Today I Painted

After a long time away, today I picked up my brushes and painted.

Just a piece of bunting to add to my collection.  I worked on something else too but it is for a birthday gift so I can't share it today or it may spoil the surprise.....  It was nice to be back.

Studio Tour 2 and what's on my easel.

Life has changed quite suddenly and significantly for Jeff and I since my last, long ago post.  My brother and his two little boys have moved in so we've packed and cleaned a house that sold and made space here in our home for the boys.  They live in the rooms off my studio and having new demands on my time and having someone living so close to the studio has changed how I do things a bit.  I'm finding my feet again though and my health has coped really well with the changes which is great.

So, back to where I left off.....

The main wall of my studio which doubles as both display and storage for my art.  Yes my studio is YELLOW!!  Oh so yellow.

During Open Studio's the children's playroom doubles up as my gallery space and we bring tables in for Aannsha's felt and any textile art made by my sister and I.  This room is right next to my studio and joined by an open arch so it flows quite nicely as a viewing space.

As for what is on my easel.....I am studying portraiture at present and continue to be amazed that I quite enjoy it!  I am currently painting a young Merryl Streep in the French Lieutenant's Woman. 

I prepped the canvas in a warm tone and then drew a very rough image on with charcoal.  I was less than happy with this and it sent me into a state of anxiety.  My homework was to complete a detailed drawing to then paint over.  I became so anxious and scared to draw that I threw out my class instructions (sorry Don!) and used the painting technique I use when painting animals....block in large shapes with a big brush and focus on tones.  I rubbed out most of the charcoal and then just went at it with the paint.

I had previously mixed up a tonal run of colour using Burnt Umber and white and used that to just get some paint on the canvas.  I was in such a tizz that I ran out of paint and just kept stretching it across the canvas as best I could.  It NEVER occurred to me to mix more.  What a dill.  As you can see this is very rough and was done very quickly.

 

Starting to refine the image.  Looking at the photograph I see some hard edges and splotchy bits of paint that need attending to.  A lot more work needs to be done to refine and accurately depict the face and hand but I'll get there. She doesn't really look right at present.  I may also change the waterline in the background and move it up or down a bit.  Not sure about that. 

Here is the paint run that I used to work on this tonal underpainting.  I used Burnt Umber for my dark and Tinting white with a trace of the umber for my lightest light. I made a value scale from the two and worked from this.

Here is an example of a portraiture palette I had set up for another exercise.  The image has rotated strangely and I use this with the colours running down from dark to light on the bottom (rotate left 90' in your mind!).  First is a cool run of colours, then bronzes and then warm.  Unfortunately these colours are not quite right for this current portrait so I'll have to work out how to mix the right colours to match the skin tones and hair for this portrait.

I'm off to work on this portrait in class tomorrow so will photograph my progress and post it for you now that I've come back to blogging.  Can't wait to see what the other girls in my class have done. There was some great work last week - I of course am dragging along behind everyone!

Looking back at some of my art from the past three years.....

Remember, you can click on the images to enlarge them!  Enjoy!

Graphite and Charcoal

Having fun with blind contour drawings

A touch of whimsy

Realism and hard-edge styles.

Exploring intuitive painting.

Just a little something I've been working on

This is Kathrine, the gorgeous Danish girl who lived with us for a time last year during a scouting exchange.  I'm hoping that she doesn't look on my blog in the next few days as I've drawn her portrait in charcoal as a gift for her parents. I'll be staying with them for an extended weekend on my way to the UK next week.  Only a few sleeps to go!!

I was at the international airport just this morning picking Jeff up. He's been working in Hong Kong for the past month so we are essentially having a few days together before I fly out and when I return he'll be in Hong Kong again.  He came bearing gifts this morning - mooncakes that were confiscated by customs, a new wok and fryingpan (romantic?!) and numerous other bits and pieces.  One gift I'm hoping will break very soon.  He brought two rubber chickens toys home for the dogs and they make the LOUDEST, most ghastly chookie noise.  Sophie is a bit concerned about them but of course Jessica is in love. BIG NOISY LOVE.

Once I'm on the road I'm not sure how frequently I'll be able to update until I find myself a prepaid connection for my iPad.  Sorry, Jeff's iPad that I'm pilfering for the duration of my trip!  Hopefully I'll have lots of exciting things to share.