren't anything like this, but I have

fun making up the colors each time I paint her.

Creating color harmonies is one of the things

I enjoy most about painting.

When my husband and I lived in Boston in the

80's and part of the 90's, we had an architecture

and interior design business. I am not an architect -

he is - although he also went to art school... but I really

enjoyed the interior design part of it; particularly

when we had interesting, imaginative clients who

weren't afraid to experiment with color and pattern.

My own taste does not lean toward the modern in

interior design, so it was fairly easy to get along with

our clients, most of whom had a "Beacon Hill" mentality.

We got one job just because, when the woman said,

"I'm thinking of a specific color for my library", I piped

up with "Pompeiian Red?". That just happened to be it,

and we began a job that lasted two years, and included

our designing everything in her residence down to the

bookshelves, the rugs, the tiles in her bathroom, and

a mural in her dining room. That was something.

A lot of work. But, I learned a lot as well.

Thanks for visiting today.