Girl and dog

Adding dirt details and a bit of the girl.

Three Days of Painting

Jane and I just spent the last three days trying to complete some drawing and painting exercises. We had come up with way too many ideas so it was hard to narrow it down and of course, everything we did took way longer than we anticipated. But, having said all that, it was a success in that we got up every day for three days and painted. We tried different styles and palettes from other artists - Pam Ingalls, Julian Smith, Clinton Hobart (still life) and Stephen Datz (landscape). We were really BAD at doing "envelopes" - the initial block in suggested by Anthony Ryder for figure drawing. We went back and read his book about this and he clearly states that you just have to do it over and over to be able to train your eye to judge proportion accurately. One of our goals for 2011 is to complete the drawing exercises in Betty Edwards workbook for Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. If we do another "workshop" day, we decided we'd have to narrow the options down and be very specific about the activity. It was so good to just think about paintings, talk about painting, and paint for 3 days!! On the last afternoon, our friend Pam came over and looked over our efforts and joined in for a quick paint.

Girl with dog

Sketched this out and am now adding color.

La junta, San Bartolomé Quialana

This is the finished painting. It is 16 x 20 inches.

Plowing at daybreak

Here is the finished painting. It is 27.5x31.5 inches.

Man with bulls in progress

I have returned to this one and am trying to stay loose even though I have yet to apply that kind of brushstroke to the bulls...trying to get them right first and then will try to go back over them with looser strokes.

Petite Pumpkin

Decided to try my own pumpkin just to move some paint around yesterday.

Flowers in San Bartolome

Started this painting the other day and then returned on Saturday. Today is the final day of Day of the Dead so all of these flowers are on peoples altars somewhere.

Josefina

Finished this one. Not great but I need to give her a copy.

Planting flowers

I have finished this one in time to give a copy to the women in the picture. They are cutting flowers this Saturday.

Flowers for Day of the Dead

Here is the reworked painting...Done?

Flowers for Day of the Dead

This is the second plein day on this one and I realized that the composition leads your eye off the right side of the painting...what can I do to lead you back in?

Fedor Zakharov

This is a small portion and close up of a painting by Fedor Zakharov, a Russian Impressionist, with work at the Beaver Creek Fine Arts Gallery. I just loved his work and I want to paint like that!!! What do you think?

I just gave this 24X20 painting to Ray's mom for her 90th birthday present. I really pushed the thick paint and singular brush strokes on this one. I'm now hoping to start learning and practicing a more "alla prima" approach to painting such as the Russian Impressionists Sergei Bongart and Nicolai Fechin, and contemporaries Richard Schmidt, Steve Allrich, etc. I just love the loose thick paint...the one brushstroke, one sitting approach. I don't have any scheduled shows or birthdays or deadlines approaching, so no excuses.

Flowers in San Antonio

Judith and I went in search of the flowers for Day of the Dead. It led us to a town known for their flowers about an hour drive from Oaxaca. They will begin harvesting the flowers on the 26th of this month.

Josefina again

I am experimenting with this portrait.

Tree revisited

Went out to the fields again and tried to finish this one.

Planting with dog

This is a sketch of a painting that I would like to do on a big canvas.

Man with bulls day

This is another painting I am working on. I want to use bright colors but right now they are too bright.

Tree in Etla

Judith and I started this tree en plein air but now the field has completely changed so I am working on it in the studio.

plein air experiment

I went painting with Judith and decided to try a looser and more ample paint/brush stroke approach. I have decided that the paintings that I am always attracted to are the ones that have loose brush strokes that are loaded with paint and applied in a very confident way. I want to paint like that so I am starting to really try to do this.

Man with bulls

Began working on this again today after a long summer away.

Painting with Jane on Wednesday

North to Silver City on the Lordsburg road. The colors and intensity in the photo are off a little but you get the idea.

Woman with geraniums, dog, cat and now tattoo! I couldn't help myself.

Josefina

I started a portrait of a young woman from San Bartolome. Judith and I have gone to her house for two sittings. Now I will try to finish it at home.

Geraniums Gone Wild

I kept thinking the background was too linear - well, it's definitely not now! I'm getting more texture in - just drew in the lines on the pillow and will add stiches and more shadows on the leaves. Then I'll go back over all the flesh tones and add more yellow and greens. Maybe I'll have this done this week......

Sky

I have been working on the sky with the painting turned upside down. I took out the woman because the composition seemed stronger without her.

Sowing with bulls

I recently went out in the fields with a family who were planting their corn. The sky was amazing and I wanted to capture that in this painting...we shall see.

Latest Additions

Added the cat painting in the book and working on the geraniums. Seemed to need some variation in shapes. Once I finally get the surroundings worked up I'll go back to the figure.

another variation

I like the green color behind her head but I'm trying to decide whether to have the blurred green outside the window or bring a geranium plant between the sofa and the window with a branch that would break the strong vertical line of the window frame. I'll probably paint it in and then decide since that's the way this composition has been evolving - so much for prior planning! I need to rework the carpet in the painting on the wall - it's too pinkish right now and maybe darken it some more so it doesn't stand out as much.

Sunday's work

I kept changing the window size and angle and finally made it even smaller which led to moving the painting over which led to enough room to actually paint Jaxon again! I'm getting goofy - time to quit for the day.

Saturday's work

Working on the Face Today

Since I'm not compelled to make this woman look like the actual model (whew, that's a big relief)I changed the angle of the head, worked on the nose and moved the mouth down. I was actually trying for a more pleasant thoughtful look but I'm not sure I succeeded in that. Every little brushstroke changes the expression and the look of the face. What a challenge it would be to do an actual portrait! But I do like working on this.

Sunday, June 20 - just added another photo. Third try and I think I got back a little of the angular look but I lost the warmer color.

*top photo is the most recent

At last, starting on this piece....

These photos are out of order - second, first, third sessions. This is an underpainting that I've had in my studio for several years. I finally decided it was time to actually do something with it so yesterday I started blocking in the light areas of the window, shirt and book and then worked on the face and skin. I'm debating whether to paint it in a red/green or an orange/blue range. Needs more contrast in the skin values but as usual, I'm trying to "sneak" up on it with mid values until I'm more confident of the drawing.

Left side of the face (as I'm looking at it) is off and nose is too straight right now. But I'm excited to finally be working a figurative painting.

Buscando hierba

I decided to add a man and his dog who had walked by us as we painted. He was collecting grass for his horse.

Final Version of the Meeker Classic Entry No. 2

Utah landscape

This is a 4 x 12 quick study I did at Jane's yesterday. I didn't paint on our last trip with the camper but I did take lots of photos.