Beautiful Lauren

I didn’t do this beautiful model justice. But I did have fun with it. I do like color, don’t I?

Pastel figure

Yesterday, I painted all day and drew into the night. What a great day! Last night I used pastels on the Colorfix paper (which I’m loving). I worked on a painting (below) that I “finished” in 2008, but just didn’t seem right. I’m determined to fix it. You’ll see… maybe tomorrow.

Figure Class

Kind of a strange class last night, but I did some fun work anyway. I may even spring to frame these. I used pastel on a wonderful paper called Colourfix paper. It’s slightly sanded so the tooth holds the colorful pastels beautifully. AND you can use a wet brush to create a wash. Love the stuff. Comes in lots of colors too. No this is not an ad.

Green Hair

Last night at our figure drawing open studio at the Sonoma Community Center, the model held the same pose for most of the evening, about an hour and a half. I brought my oils and went to work with thoughts of my Keith Wicks class and 100 Faces to direct me a bit. I worked on it this afternoon again and I am pleased with the result, certainly like it better than the last time I tried: http://candieded.wordpress.com/2010/08/25/long-pose/

Time to Paint

I had the whole day! What a treat, not only to have the time, but also to have it happen here, at home. I don’t have to move everything out of the kitchen when I’m finished.

This portrait is working out OK. I’m certainly absorbed. It doesn’t look like the model much anymore. But there are areas I really like. I don’t remember the last time I painted a face, in school in the 70s? She’s a bit splotchy but not too bad. I won’t be so nervous about a portrait the next time.

Workshop

Last week I took a two day painting workshop, an extravagant treat. I even forfeited my Friday morning selling produce (in the rain). The teacher was Keith Wicks, an excellent plein air painter and teacher from Sonoma. He is the original organizer of Sonoma Plein Air, a wonderful event I look forward to every year. He also is an alumnus of Art Center. He was there in the late 80s. I was there in the late 70s. The class was titled The Figure’s Mood in Plein Air.

I learned a lot. I have rarely painted the figure in oils (my medium of choice) so it was great to see and follow someone who is so obviously practiced and mastered the subject. I only wish there was more time to paint. This is the beginning of my portrait of the model. Can’t wait to get back to it, but I have been organizing.

Organizing? Well, yes, I have been moving my art supplies and finished paintings, books, lost paintings, lots of trash. I have been lucky enough to have a very large space to use as a studio. Turns out, I rarely painted there…just didn’t feel comfortable enough there. But I did store things, lots of things. And now the space needs a facelift and I need to move everything. I see it as a blessing, to edit and revisit all these things I have been keeping. Thank you, Wendy Westerbeke. I so appreciate that I was able to use the space and I’m glad to move it.

Figure drawings

I’m finding a bit of time here and there, plus the mental space, to draw.

I am also working on a sign for our new business. You’ll see it soon. I’ve started a new “farm blog”. You can see it at: http://paulsproduce.wordpress.com/

Uphill

I’m making a stab at this self-portrait. This image haunts me sometimes when I enjoy my hilly, cardiovascular work-outs. It’s a photo taken probably 30 years ago in a very different part of California, and such a different part of my life. I love the shapes. I will push this with Linda Christensen, in mind.

Long Pose

I have been busy with other things and have so missed art. I finally made it to the Monday figure class this week for the “long pose” session. The model holds the same pose (with breaks), from 6:30 to nine. I like to bring my oil paints for the long pose. This is the second painting I have done from the figure. Not too bad. I want to do more! I think I see a way to paint tomorrow too. Horary!

Figure Drawing

A 10 minute charcoal drawing

At our local Community Center, they offer a figure drawing class one night a week. I went last week for the first time and though it’s a huge challenge, I enjoyed it immensely. For the longer poses, (10-20 minutes) I choose watercolor. I attach a large sheet of watercolor paper to a board and tape off a number of windows so I’m ready to go. Mostly they are just good exercises, but there were a couple I am pleased with.

A taped-up full board