PORTRAIT OF A PAINTER

Painting Sidelined by Family Responsibilities

2012-01-20T11:57:00.002-05:00

I have had a difficult fall and winter. First, my elderly parents needed help due to a sudden health crisis. I traveled across the country to British Columbia to assist with moving them out of their home of 40 years. This involved sorting through decades of accumulated stuff and then trying to organize what was left into a very small space.

I had only been home a couple of months and starting to try and catch up on things when, sadly, my dad suffered a fall and after a few days, slipped into a coma and passed away soon after. He was 91 years old. It doesn't help that I have probably bitten off more than I can chew by going back to school and studying nutrition part-time as well as painting full-time.

I am sure some of you have lost a parent and know that it is an emotional minefield. I hope to navigate myself out of this funk and end up back in the studio soon.

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to contact me and express their condolences. I do appreciate it greatly.

Robert Genn in the Bugaboos

2011-10-14T01:04:00.004-04:00

I thought I would show something I started and have yet to finish. Here is the venerable Mr. Robert Genn in mid-lecture. I was fortunate to be included in his Bugaboo heli-painting adventure in September 2010. He is a really great guy and something of a sage when it comes to painting and life.

I liked the unusual light effect here. Hopefully posting this will motivate me to finally get the portrait completed - I can see all sorts of things that need tweaking!

Coincidentally, I just read the most recent letter on Robert Genn's website, "The Painters Keys" , and was gobsmacked by his tale of getting a call from a broker who told him to bring over any old painting and he would be presented with a cheque for $60,000. Wow. Hmm, wonder if that guy could use a portrait of Mr. Genn as well?

Blogtalk Radio - Artists Helping Artists

2011-06-02T10:03:00.003-04:00

I am excited to announce that this blog was one of five randomly chosen to be critiqued by fabulous artists and radio show hosts Leslie Saeta and Dreama Tolle Perry of Artists Helping Artists.

I hope they can give me some advice about how to deal with and maybe amalgamate the plethora of blogs I write - this blog about my portraiture, my blog for other paintings: Painting Color and Light, my blog for other artists: Thinking About Painting, my travelogues: Prague Idyll and Paris Sojourn and my eco-lifestyle/food blog: Creative Lifeskills. I also have an abandoned blog for posting my sketchbook pages: Sketchbook by Laurel.

I obtained a domain name, foodartlife.com, where I was planning to put everything except the portraiture, but I am guessing that maybe that is not focused enough.

Anyhow, be sure to tune in to the show today at noon, eastern standard time, or download it afterward if you miss it - should be fun!

Keely

2011-06-01T18:23:00.005-04:00

Beautiful Keely, wearing a fur stole belonging to Joanette Egeli.

I still need to finish the earrings and add the necklace, and a few more subtle changes here and there.

Liz

2011-06-01T17:59:00.004-04:00

Liz, a very attractive woman, and mother to Lauren, was a pleasure to paint.

Lauren

2011-06-01T17:57:00.006-04:00

Lovely Lauren - a gorgeous young woman! I still have a few changes to make, but this is almost finished.

I was also privileged to do a portrait of her very good looking mother, Liz, seen in the next post. They both like to wear black!

Elena

2011-05-26T11:16:00.001-04:00

It was a pleasure painting this lovely young woman mainly from life sittings. She is an artist herself, a dancer and has a sweet, sunny disposition. As a senior in high school, she is looking forward to a bright future, whatever path she chooses to take.

Dante

2011-05-23T22:46:00.000-04:00

I think I still need to make a few tiny adjustments to this portrait, but I think I have captured this very appealing young man.

*Update - tweaks have been completed!

Plein Air Today Published My Photo From Bugaboo Trip!

2011-05-06T16:51:00.005-04:00

Not this photo - this is a shot of me on our last day out in the helicopter, at Cobalt Lake. The published photo (found here, among other photos of plein air painters going to extremes) shows our helicopter perched beside a mountain top lake, waiting for us to finish our plein air paintings.

If you dropped by because you were looking for more photos of the trip, go to my other painting site and scroll back a bit!

I was painting in the wind, the snow, the sleet and the rain while struggling with an umbrella with one hand and holding my brush (and occasionally trying to keep my tripod holding my painting setup from blowing over) with the other hand but I loved every minute - what an adventure!

For fellow artists, I also have a blog with information for painters, so check it out!

Molly - Pet Portrait

2011-03-07T20:54:00.002-05:00

I debated whether to post this painting on my portraiture blog or my blog for all my other painting subjects. I do consider this a portrait as it captures a unique individual who just happens to be a dog.

My Article on Berthe Morisot

2011-02-10T18:37:00.005-05:00

For those who belong to The Portrait Society of America, check out my article on Berthe Morisot in the 2010-4th quarter Art of the Portrait Journal. I find her story inspiring, as she managed to combine a husband, a child and a career in a time when professional activities by an upper class woman were frowned upon, to say the least. Her mentor, Manet, once said it was a shame she was a woman and her contemporaries called her the "quintessential" impressionist.

Fiddler's Hill 2011 - Final Group Shot!

2011-02-08T17:09:00.000-05:00

Another Monochromatic Underpainting

2010-11-30T16:28:00.002-05:00

I am going to keep this as an example of this method of starting a painting and start afresh on another canvas. I may not even do an underpainting for the actual piece! Living dangerously is fun sometimes. I usually work in at least a few layers anyhow, it just seems to take me that long to get to where I want to be.

Frank J. Reilly wash-in method

2010-11-23T16:47:00.004-05:00

I prefer to call this method a "wipeout" because it better describes how you do it and because it sounds more fun!

I plan to keep this as an example of this method of starting a painting and use the color study I also did from life (which I really don't want to share as it is pretty wonky, being done in an hour or so) to create a full color painting.

Portrait of AJ

2010-11-05T18:39:00.001-04:00

Star Portraits

2010-09-09T10:34:00.005-04:00

I just returned from a fabulous plein air painting adventure - traveling by helicopter in the Bugaboo mountains!

That is the good news - the kind of disappointing news is that I got a call from Star Portraits (a television show featuring 3 artists painting a celebrity) asking if I could participate in the show, but the dates were the same as my trip.

Even though I won't be one of the artists painting this season, be sure to check out this fantastic show. Some of the celebrities that will be painted are: David Suzuki, Jeanne Beker, Tanya Kim, Gordon Pinsent and Jim Cuddy.

The show airs on Bravo!, beginning on September 11, 2010, Saturdays at 8 pm with repeat viewings on Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Tune in and enjoy a celebration of portraiture - that's reality TV I can get into!

Preparatory Sketch

2010-08-21T22:58:00.005-04:00

There was a lot of glare so my teenage subject is squinting a little, even though he is sitting in the shade.

2010-05-28T13:54:00.000-04:00

Oil Sketch

2010-03-19T16:27:00.003-04:00

I did this sketch while my young model watched a movie, about an hour and a half. I don't think he held the same position for more than a few seconds!

Opening Night for Canadian Olympic Athletes: A Dialogue in Art

2010-03-05T08:55:00.004-05:00

As you can see, it was quite a crush!

Speeches were given, an Olympic torch was passed around everyone enjoyed viewing the paintings.

Donovan Bailey at The Spoke Club

2010-03-05T06:54:00.002-05:00

Portraits of Canadian Olympic Athletes on Display at John B. Aird Gallery

2010-03-01T20:03:00.004-05:00

My portrait of past Olympic Gold Medal winner Donovan Bailey will be on view at The John Aird Gallery in Toronto, Ontario from March 2-26, 2010, along with many other portraits of Canadian Olympic Athletes.

The gallery, located at 900 Bay Street, is open Monday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm.

There will be an opening reception on Thursday, March 4 from 6pm to 8pm, so please come join us in celebrating the accomplishments of the athletes and how they have been portrayed.

Donovan Bailey Portrait - Detail

2010-02-27T12:44:00.006-05:00

Here are the hands and the bling - the secret to painting jewelery is to not spell everything out. Human vision is selective - in other words we focus on one thing and everything else is peripheral. Leaving something to the imagination of the viewer makes the painting more interesting and truly realistic, something photography is unable to accomplish.

Donovan Bailey Portrait - Detail

2010-02-27T12:34:00.003-05:00

Since this is such a large painting, I thought I would post a couple of details. I always want to get up close and put my nose next to paintings to see the brushwork and examine how the artist made the piece, so here is a close up of Mr. Bailey's head for anyone else who is interested in examining it more closely.

Portrait of Donovan Bailey, Olympic Gold Medalist

2010-02-17T20:15:00.010-05:00

This painting was designed to bring attention to the head - the value of the background was lowered and the collar of his shirt on our left (the lightest value mass) brings attention to the face. The suit was the darkest value mass. His hands and cuffs, which can steal the show if you are not careful, are muted in comparison to the head/collar. The watch and ring are represented by an economical number of brushstrokes. I eliminated a lot of bottles of liquor that were sitting behind him, to simplify the design. I didn't paint every wrinkle in his suit, just the ones that showed action.

I had to use photographic references for this painting, since I was only given a grand total of 15 minutes with Mr. Bailey, but I used all the knowledge I have gained in working from life to create the piece. This is definitely not just a painted copy of a photograph.

I also researched Mr. Bailey and read everything I could find written about him, in order to get a handle on his personality and current interests. With this information and what I learned from my initial meeting with him (when he viewed my portfolio) I felt like I had a pretty good sense of the man.

Monochrome Block In for Donovan Bailey Portrait

2010-01-08T08:21:00.004-05:00

In this monochromatic sketch on my linen canvas, I have mapped out the values for the finished painting.

As mentioned in the previous post, I did a wipe out after an initial rough sketch to get to this point in the process.

Initial Sketch for painting of Donovan Bailey at the Spoke Club

2010-01-06T08:25:00.003-05:00

Here is the full size sketch of Donovan Bailey, done on a couple of large sheets of 24x36 newsprint taped together.

Making a sketch allows me to get the drawing right and then move the piece of paper (to position of the figure) around the canvas to see what works best for my composition.

Since I have to work from photographic reference material for this piece, I don't have the luxury of life sittings and the freedom to just start painting with my subject right there in front of me, full size, to compare. Therefore, the information I have in a small photograph on my computer screen must be blown up to a life size image.

An easy way to transfer a large sketch like this to the painting support is to oil the surface slightly, brush on paint mixed with a little medium, lay the drawing on top and draw over your lines. Afterward, I use a rag to wipe out the lights and add some details in darker paint and to produce a massed block in of the composition.

It is important to keep in mind that this is a general guide for placement and I do not try to stay within the lines when painting!

Once the monochrome painting is dry, it is easy to maintain the planned notan (value pattern) and not go off track from the initial idea.

Allison

2010-01-05T22:22:00.006-05:00

This young woman is so gorgeous, I felt compelled to capture her beauty.

Adding the necklace was fun! You can really go wrong with jewellery if you try to paint it with a lot of detail, just a few fine strokes and a couple of highlights and you are done. Examining some of Sargent's work in this regard is always illuminating.

Anton - Young Canadian Opera Singer

2009-10-18T14:40:00.005-04:00

I love painting from life, but in an ideal world I would have at least 6 hours (and preferably much more than that) rather than a mere 2 hours or so (of actual painting time) to achieve an alla prima painting. I think that is why a lot of artists choose to draw in this situation because you have time to get the drawing right or work on color - try to do both and you are doomed!

Even the top portrait painters in the world often don't nail the likeness right away. That is what I remind myself so I don't sink into despair and burn down my studio.

I started this painting with a wipe-out and achieved an image that looked somewhat like this handsome young man, but everything was just a little off. Group situations are tough, because you have to squeeze in wherever there is a spot and sometimes you are quite a distance away. I won't even get into my eyesight - I don't want to be classified as a complaining curmudgeon, although I think I am rapidly approaching that status. Just when you start to know what the heck you are doing you start losing your faculties.

I also decided to cool the background, so instead of a warm brown it is now a mauvey grey, which brings forward the warm skin tones of my subject.

So, I ended up reworking the likeness from a photograph after the fact, but something still was not right. I lined up my computer screen with the painting and, from a distance, finally saw that I had his eyes too close together and now, voila, after about 6 hours or work, here is Anton.

Portrait Society of America - Cecilia Beaux Forum Mentoring Program

2009-09-29T10:14:00.004-04:00

Recently I received some great news - I have been chosen to participate in a mentoring program, which is a project of the Cecilia Beaux Forum, a subgroup of The Portrait Society of America.

The program was developed to support the aesthetic and technical growth of female figurative artists. The program starts on October 1 and will last 9 months.

I am very excited about this opportunity!

Painting from Life - Portrait Society of Canada open studio session

2009-09-17T10:46:00.006-04:00

This young man, Anton, is an opera singer.

He has quite a distinguished air, even at his young age and it was fun painting his portrait!

Make Your Own Painting Box

2009-06-28T09:35:00.003-04:00

For any fellow painters out there, here is a shot of one of my pochade boxes, used for plein air work.

If you would like more information about how to make one yourself, go to my other painting blog (for non-portrait work) for instructions and more photographs:

www.mcbrinepainting.blogspot.com

Technical Difficulties

2009-06-18T09:37:00.006-04:00

Now that I have some paintings ready to post, my computer, along with all my photographs is out of service.

The AC adapter cord started making a weird buzzing noise and emitting an unusual smell. Not good.

We ordered a replacement last week, and it arrived early, but it turned out that Dell sent the wrong part. Arranging to send it back was a snap. However, it took 2 hours on the phone with Dell, getting transferred at least 15 times, to finally order the right one (I hope) so if all goes well the correct one will arrive next week.

I am seriously considering crossing Dell off my list when I next shop for a new computer. Dell may be saving all kinds of money by outsourcing work overseas, but the customer service was horrendous.

When we were able to speak to a person who was actually in Canada (at about the one hour mark) she said there was nothing she could do and that she herself had been transferred several times trying to help us fix the problem.

Until then, I guess I better get back in the studio and get some work done!

My Not So Simple Life

2009-05-20T09:32:00.004-04:00

Obviously, I have not posted here recently. We hope to be simplifying and downsizing soon, so I have been preoccupied with getting things sorted out. I have been painting portraits though and hopefully will get around to posting some of them soon!

Allison

2008-12-05T23:09:00.004-05:00

I had to repaint much of this today after looking at it for a long time and finally realizing where I had gone wrong. Sometimes it takes a lot of looking to really see where the problem lies!

I neutralized the background and lowered the shoulders a bit to give a more elegant appearance to the portrait.

Adding the necklace was fun! You can really go wrong with jewellery if you try to paint it with a lot of detail, just a few fine strokes and a couple of highlights and you are done. Examining some of Sargent's work in this regard is always illuminating.

My 15 Seconds of Fame

2008-10-14T10:05:00.004-04:00

In my quest to become not just a good portrait painter, but a well rounded artist, I have been doing quite a bit of plein air painting. I was recently photographed by a reporter and I made the front page!

Click here and scroll down to October 13, 2008 post to see the brief newspaper article and picture!

Yet another work in progress . . .

2008-09-18T10:46:00.004-04:00

All of these paintings were started from sittings.

I am making a few adjustments to the likeness after the fact but trying to maintain the freshness from the initial painting session.

Linda

2008-09-18T10:43:00.002-04:00

2008-07-16T22:47:00.003-04:00

This is looking much more like my subject, but I can still see lots of changes I need to make!

Sunny

2008-07-09T08:51:00.004-04:00

24x36 inches
Oil on Linen

Sunny - detail

2008-07-09T08:40:00.002-04:00

Study from Life

2008-06-16T13:47:00.002-04:00

I am going to be doing a rather large painting of this gorgeous young woman with her lap dog, Lucy.

I did a head study in about 2 hours in a south facing room. The light was changing constantly and at about the one hour mark, the skies darkened and there was not only a thunder storm, but it HAILED as well. I couldn't even see my paints since it became so dark in the room! The result is not as wonderful as it might have been - I can see all kinds of mistakes, but for such a short time and using color rather than a monochrome sketch, it is not too bad - a fairly good start and it was great to have the time to stare at my subject and take in some impressions I can use later.

Drawing - Graphite on Paper

2008-06-16T12:52:00.002-04:00

Gorgeous Work by Cecilia Beaux

2008-05-12T00:44:00.002-04:00

I was particularly happy to be able to attend the conference this year since the final days of a special exhibit featuring Cecilia Beaux were also happening on that weekend.

Portrait Society of America Conference 2008 - Philadelphia!

2008-05-12T00:35:00.021-04:00

Dawn Whitelaw painting her Thursday evening demonstration. Dawn uses a only three colors and achieves gorgeous results. For more information about her method of painting, read my article about her portrait workshop at www.thinkingaboutpainting.blogspot.com.

I liked this bouquet of flowers in the lobby of the hotel.

Detail of the finished piece painted by Burton Silverman.

A split screen image during the demo by Burton Silverman.

Michael Shane Neal presenting information about portrait commissions from start to finish.

This photograph graphically illustrates a few facts:

1. I need a lens with a wider angle to photograph buildings;
2. Philadelphia is a city with gorgeous architecture;
3. Although photographs can be useful as a reference when painting, one should never, ever copy a photograph verbatim. I spot this kind of photographic distortion in paintings all the time now.

Back to the conference - in addition to all the information and suggestions from the platform, it was wonderful to be able to talk shop and share information and ideas with other people who share your obsession with art.

Getting Published

2008-05-06T20:47:00.000-04:00

I just got word that two of my paintings are going to be published in the Richeson 75 Figure Portrait Competition hard cover book in the “Other Meritorious Entries” section.

Finished Oil Sketch of Vladimir

2008-03-22T10:30:00.001-04:00

Oil Sketch

2008-03-22T10:07:00.005-04:00

After working from life for a few hours, I got this far. Now, of course I can see all kinds of things wrong with it! The whole thing needs to be repainted.

Painting can be a bit like writing. Sometimes you just have to get a draft down, not worrying too much about perfection. Later you begin to edit.

2008-03-20T12:00:00.000-04:00

2008-03-20T11:00:00.000-04:00

2008-03-10T11:37:00.000-04:00

2008-03-10T11:00:00.000-04:00

2008-03-07T11:46:00.000-05:00

2008-03-07T11:02:00.000-05:00

Art and Fear

2008-03-07T11:00:00.003-05:00

I have been wrestling with this painting for quite some time, with more time spent procrastinating than actually painting. Yesterday, finally, I repainted the whole thing again. It is tough at this stage where you have put a lot of work into a piece to obliterate it, which is where the fear comes in. You really need to let go of the fear and trust in your abilities. There are still some things that are bothering me and I may go back in once more for a few final tweaks, but I have definitely captured him. I really like the enigmatic expression and pose, which serendipitously resembles Da Vinci's most famous painting. My Gioconda.

2007-11-20T12:07:00.000-05:00

The eyes were placed about 1/4" too high in the previous incarnation, so I had to paint out the upper half of his head and start over.

Even John Singer Sargent, arguably the greatest portrait painter ever, scraped out heads over and over until he achieved what he had in mind, which makes me feel better about having to do so!

In painting portraits you start with a broom and end with a needle - from the general to the specific, and you can't fall in love with any detail until the whole is perfectly proportioned.

I am liking the Mona Lisa pose and tentative smile, although more work still needs to be done before I am happy with this one!

2007-08-06T19:53:00.010-04:00

It is possible to get young children to pose. What you don't see in the photograph is the television behind me playing "My Fair Lady". Depending on the taste of the child, it could be "Barney" or "Shrek" or something else, as long as it doesn't drive you, the painter, crazy.

I started this painting many months ago. It was based on a photo session back in March, so AJ's looks have changed somewhat (his face has lengthened and slimmed quite a bit) and I see lots of changes I need to make in the painting. Painting really is just a series of corrections. You try to just get something down, rather than freeze up in fear of getting it wrong, and then change what you don't like until you hopefully have what you set out to accomplish.

AJ took breaks and I did not require him to hold completely still, since I was looking at him mainly for information about color and value.

AJ with Shouldice, Sam and Freddy Goss McGoodle

2007-06-30T16:11:00.000-04:00

14 x 18
Oil on Panel (Belgian Linen on Gatorboard)

I often start an indoor sitting this way in order to quickly establish the masses of light and shadow and get the drawing on the canvas before addressing color.

William

2007-06-19T18:14:00.000-04:00

2007-06-19T18:10:00.000-04:00

William: First Lay-In of Color

2007-06-19T14:53:00.000-04:00

William: Monochrome Drawing to Begin the Painting

2007-06-19T14:52:00.000-04:00

BRUCE

2007-04-29T17:47:00.000-04:00

16 x 20 inches, oil on canvas

I particularly enjoyed painting this handsome gentleman, as it was the first time I had an opportunity to paint someone with a beard. Some skill is necessary to avoid having the hair look cut out and pasted on and restraint was necessary when painting the white hair in shadow.

2007-04-29T17:46:00.001-04:00

Here is a photograph of the model and painting about halfway through the process.

ERIN

2007-04-29T17:42:00.000-04:00

9 x 12 inches, oil on panel

Love this kind of rim lighting - very dramatic!

Geneen - Oil Sketch from Life

2007-02-21T13:05:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, I had the privilege of studying with the wonderful painter, Mr. Everett Raymond Kinstler at The Art Students League in New York City. Mr. Kinstler is one of the foremost portrait painters in the United States and has painted numerous celebrities, politicians and presidents. He is also a really nice guy and gives constructive criticism to help other painters improve their work.

2007-02-21T10:00:00.002-05:00

Here Mr. Kinstler is nearing the completion of his oil sketch of the lovely Johanna Spinks (who is a portrait painter from California). Mr. Kinstler stressed the importance of capturing the effect and feeling of the model before worrying about the likeness.

Everett Raymond Kinstler

2007-02-21T09:04:00.003-05:00

Mr. Kinstler's palette - some of the colors were:

Burnt Umber, Sap Green, Ultramarine Blue, Cerulean Blue, Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Red Light, Raw Sienna, Cadmium Yellow Light, Titanium White

He also uses Burnt Sienna and Black.

Julia - 14x18 oil on canvas

2006-11-03T14:00:00.002-05:00

New Brother - 12x16 oil on panel

2006-10-31T17:12:00.000-05:00

New Brother - Oil Over Acrylic Without Worries!

2006-10-31T15:04:00.000-05:00

I started this painting a very long time ago in acrylic. I was never happy with it, especially the background and composition, so I sawed a few inches off the bottom of the board and have begun to re-paint it in oils. I put a layer of matte medium, which has the same texture as acrylic gesso, over the acrylic painting to ensure the mechanical bond will be sufficient. Doing this gives me a fresh start on the panel. Painting over regular acrylic paints with oils is not a good practice archivally, especially over a flexible support, such as stretched canvas, as the layers will probably suffer delamination at some point in the future. The reference for this painting was obviously a photograph, however, I also had my children, who are years older now, pose in the same light, in the same position so I could get more information. I find that working from a computer screen, using several different shots, rather than a printed photograph, and using what I have learned by working from life, gives me the information I need. Photographs lie about value (either the lights or darks tend to not show the necessary detail) and especially color. Although I am going for a kind of dreamy, impressionistic feel in this piece, once this first layer is dry, I will refine the image and improve the transitions between tones.

Oil Sketch - Oxana

2006-10-31T14:59:00.001-05:00

Oil Sketch - Lorain

2006-10-31T14:31:00.001-05:00

A few times a year, some of the members of the Portrait Society of Canada get together at The Arts and Letters Club to paint for a few hours at a time. This is a lovely model who posed for us when the fantastic painter Yuqi Wang was with us. With such a limited amount of time, it is difficult to get the painting to the level I would like, so sometimes I take a couple of photographs so I can tweak the likeness a bit later on.

Fiona

2006-10-01T12:35:00.000-04:00

Sketch of a lovely nine year old girl.

Warrior

2006-09-01T17:23:00.000-04:00

2006-09-01T17:21:00.000-04:00

Modelling features outdoors in shadow is very challenging as it is necessary to work with a very narrow range of values and use color temperature, as opposed to value changes, to help differentiate various planes of the face. The planes that face upward tend to reflect the cool bluish tones of the sky, while the planes facing down reflect the greenish-yellow of the grass. Light is bouncing everywhere, is very intense and you rarely paint anything in the local color.

Warrior: Second layer of Color

2006-07-20T11:40:00.000-04:00

Although I have put some detail in the background, I am trying to keep it subdued - try squinting at the painting and you will see that the values in the background are all in the same range, as they disappear into one dark mass. If you look at the work of great portraitists, such as John Singer Sargent (in his painting entitled The Wyndham Sisters, for instance) you will see this kind of value massing employed in order to make the subjects stand out. The eye of the viewer always returns to the place where there is the greatest contrast and I have made sure that is at his head. There is still a lot of work to be done, especially with regard to the figure itself, as the likeness needs work as do the values. When working in layers, oil paint needs to dry for a few weeks between layers to prevent sinking (dry patches) and also to allow time for the artist to study what needs to be done. This means that the painting takes hours and hours of work, but the final result is worth it! I am happy so far with the composition, as there are a lot of interesting diagonals, the foreground comes forward and the background goes back. The pot on the right is necessary to balance things.

Warrior: First Lay-In of Color

2006-06-30T11:58:00.000-04:00

Unfortunately, it was pouring rain and I had to photograph this indoors, so the photograph leaves a lot to be desired.

Warrior - Initial Drawing

2006-06-20T22:13:00.000-04:00

This painting is quite large - 30"x48", oil on linen, and the figure is almost life size. I have established the main placement and general plan, but I am sure there will be many changes, as this just gives me a general idea of where things will be and the approximate value. This boy's favorite toys are swords and boats so I chose the simplest weapon he owns (it's wood) and had to talk him out of a very large, ornate and glitzy plastic one. I am going to have the area of greatest contrast and definition at his head, the sweet spot, so the eye immediately goes there.

Alexandra: Sitting in Progress

2006-06-19T18:22:00.001-04:00

Alexandra: Completed Oil Sketch

2006-06-19T18:22:00.000-04:00

Moria: Painted from Life

2006-06-19T14:17:00.000-04:00

Completed portrait of Moria, painted entirely from life sittings.

Moria's Portrait in Progress

2006-06-13T21:32:00.000-04:00

Here is Moria looking at her painting in progress. This portrait was painted from life, but I also have a photograph available so I can check the drawing only (not color or value) when the subject is taking a break. Since photographs lie about value and especially color, working from life is the only way to obtain the very best result.

Moria: Initial Drawing

2006-06-13T21:30:00.000-04:00

Initial drawing in raw umber. I don't always use this method, especially for plein air work, where I try to use a colorist approach and complete the painting "alla prima" since the light changes so quickly, and I try to get the color and value correct as quickly as possible. Starting with a monochrome wash-in allows me to concentrate first on the drawing, which is 90% of portraiture - if it doesn't look like the person, in my opinion, you shouldn't be doing portraits! My teachers have said I have a gift for likeness.

Brothers

2006-06-13T21:26:00.000-04:00

Late afternoon sunshine and a happy moment frozen in time.

First Year

2006-05-15T12:55:00.000-04:00

As a child, my strong interest in European History led me to start drawing copies of Old Master works from artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Hans Holbein. I had a natural ability to make perfect copies of these paintings and drawings, so I moved on to drawing portraits of friends and acquaintances. I received many awards and accolades for my artwork, with portraiture becoming my main interest.

Later, I pursued formal studies in painting and color, graduating from Sheridan College, and also studying with numerous artists who were skilled in painting and portraiture. I began painting with watercolor and then moved to acrylic briefly before turning to oil paint as my favored medium.

I strive to create beautiful, meaningful works of art, full of light and color using oil paint, while at the same time revealing the essence of the subject’s personality. The reason I now choose to work in oil for the most part is this medium has withstood the test of time and the paintings will last for hundreds of years, becoming family heirlooms. To achieve the best color, form and individuality, I prefer to work from life as much as possible. I usually choose to portray a life-size image that captures the person's likeness, while keeping the rest of the canvas impressionistic in order to highlight attention to the face.

My aim at this time is to continue to grow as a painter and artist. To this end, I continue to learn from established artists by taking workshops regularly and I often visit museums and galleries to study how artists of the past that I admire greatly (such as Diego Velazquez, John Singer Sargent and Cecilia Beaux) obtained their outstanding results. I believe that the artistic journey is lifelong and we need to continue to improve and hone our craft in order to have the tools to create meaningful paintings. This is what makes painting endlessly interesting. There is always room to improve. More than one person has said to me that it must be nice to have such a relaxing vocation. This comment always makes me laugh, at least inwardly, as nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the pursuit of my vision is often the most frustrating, aggravating torture. I am never completely satisfied and most paintings are not finished, but abandoned. However, this is what keeps a painter pressing forward, the fact that art is an absorbing pursuit with endless options, sometimes surprising results and occasionally the satisfaction of having achieved at least part of what you set out to accomplish with serendipitous surprises adding something more.

I am currently working on commissions, plein air paintings, still life and figurative pieces.