Grace is Her Middle Name

Grace is Her Middle Name   Artgraf used as watercolor   13 x 10.5

Each Tuesday evening at Cuyahoga Valley Art Center we artists are treated to a live model session by the young dancers at Ballet Excel Ohio.  I use these sessions to play with my materials and to experiment.  On this particular evening, I used the ArtGraf Tailor Shape  by Viarco which are blocks of pressed pigment that can be used for drawing or painting, when a brush dipped in water is applied.  They are thick.  They are chunky.  They are opaque. And they are strong.  Hence, a chunkier work of art can be expected.  This work was done on 140# Fabriano Artistico hot press watercolor paper.

As the light on the model washed out subtler nuances of value, I chose to go with a simple 3-value work, with the white of the paper in a dominant role.....I honestly had a difficult time pushing the pigment around.  But I am satisfied, as this experiment resulted in a stronger work....stronger, albeit, than I am used to.

I admire these young dancers and look forward to their production of "Snow Queen" in March.

Intensity

Intensity- L.   oil/canvas   16 x 12 x .5

is a quality that I share with L., a painter who has been in several of my classes over the years.  He holds a full time job and has a wife and two children.  His plate is full.  And, yet, his drive to create art is admirable, and sometimes painful, as he struggles to find TIME TIME TIME.

This painting was made at a final class session where the assignment was to create a painting by simply watching and observing  someone else at work....an artist who is in constant motion while observing the subject of his/her own painting.

This assignment is tough, but allows one to get at the "nitty gritty"...the important stuff...big shapes and simplified forms.  I did take a photo and did a few minor corrections at home, but was careful not to overwork the simplicity that had been achieved during the session.

I have found, over years of observing and drawing people at work, that a person will resume one of two or three positions continually, which helps with clarification, if only you are patient.

Ah, yes.......INTENSITY and PATIENCE.

Tutu

Tutu   watercolor pencil and walnut ink   19.75 x 12

The collaboration between Cuyahoga Valley Art Center and Ballet Excel Ohio has provided live models in the way of young dancers once a week for some time now.  I eagerly look forward to each session.  This series has provided the opportunity for experimentation...to use some of the forgotten drawing tools in my art box. 

I started with a half-sheet of Strathmore Aquarius II watercolor paper.  This sheet has many uses in that it is partially synthetic, thin and will not buckle.  During the entire 2 1/2 session, I used Derwent watercolor sketching pencils in light wash, medium and dark, alternating drawing with broad washes of water during the breaks.  At home, some washes of walnut ink completed the work.  For me, the challenge involved the pushing and pulling of strokes to reveal what is more important to the pose; and, conversely the less important. For this reason, I have always had such a difficulty with chairs and stools, as I realize the importance of having a support for the pose, yet despise the weight given to it.

This model wore the traditional tutu, hence the title.  I am pleased.

Winter is Long in Canada

Winter is Long in Canada   oil   20 x 16 x 1.5

is a work half-completed from a live session with a model.  For years and years I faithfully attended the Friday model sessions provided by my local art group Akron Society of Artists.  Gradually I became tired of the static seated poses that resulted in order to keep the model from becoming too weary...that, I understand.  Creating more lively poses from photos was more exciting to me.  But there is much to be learned from painting from life.  Recently, I had a free Friday morning and decided to return to the model.  This was to be a two-week session.  As I was not free the following week, I scurried to get correct shapes and values, as well as a sense of movement.  The painting was fine-tuned at home using photos I took during the session.

Our Canadian model was apt and professional.  I thoroughly enjoyed making this work "my own".  I am hoping to find more time for live work this coming year.

V. Mired in Blue

Mired in Blue   watercolor   19 x 7.5

was painted from life and from a sketch done in two subsequent sessions.  The model was a lithe and artsy young woman who managed the goings-on at the desk of our local art center.  The countenance of the relaxed and unposed face is always so appealing to me, its being devoid of a public personna...the model usually drifting quietly into self.

While painting just the figure is an admirable aim, which I so much enjoy in the work of others, is near to impossible to me, as a search for design and color to take the work into more "me-ness".  As I tell the artists in my classes, the search for your personal aesthetic is a long and arduous road, only achieved after the reality of the subject has fully been discovered, achieved, and discovered and achieved again and again.  And, so, while I fully admire the simplicity and beauty of just the reality of the model, I must, at this point, be satisfied with my own way of working.  And....to celebrate it.

Annie

Annie   watercolor/relief ink   9.75 x 9.25

is an enthusiastic volunteer at "our" art center who posed for our watercolor class a few weeks back.  It was a two-week pose, the first week relegated to drawing and familiarizing; the second to the actual painting.  My "spot" was way off to the side where I saw only the shadow side of Annie's face.  I decided to use only monochromatic cool washes for the rendering, partially because that told the story of her pose relative to my easel, and also to oppose her colorful floral scarf with the simplicity of the face. In the end, I decided to cut a template and print the background area with relief ink, again to oppose:  the light airy watercolor strokes with an opaque and solid rest area.  This is certainly unlike anything I have previously done....and, I can honestly say, I like it...this was the story that presented itself to me.

Thanks, Annie!

Nude Leaning

Nude Leaning   watercolor/mixed   12.25 x 9.5

We hired a life model a couple of weeks ago for class painting.  My painting was fairly regular in its description...but the work lacked pizazz.  First I experimented with painting a loose, mid-value background.  Still pleasing.  Still boring.  I wanted texture to oppose the smoothness of the model's skin.  I wanted opacity to oppose the transparency of the figure.  After cutting a template to cover the figure, I used relief ink to print onto the background area.  The small dots were actually happy accidents....bits of dried ink that stuck to block and prevented total coverage.  What a hoot!

Experimentation doesn't always work out well.  But it always provides a thrill!

Young Man

Young Man   oil on canvas   36 x 24 x 1.5

For years and years, I painted and drew from live models.  As I look back, there are only a few that stirred my soul.  Mostly, I did not know them personally.  Sometimes their attitudes and demeanor did not invite me inward.  I need to be somewhat inspired by the person in front of me in some way....I need to feel a connection of sorts in order to invest my emotions in the work.  And this process is mostly non-verbal.  (I don't need to chat, go for coffee, or even verbally relate.....I just need to be inspired)  In many cases, for me, at least, the take-a-break personality interferes with my investment....breaks the mood.  OK.  So I'm picky.  For me, art is so very pure and my work reflects who I am, so, yes, there is an investment, a collaboration of the genuine.  This was one such model.  The young man.  The laborer.  Perhaps my affection has to do with the fact that I have three sons.  This is their look.  Their uniform.

"Young Man" is currently on exhibit at Group Ten Gallery.  Our opening is tonight in Kent, Ohio and features the work of Jeff Fauser (Reconfigurations) and Jance Lentz (Trees and Barns).  Come on in.

Model relationships

Deb   charcoal and pastel on toned paper   16 x 11

There is an unspoken communication between the artist and her model....a relationship, if you will.  A give-and-take.  And the artist is on the receiving end...we work with what we are given.  Some models seem to be emotionally closed off.  Some  seem "above" the give-and-take that leads to openness. Needless to say, portraits resulting from the above mentioned situations rarely provide great work from me.  I relish an honesty and an openness that allows for both the model and artist to reveal themselves without ego getting in the way.

I was pleased to spend time during my gallery "watch" sketching Deb.  She has an upbeat attitude that spills over.  Quite simply, I am inspired by her being.  This work was rendered on toned paper with charcoal pencil.  The pink pastel was worked horizontally through after the session was over.  I think the work benefits from this high voltage pink, which is her favorite color.  Thank you, Deb, for the sharing of yourself.

Tanner Redux

Tanner   watercolor   12.5 x 9

Our painting class so enjoyed Tanner in the fall that we invited him to be our model again this spring for two weeks...the first familiarizing and drawing; the second painting.  I am always so amazed at the "multiple looks" that every person conveys.  In this case, it hit me like a brick.  As a high school senior, Tanner's look has changed and he has visibly matured in the past several months.  His haircut different...more sophisticated.  And he posed wearing a bright yellow raincoat...fodder for any visual artist.  My painting was begun from life and completed with the aid of a photograph taken during the session.  Two sessions are always tricky...the skew of the head was somewhat different in the photo.  After the session, Tanner provided his own personal responses to each work...and showed himself to be incredibly observant and sensitive.  Congratulations on your graduation, Tanner!!! 

Tanner is off to Columbus College of Art and Design in the fall.

Guilty as Charged...on taking time to pose the model...Denim Coat

Denim Coat   Watercolor/Mixed   13.25 x 9.5

Yes, there was mutiny aboard our watercolor class boat!  I quickly set up our model Jessica with a pose that I thought was different from the week before..straddling a chair with her denim coat hanging between her legs.  I have very little patience for the nit-picky positioning that takes place when more than one artist is directing.  (ah....too many cooks)  In fact, there have been several occasions when this process has taken at least a half hour....a half hour of painting time.  The tasks in my life have been subdivided into two categories:  those things that need to be done so that I can paint, usually done with great impatience; and creative painting time, where I have all the patience in the world.  As the class artists pointed out the following week, the pose was definitely not a good one for those learning to paint the figure...too much was hidden from view...too many assumptions.  I, on the other hand, have spent my life making lemonade....working with what I have, even though it is less than ideal.  So....my apologies to all of the art center painters.  I will try to have more patience next time....and perhaps delegate some of the requisite tasks, such as lighting and taking money, to others.

"Denim Coat" was painted transparently.  Since there was so much darkness and little variation, I chose to accentuate the patterning on the blouse and then pull it into a side border.  Tinted gouache was added to the background.  Lemonade.

Note to myself:  pose the model at least 15 minutes before painting time begins.  Arrange a pose that sufficiently portrays most of the body parts, and includes some counter or negative space as well.

Dorothy...

Unsung Dorothy   oil/canvas   20 x 16 x 1.5

Gale just might be the most famous Dorothy ever...the I-wish-I-were-in-Kansas-ruby-slippers Dorothy.  And then there is that darling skater with the darling haircut....Dorothy Hamill.  But there are so many unsung Dorothys out there...participating in the daily grind and running offices at art centers on a volunteer basis.  These are the real Dorothys.  We were fortunate to have Dorothy pose for our class at the art center....3 hours.  I need about three times that amount of time in front of the model, at the very least, to reach completion.  If I'm lucky.  The next week she was unavailable.  I was lucky to have remembered my camera.  When investing time and energy in work from a model, it is always good to have a camera handy for finishing the work if schedules go south....illnesses, vacations, and a million other activities can easily shortchange our best efforts.  We work on a 20-minutes-on/5-minute-off session.  My favorite time to shoot the photo is 5 minutes or so into the SECOND session.  By this time, the model has found the pose.  Also more relaxed from the break.  Not too stiff from finding the pose again.

The world turns thanks to the efforts of all the unsung Dorothys.

Unexpected Pleasures...

Olivia  walnut ink on paper   12 x 9

Life is full of them if we are aware enough to see and feel them.  Last evening our model was a lovely 20-year-old college student in finance named Olivia.  She is a well-seasoned model, having grown up with artists in the family.  I so do appreciate a great model who respects the clock and is able to settle in to a pose without the fidgets....something that I would have a difficult time doing myself.  The first time that I drew Olivia was in 2000.  She was 10.  The work is done in walnut ink.  Time marches on.

Understudy/Underdog...could be a good thing

Understudy   oil/canvas   36 x 24 x 1.5

Painting from models is a reciprocal relationship.  I believe that they take away unspoken learned things from the painter.  And, if the painter is paying attention, she goes away with "things learned" as well.  The model for understudy is an extremely talented singer/dancer, from what I hear.  During the time she modeled, however, she was currently in the role of "understudy", the one who does all of the work yet receives no stage presence, no glory.  In our culture it seems that the silver medalist is not revered.  Neither the bronze.  Neither those who make herculean efforts without winning.  We want the gold.  We desire to be the only one on top.  Sometimes to the point of undermining the efforts of others in our selfish greed.  Too bad.  I think that we can all benefit from the role of understudy....learning the lines, dancing the dances and singing the songs just because we enjoy them so much.  I believe that life presents us with lessons that we have yet to learn.  Can it be here that we learn to value the process?  No jitters.  No stage anxiety.  Psychologically a very very good place to be.  I guess that I believe we can all use some wins.  And, likewise, some roles as understudies.  Genuine.  Human.  And our model?  I hear she is doing very very well.

Model Night...

Amanda   charcoal/paper   16.5 x 11

is a cheap thrill for me.  $5.00 paints the model for 3 hours sponsored by Akron Society of Artists.  I love these nights, for it is then that I experiment and hone in on certain goals or techniques that I have been wishing to attempt.  It is also the time for experimenting with different mediums.  My friend Shirley was trying her hand at pen and ink this past week.  I always go with a goal in mind.....nothing general like finding a likeness.  My goals are more technique driven.  "Amanda" was done with various charcoal sticks....I think mostly vine.  I arrived at my goal which was the placement of lights and darks.  In my frenzy, I did not measure so much so the likeness is off.  Even though the human head has some basic formula measurements, everyone is different, so it is dangerous to go to default.  In this case, Amanda's head was shorter, I believe, that the norm.....I found that out afterwards.  Oh well.....next time.

Inspiration

Saturday Night's All Right   oil/canvas   16 x 20 x 1.5

Every now and then, I view the work of an artist that literally gives me goosebumps......Alex Kanevsky. His style gives me inspiration and direction...........we agree on on so many things, especially the prioritizing of the movement of the figure. However, he goes for the universal in figure painting, with little detail and color on the faces of his models. I have always, purposefully, chosen to describe the specific, with an intended leap on the part of the viewer to find the universal. I think that I will explore Kanevsky's philosophy and see where it takes me. "Saturday Night's All Right" was painted from a model during our monthly artwalk in Akron, Ohio. It took round about 5 hours to finish. It has just been accepted into "Sensory Feast", an exhibition at 2nd April Galerie in Canton. Opening is September 19............it is a wonderful and magical gallery..........come on along.

Entering Shows

Fourteen   pastel/paper   23.5 x 17

Mary in Polka Dots   oil/canvas   30 x 24 x .5

It is difficult to decide which shows to enter. There are so many considerations such as: entry fee, shipping costs, distance to travel and having the appropriated formatted images, as these days, every show seems to have difficult requirements. Usually, the prize money is a consideration. Of course, there is no guarantee of winning a prize, but at least there should be the possibility of recuperating the costs of the entry. But sometimes there is an exception. Two of my works, "Fourteen" and "Mary in Polka Dots" were just shipped to Woodstock, Illinois for "Real People 2008" sponsored by The Old Court House Figurative League. This show just felt right to me. Quite simply, my goal is painting real people. Then, when I took a look at the work of juror Alice White, I was convinced. I was awed by her large canvasses that focus on huge groups of people with lots of interaction. My own work shows solitary figures. I just had a good feeling. The exhibit is August 7 - September 28 at The Old Courthouse Arts Center on Woodstock Square in Woodstock, Illinois.

Beware the unexpected

Saturday Night's All Right   oil/canvas   16 x 20 x 1.5

Artists work very hard. I draw and paint with many other artists each week and am witness to the efforts that are required. The results are often surprising. Sometimes, the works that we labor over remain stale. Yet, some works seem to paint themselves with ease. We are always surprised and wish that we could find that formula again....................I don't believe that there is any such formula. By working within the time framework of a given situation, we are at odds with the clock, but, in doing so, put limits on what can be done. I believe that a great work can result after 5 minutes, or after 5 hours. Using a camera for photo references breaks that boundary and allows a work to be picked at ad infinitum. Often a disadvantage and a downfall. I know this from experience. "Saturday Night's All Right" is one of my favorite works, created during a Saturday night art walk in my community. I had only 5 hours with this model and the pieces seemed to fall into place easily. I so wish for that formula!

On Making a Connection

Hand Knit Scarf   watercolor   13 x 9.6

One of the reasons for failed paintings, I believe, is the inability to connect with, or feel committed to the subject. For me, this happens when someone else sets up a still life, or a model is distant or, to me, emits negative energy. It has happened time and time again. The young women I painted in "Hand Knit Scarf" was sweet and approachable. I felt the energy and time that she had put into making her own scarf. Although there are always many problems to solve in each painting, and often some resultant weaknesses, I am pleased with this overall result.

Working with what is Given

Mary in Polka Dots   oil/canvas   30 x 24 x .5

I frequently work from models. Most of the time this works out. I believe that you must find something about that person that is thrilling to you. In the case of "Mary in Polka Dots", I found the rhythm of her figure, with the long leg curling around to catch the support bar of the stool, to be intriguing. It also supported her figure....long and lithe....to aid in the composition. She represented completed freshness to me. It was a pleasure to paint her. I guess I see a metaphor here for life in general..........making the most of what is given to you. Painting helps me to understand all that is good.