"Sleepy Hipster", Palette Knife Portraits

"Sleepy Hipster"
12x16
Oil, Palette Knife Portrait
By Johanna Spinks
For Sale
Contact artist johanna@johannaspinks.com

Morning All:

All I can say is I had a blast with this palette knife portrait of a sleepy hipster done in one life sitting around three hours.

I don't know why she was so sleepy but you know how those hipsters are. Up all night doing creative things. 

I think I am going to be a hipster today.  For 24 hours. Better run out and grab some black-rimmed glasses and get a cropped hair cut.

What say you?

The Face of Malibu By Johanna Spinks

Lily Castro
The Face of Malibu
As featured in The Malibu Times this week

A new day, a new project, a new risk. What risks will you take today? I would love to hear...

Read more about The Face of Malibu By Johanna Spinks here:

http://www.malibutimes.com/malibu_life/article_0051d6fc-2932-11e2-8f84-0019bb2963f4.htmlhttp://www.malibutimes.com/malibu_life/article_0051d6fc-2932-11e2-8f84-0019bb2963f4.html

Positive thoughts...

"French Brew"
Johanna Spinks
Sold


Join me email newsletter list for a free tea cup print thru' November Tea Cup Madness


Morning Friends:


This cup of brew was painted while I was in France doing an international art residency in Dinan with Les Amis de La Grande Vigne. It is very sentimental for me. I was a little nervous on arriving. Would I be able to paint well? What would I find to paint? Would my schoolgirl french get me through. Well, that was rediculous, but you know how those negative thoughts spiral.

So, on my first day I ran into the local cafe off the beaten track and nervously ordered this in said SG french. It was a cold misty morning by the Rance River and the hot brew, and bright sugar packets, hit me just right. Restored my confidence.

This cup was begging to be painted and it was. It was the first painting of about 25 I did the whole month. Every time I look at it, those memories come flooding back.

Isn't it funny, how an image can do that? Much like a song.

Take on the day
Johanna

Teacup Madness

Tin Cup of Old
By Johanna Spinks
Oil on Linen Panel
Sold

Morning friends:

Yes, you can still get your free teacup print thru' November by signing up for my newsletter above!

So what's the story behind today's teacup? I am often inspired by stories from the Old West so when I saw this beaten-up little tin teacup, I knew it had stories of old trails to tell.  A welcomed  cup of tea by a  night camp fire after a hard day battling the elements, traversing a brutal and windy terrain.

I painted this little guy with a lot of love thinking of those bygone historical times, particularly important on today's Election Day in The United States.'

I am proud to be an American having gotten my citizenship a few years back, but only after quite some effort to get it.  Today reminds me of that.  The journey. The trail.

GET OUT AND VOTE!

And have a cup of tea while you are at it.

Cookie on the side. American chocolate chip, all the way.

See ya

Johanna

Tea cup madness -Free tea cup print

Double Spode
Johanna Spinks
Mixed media on paper
8.5 x 11
SOLD

Morning all:

November Tea Cup madness continues. Join my email newsletter, button top, for a free tea-cup print!

Personally, I love this one. I have a thing for blue and white Spode china and collect it. But I also make sure I use it daily, hence many chipped and broken pieces. The earthquake in the 90's didn't help. I lost a ton of old Spode then which still makes me sad.

I did this at my First Friday Atelier Day this week. We sure had fun. I served PG Tips (strong British tea) in these very cups after I finished sketching them.

Cheers!

The Face of Ventura on TV...

Check out the TV show running locally this week about my Face of Ventura project. Thanks to TV producer George Alger, of Our Ventura TV, for doing such an excellent on site job.

Thanks so much also to the sitters also for such gracious words, interviewed here....

http://ourventura.com/face-of-ventura/1634/

http://ourventura.com/face-of-ventura/1634/

Off to the museum we go....

57 Faces of Ventura will join me tomorrow afternoon (in painted form at the very least) at the Museum of Ventura County in it's event pavilion.

Why don't you come too? Free admission, food, and song.

And a whole lot of fun in partnership with FOOD Share.

FOOD Share feeds the hungry - 74,000 mouths a month in Ventura County.

This poster is a fund raiser for them...purchase for $25, 

100 per cent of the proceeds to FOOD Share. 

email me johanna@johannaspinks.com

Paypal link coming tomorrow...

Lights, Camera Action...How to Paint A Portrait Demo On Film

Yesterday I painted Xerox Ambassador Mr.Peter Godinez, live, while being filmed over a three hour period.

How to do that? Keep it simple stupid. And make sure you request your lighting needs ahead of time. Even in a well-lit film studio, a portrait artist needs to see form.

The Ventura County Star came to do a pic for the paper toward the end so that was a double whammy. Better have something half decent to show or else. Pheweeeeee.

Just stick to the basics. Don't try for a Rembrandt if you know what I mean. And wear black.

Charming conversation while painting Mr. Godinez.  Hope I sounded somewhat co-herent while painting his fine face.  He and Xerox are very kindly donating the brochures for my show on Sunday.

The Ventura County Museum. The Face of Ventura By Johanna Spinks, 2 to 5, admission free, food wine and song.