Palette Knife Portraits

Posting the finished palette knife sketch from my teaching class start at The California Art Institute last week. It's come quite a long way in one more go at it with a fresh eye. I had to finish Mather's likeness from my head but I like doing that sometimes.

The staggeringly wonderful Robert Henri (author of the art bible The Art Spirit) suggested artists go into a life painting room, look at the model and the pose, and then go into a completely different room to paint what you could remember from your time observing the model.

I find I can usually remember more than I think and I think Henri was onto something!

The Art Spirit
12 x 16"
NFS
oil on linen via palette knife
copyright Johanna Spinks

Close-up