Sandbox

Sandbox   oil/canvas   11 x 14

There is nothing quite like sitting in a hole dug out of sand at the beach...secure, yet grimy, as the small particles eek their way into suits, ears and hair.  A truly memorable childhood experience!  As we morph into adulthood, we choose more comfortable seating...beach chairs and towels to soften the experience.  This painting is indeed about sitting in that hole and, if we are lucky, doing so alongside a companion.  

And so, while I relished the painting of these children, I kept my eye on that unifying hole...a shadow that unifies both figures.  The challenge here, for me, was the use of strong and diverse values that do not really occur at the shore, as the light is so pervasive.  A glazing of transparent Indian Yellow over the dark shadows allows for the illusion of light entering into the sandy depths.  I am satisfied.  
 

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.