Parasol

 

Finally I'm back in the studio and today I was able to finish this study of Kristin in pale pink. I was somewhat uncertain about how to handle the background color, but ended up going with a slate blue that was neither indoors nor out, and I left it at that. It reads a little lighter and bluer than it reproduces here. 

oil on linen panel, 8 x 6 inches, 2010

#47

Shoulder Injury

I have not been able to paint for a few days due to a shoulder inflammation. I expect to post again later this week. Thank you all for your continued support.

Amber in Red

 

I cropped the figure more than I thought I would at first, but I still think that the conch shell serves to restate the femininity of the form. The chair is one that I have used many times because its subtle curvilinear design always seems to rhyme with my subject. Someone once said that the problem for modern painting was what to do with the background. I think they were on to something, but in this instance I can live with all the open space. If anyone can attribute that quote I would appreciate hearing from you.

SOLD

oil on linen panel, 6 x 8 inches, 2010

#46

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

Happy New Year

I thought this would be a good painting to ring in the new year. Kelsey stands in near darkness and opens the window blinds, washing herself in sunlight. I'd like to wish everyone a safe and prosperous 2010. I look forward to sharing with you many more figures in light.

SOLD

oil on linen panel, 7 x 5 inches, 2008

#37

Ashley in a Red Top

One thing I enjoy about realistic painting is taking liberties of exaggeration in small ways. Here I stretched out the profile of the face. It's not exactly flattering to Ashley, whose face is quite pleasing and near perfect, but I felt it brought an added dimension of interest to the painting. I hope she doesn't mind.

oil on gesso panel, 7 x 5 inches, 2008

#36

Merry Christmas!

Season's Greetings to all that have visited my blog, left comments, and purchased paintings. This is still a relatively new venture but I feel it has gotten off to a good start, thanks to your support. Happy Holidays to you and your families, and my best wishes for the New Year.

SOLD

oil on gesso panel, 6 x 6 inches, 2009

#35

In Her Garden

The inspiration for this painting goes back about ten years. I had an art calendar then and one of the reproductions was a watercolor by the German Expressionist Erich Heckel. I remember it as depicting a male and female couple obscured partly by a vase of tulips in the foreground. It was a captivating image but I don't know what happened to it and I have not been able to find another reproduction. Today's painting, based on this distant memory, is more of a portrait, yet it has some of the same obfuscation. I find the dark under her eyes a little unsettling, but I like to think the blossoms offset whatever dim thoughts she might be harboring.

SOLD

oil on gesso panel, 6 x 6 inches, 2009

#34 

Kristin in Gold

I like the challenge of posing a reclining figure and avoiding awkwardness, especially when it involves a lot of foreshortening. Usually this means distorting some of the proportions. In this case I made the legs smaller, and slightly exaggerated the upper body, hopefully achieving more naturalism. On the right I added the metal patch to the wood floor boards as a counterpoint to the angle of her hip.

SOLD

oil on canvas panel, 6 x 8 inches, 2009

#33

Deposed

I liked how the figure seemed to just topple over onto the table. Her hair looks as if it might be wet, and the blue sheet is just thrown across her naked body. Although I am the author, I am at a loss for an interpretation. I just like how it came together.

SOLD

oil on linen panel, 5 x 7 inches, 2008

#32

Amber's Image

We just returned from the Dearborn Holiday Choral Festival and it was wonderful. Christmas music always evokes a sense of magic and awe, and as I sat there listening I thought about how painting might do the same. I thought about tonight's painting, and how Amber is seen once and then once again "through a glass darkly". I don't feel that I have achieved all that I would like with my work. Perhaps the mirror is my signature metaphor, as it offers a mere reflection of reality. Yet there are some great works in music and art that seem to shatter the illusion and show us the world as it is. For me these tend to be works that are joyful and hopeful, like what we heard tonight.

SOLD

oil on linen panel, 6 x 8 inches, 2009

#31

Ashley in Sunlight

Ashley is very self-contained in this huddled pose. Only her over-the shoulder glance at the viewer is inviting, except perhaps the light on the wall behind her, which opens up the composition a bit. I enjoyed mixing the dusty rose hue of her top, which is trapped between the denim shorts and her striking blue eyes.

SOLD

oil on linen panel, 8 x 6 inches, 2009

#30 

Shelbie Veiled

There is something defiant, or maybe just self assured, about Shelbie as she looks askance out of the space of the picture. Mostly though this was just fun to paint. I love rendering delicate materials like her veil, as well as the sheer trim and small pearls that adorn her gown.

oil on linen panel, 8 x 6 inches, 2009
#29

Tiffany in Ermine

Tiffany is from a small town in northern Michigan, but she showed up at the studio with the most amazing collection of vintage clothing and accessories, mostly borrowed from a nearby community theater. I couldn't resist working with the stole, even though she was a little queasy about it herself. It turns out she's quite an animal lover, but she soldiered on. I love how her chestnut locks tumble into the similarly colored fur of the unfortunate ermine trio.

SOLD

oil on linen panel, 8 x 6 inches, 2009

#28