2009-2010 - Final Year of School

During the final year of school at The Atelier, the figure studies continue each morning, with students painting 3 mornings per week, and drawing 2 mornings each week. Still lifes and complex portraits (including 'interiors'/hands) are worked on every afternoon.

2 figure drawings:

My final painted figure:

Seated Female Nude
13x23 Oil on Linen
2010

Still lifes  and portraits completed during 2010 school year:

Radishes
10x10 Oil on Linen
2010

The Old Cork Decoy
13x22 Oil on Linen
2010

Ron at Day's End
29x22 Oil on Linen
2010

Eileen with Her Guitar
24x20 Oil on Linen
2010

Still Lifes 2009

My inspiration for this painting was the old, green glass plate and the way it reflects light. The lemons, limes and orange added some lovely form and color, and it was a joy to paint!

"Citrus on Green Plate"
8x10 Oil on Linen
2009

I’ve always loved the graceful form and the well-used condition of this vintage decoy. He has been in our family for many years and was used over many hunting seasons. This lovely duck, along with the brass shotgun shells and the rusty old Herters weight, just begged to be painted.

"Antique Decoy"
15x21 Oil on Linen
2009
Winner of Award of Excellence @ Primavera Art Show in Plymouth (2010)

This little skillet has been in my family for many years. It is so cute, and I've always loved the look of it. In this composition, I've also included an old recipe box and cutting board that were passed down from my mom. As I began this painting, I was very drawn to the beauty of the red onion, but as the painting progressed, the gorgeous, translucent colors of the garlic took center-stage. This is not a very good photo, and I will replace it with a better one at a later date.

"Onions, Garlic and Cast Iron Skillet"
12x16 Oil on Linen
2009

Artwork from 2009

During the 2008-2009 school year, I was painting in color for both still lifes and portraits. Three mornings a week, we would complete 3-4 day pencil drawings of figures. This post includes many of those works.

Figure Studies in Graphite:

Portrait and Figure Paintings from 2009:     

"Portrait of Will"
20x16 oil on linen
2009

Standing Female Nude
Oil on Linen
2009

It's been a while.....

It's been quite a while since I have posted to my blog, and now that I have finished school and am really trying to establish myself as an artist, I decided that I really should get back to blogging. I am also working on a new website, but I'm not quite ready to 'put it out there' yet. As you may have guessed by now, writing is not my favorite past-time, but I am hoping that by posting to my blog on a more regular basis it may become easier and more fun for me :)

So, continuing to catch up with what I've done in the past couple of years:

The following painting is the first portrait that I completed in 2008:

"Portrait of Libby"
19x15 oil on linen
2008

2008 Still Lifes

In her younger days, my mother loved to do needlework and created many beautiful objects that were lovingly given to her children and grandchildren. We all treasure these items above all of her other gifts. The painting below includes a pillow top that Mom was working on a few years ago. It was about that time that she was diagnosed with dementia. As her condition progressed, she simply was not able to complete the project. She asked me if I would take it and complete it for her, and of course I agreed. But I decided that before I worked on it, I wanted to use it in a painting. It is sort of my way of memorializing my mom. In this painting I have also included a very old thimble that belonged to my grandma, and an interesting copper pot that I found one lovely day while browsing through antique shops with my oldest daughter in Pennsylvania.

"Mom's Unfinished Needlework"
12x14 oil on linen
2008

Oil painting is my first love, but I also wanted to give pastels a try. The following pastel painting is my first endeavor. It was lots of fun and I will definitely try it again one of these days.

"Vases and Oranges"
16x10 pastel on sanded paper
2008

With my third painting of 2008, I wanted to go with a lighter background. I absolutely love red, so added the apple to add some punch to the composition.

"Apple, Books and Dutch Boy"
20x15 oil on linen
2008

2007 - Voltaire

"Voltaire"
17x14 oil on linen
2007

Prior to painting in color, all students at The Atelier must complete some black and white paintings of plaster casts. I chose to paint this cast of Voltaire, as I admired his writings and was drawn to his mischievous smile.

2008 Life studies

Each morning at The Atelier all students are required to draw or paint from live models. Some days we work on charcoal drawings which then lead to oil paintings, and some days we work on quicker pencil studies. The drawings below are some of the pencil studies that I completed in 2008.

Below is a series of photos showing the process that I used in order to complete my first black and white oil painting of a human figure. A pencil drawing was completed in 3 morning sessions. Then I completed 2 anatomy studies in order to gain a better understanding of all the bumps and bulges that make up the human body. Once the anatomy studies were completed, I drew the figure once more in charcoal. This drawing was then transferred to canvas. During each step of the process, any necessary corrections are being made. The oil painting is the final (and most fun) step in the process.