Portrait Drawing Update

What a privilege to draw and paint these beautiful people.  My small home studio is full of these taped to the walls.  Finally ordered some foam board and acetate bags to start storing them.   I have a few Alla Prima portraits I would like to share but need to get a coat of varnish on them before I can take pictures. If anyone has an interest in sitting for a portrait session I would love to get a shot at capturing you!

Relaxing with Charcoal

This winter has not been nearly as prolific in the paint department as I had hoped. On the upside I have been really enjoying drawing from life with Charcoal.  I find it very relaxing to kick back and just work on seeing the form and transcribing it in value. Hopefully capturing some soul in that form.

Evelyn and Lydia

Evelyn and Lydia were our neighbors for 1 year.  These Blue eyed beauties moved back to Massachusetts last fall and we miss them dearly.  I asked to paint their portraits over the winter, never did I imagine it would take me this long.  Trying to study my reference photos and memories to bring out Evelyn's elegance and Lydia's determination was exceedingly difficult with out the real thing in front of me. It was fun to have all those cozy mornings in the studio with the snow outside my window.  I am grateful to be able to follow my heart and create.   

Practicing my Craft

 I like painting people, trying to capture someone's true character is so challenging and very fun.  With the exception of my husband and children I feel on the outskirts with people, some how separated and never really belonging. I think I like to paint people as a way to deal with my feelings of isolation.  Maybe I am trying to find a connection with the human race by studying them.  These portraits were painted from life each was painted in roughly two and a half hours. In my next post I will reveal a couple children's portraits that I have toiled with for over 6 months.  I am finally ready to call them done..  Thank you for visiting.

Painting people

Oil on linen 11 x 14 

Portraiture has been my muse of late.  I feel lucky to have been able to make it out to a couple sessions of long poses.  I have been experimenting with different grounds and underpainting colors.  The above painting was painted on oil primed linen with transparent red oxide as the block in color.  Contrast this with the next painting which was painted on an inexpensive canvas panel utilizing raw umber as a block in color.

Oil on Canvas 11 x 14

There was some other factors complicating this experiment.  When painting on the canvas my canvas and palette were in ver low light I was barely able to discern the colors I was mixing, and when painting on the linen I forgot my medium at home..

I think I have decided not to bother with the inexpensive canvas panels anymore the paint handling is so different and not nearly as satisfying as on oil primed linen.  The ability to wipe back and the feel on the brush is worth the cost.  I do have some higher grade Canvas I will try out at a later date.

Pastel Pencil on paper

 Last but not least a sketch of my beautiful girl.  She doesn't stay still long enough so I sketched from a photo.  I like the feel of the pastel on paper.  

Scotland!

Oil on Panel 6 x 8

I had the pleasure of being invited to a beautifully unique riverfront home this last weekend. The home belongs to Author Cole Williams and her husband.  I arrived early and instantly realized this was a place I would need to come back to in the late afternoon.  I thought I would want to paint the river but after visiting I was inspired by the Unique home and grounds which face west.  I did manage to do a study of the edge of the property playfully referred to as Scotland for its lush green vegetation rambling over a stone wall and stairs. Hopefully I can make it back again soon.

Edina Art Center's Members Juried Show

I Am excited to have the portrait of my daughter accepted into the 

Edina Art Center's Members Juried Show.  

The exhibit will be up through October 28th.  

Come and visit and Check out all the great work on display.

I am only at the beginning of learning this craft just scraping at the surface, but I hope viewers can feel the love in this portrait.  We choose to honor our Children's Korean heritage through following the First Birthday traditions. I tried to capture her traditional hanbok along with her very serious expression she often wore at this age.

Zinnia in the heat

6 x 8 Oil on Linen Panel

Zinnias hold a few memories for me such as my Mother's Garden, a late Neighbor's peace offering, and the State fair.  They stand proud and stiffly in the late August heat and the blooms last for an eternity.  I am glade I took some time to paint this one.  

Time of transitions

6 x 8 oil on Board

 I had the gut wrenching expierence of sending my sweet, creative, intelligent playmate and daughter off to kindergarten.   Thankfully it has been harder on me then on her.  I am proud and happy to see her growing into her own person.   In between the sobbing I managed to do some painting.  The Bee Balm went crazy this year in my garden.  I am not sure I did it justice but I tried to capture the way it glistened in the morning.  

12 x 16  oil on Linen Panel

  I painted this meadow a couple of times while on vacation in August.   I hope to make a larger piece utilizing the plein air paintings as reference. 

8 x 10 Oil on Linen Panel

Hackensack, MN

8 x 10 oil on linen panel

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to see me at Red Hot Art festival.  It was so encouraging to see people looking at and even buying my paintings.  With the help of my dearest Husband I was able to get out three mornings to paint some scenes near Tri-Birches resort in Hackensack, MN.  The yearly trip to Tri-Birches is a multi generational annual family vacation.  Sadly, due to serious illness our family was not complete this year.  

Framing Day!

Between summer park camps, Ballet class, and nap time, I am getting some paintings framed for Red Hot Art and Music Festival.  I also finished roughly 20 handmade journals / sketchbooks made with 100% cotton italian made paper.  These journals were the gateway for me to begin painting again.  They are also cheap therapy.  I am so excited to see what happens this weekend.    

8 x 10 oil on linen (sold)

8 x 10 oil on linen (sold)

9 x 12 oil on linen

I still have some journals left. Feel free to contact me if you are interested in one. ($25)

Lastly, here is a painting I did at an OPM (Outdoor Painters of Minnesota) paint out last Saturday.  The paint out was at the home of a talented gardener who combined Horticulture and Permaculture to create a beautiful and healthy landscape.

9 x 12 oil on linen

July Plein Airs

Lutsen, MN 8 x 10 (sold)

At the end of June I was lucky enough to take a plein air painting class with the talented Kami Mendlik.  The class of 16 worked on finding the big shapes and seeing the color of light.  I have been trying to lock in what I learned; trying to hone my eye for color and value. 

Hyland lake Park restored prairie
9 x 12 oil on linen

I had a lot of fun painting this.  I packed up and headed out at the last minute on a week day evening.  I had to choose my subject fast so I would not run out of light.  A couple of deer bounded by about an hour into painting.  

Poplar River Lutsen, MN
9 x 12 oil on linen

 This was very challenging as a plein air and I am not entirely sure I am happy with it, but I do like parts of it.  A woman walked by when I was about half done.  She stopped looked at my canvas and said,  "Well, it is not as bad as what I would do.... uh uh I mean it is better than anything I could do." I have so been this woman before aka foot in mouth syndrome.

Painting the Browndale Park pond

8 x 10 oil on canvas (sold)

Painting at the pond in Browndale Park this weekend.  The park is surrounded by houses.  It seems that one of the homeowners has a dog who has staked the pond as his claim.  He appeared behind me and kept barking and approaching in spite of me talking nicely to him and not making eye contact. Had to yell a few times, but the owners finally heard. They buzzed him with his electronic collar and he ran off towards the homes.
Wondering if this is preparation for the bears I may come across painting along the Northshore this Summer......  Bear spray anyone...... 

Portrait complete?

Here she is in full color. This painting has been so much fun to paint. I have left out some beautiful detail on the hat. (a tassel in the front and a string of beads going from front to back) I am still considering adding them.  I am concerned if I add too much detail it will overwhelm her and and make the painting about the Hanbok instead of her in her Hanbok.  

Here are a couple more progress pictures.

Here I laid in the forms of her face.

This was taken after adding the lights to the skin and painting the details on her eyes.  After this photo was taken I added the red piping around the hat, then the yellow sleeves.  

Red Hot Art - My first Art Fair

It is official, I will be participating in my first Art Fair this July 25th and 26th.  I will be joining a wonderful friend, Katie Quale, in a space at Red Hot Art and Music.  I plan to have Paintings and Handmade watercolor journals available!  

Please put it on your calendar and stop by and say hello.  

Portrait Progress

I plan to lay in the background and clothing before the flesh tones.  My thinking is that the paint around the flesh tones will affect the subtle

 value shifts in skin.  Here I have painted the shadow of the Hat mixing a "black" from my primaries.

Here I mixed the light side of the hat by adding some white to my shadow side mixture mixing in some pure color on the canvas to add interest. 

Here I started to suggest the embroidery on the hat.  I have narrowed my palette to Hansa Yellow, Cad red light, Quin Rose, Phthalo Blue, with Lead white. 

Portrait Underpainting

I have just started working with oil paint.  This is an underpainting of my daughter wearing her Hanbok on her first birthday.  She has always been petite and she was swimming in her traditional dress.  I am a bit nervous to start adding color.  Wish me luck!