Repose

I enjoy working with more than one light source. It's challenging, but it creates a more complex mood that suggests multiple readings. Here Amber is indeed at rest, but her expression is perhaps not so tranquil. I like to think that the cool and warm light sustain this ambiguity.

SOLD

oil on linen panel, 8 x 6 inches, 2010
#45

Tea with Kristin

The scarlet hat and lipstick are attention grabbers in this painting, but what I enjoyed painting most was the delicate lacework of Kristin's blouse. The intricacy of her fingers and the warm light coming from the right also added interest for me.

SOLD

oil on linen panel, 8 x 6 inches, 2010

#44

Equanimous

I know the title is a ten dollar word, but I think it describes her best. She was remarkably poised and self-assured from day one. Everything she did was elegant. We even tried some poses where she climbed into an old trunk, and it seemed to fit her like a glove. For all her presence however, she remains a mystery. All I have is this painting.


oil on canvas panel, 8 x 6 inches, 2010
#43

Ennui

The idea for this painting came from an old Vogue magazine. I added the mirror however. The hands belong to my son, Gabriel. Regarding the theme, I think the title says enough. We've all been there.

SOLD

oil on canvas panel, 6 x 8 inches, 2010

#42

Haeley Huddled

This pose seems to be characterized by a drawn, even a tense quality. Haeley's raven hair and dark top frame her disquieted face, and her body is compressed by the expansive background. Absorbed as she is, she remains alluring.

SOLD

oil on linen panel, 7 x 5 inches, 2008
#41

Kimono

The thing I enjoyed most about doing this painting was picking out the intricate pattern on the blue robe. I can have difficulty generalizing complexity in parts of a composition, but in this case it was necessary. I wanted to bring attention to her face and torso, and not so much to what she was wearing. I used a variety of brushes and hues, and just flicked or dabbed the marks to represent the floral motif, and it seemed to be enough. I also liked how her leg fell abruptly into shadow, forcing attention on her well lit torso. Sometimes these strong contrasts can be distracting, but in this case there was something intriguing about it.

SOLD

oil on linen panel, 8 x 6 inches, 2010

#40

Morning Light

It wasn't really morning light, but the pale pink sheet I draped over the window cast a rosy glow on the figure, and I liked the effect. It was a challenge to render its translucency, along with the watery sheerness of her blouse. My studio windows face west, so I am always dealing with changing light, and always looking for ways to control it. In this instance the sheet did the trick.

SOLD

oil on gesso panel, 6 x 6 inches, 2009

#39

Samantha in Red

This painting continues my interest in the tension between the formal/symmetrical and the natural/worldly aspects of posing the figure. I discussed this in an earlier post entitled Kristin Criss-Crossed. Here the tension resides in the angle of her head, exposed leg, and the palm branch. I imagine Samantha stepping into a pool of water, but instead of the traditional white garb she is wearing red.

SOLD

oil on linen panel, 8 x 6 inches, 2009

#38