PARTY HAT TIME. HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Available for purchase. Email johanna@johannaspinks.com

pastel and water wash, 16 x 24"

My first one-handed drawing (yes, I broke my wrist, frustrating for an artist!) and my last drawing of 2011 on the last day of the year. Feels good to get back in the saddle.

HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL!

How To Paint Silk

Girl With A Mandarin Collar

Oil on linen panel

8"x10"

$500

$5 shipping

I painted this silk collar as my demo at The California Art Institute. The silk collar excited me. I painted it fast with dry brush work directly onto the dry linen board with a scratchy old brush and no medium. Thick paint. I like to get in and out fast! Old brushes are very useful. Especially tooth brushes. Don't overlook them.

The third image is from a commission just before I finished it. This is a more polished silk. I took more time on it. Worked with a small brush, following the form. The 'box' of the rib cage is very apparent here. I was working the silk over it. The box was softened and widened at the finish. More gold thread added to the pattern.

FACE OF Ventura By Johanna Spinks - HALFWAY SHOW

Johanna Spinks from Peter Godinez -Xerox Ambassador on Vimeo.

Draw Today, Draw Tomorrow

Last night's drawing: Gazella, Pastel, 16 x 20

How To Hang An Art Show Easily...What Was I Thinking?

Any personal art show puts me in a state of unease. This one, is for my Face of Ventura Halfway Celebration, was relatively easy.

You ask why, dear blog reader, from all over the world? NO need to comment.

*No framing. BLISS!!! I planned it that way at the start of this project very deliberately. Gallery wrap mount canvas all the way. Exactly the same size, 16"x16". Same warm colored co-hesive ground.

* No picture selection. BLISS!!!

Obviously ALL of the 27 sitters painted so far in my FACE of VENTURA PROJECT, have to hang. Well, you know what I mean. 28 more to paint. Some are good, some are fair, some are not. That is what you get from life-painting, and a real sitter at that, not a model. Can't be an art winner every time.

* Experienced engineer there to measure precisely and punch nails. Guess wot, he is ONE of the FACES. Mr. Jerry English. I planned it that way. Err, not. Happy accident.

* Ever so gracious host, willing to repaint walls, and make everything VERY comfortable, The Ventura Executive Suites! clickhere

Chocolate thrown into the mix.

You get the picture. Cute blog post - so be there! It is the least you can do.

CONSIDER YOURSELF INVITED!

Cease and Assist The Greats..?

My sketch yesterday from life, two hours

Sketch from a year ago, done from photos I took

Sketchbook sketch from life

Block-in for painted sketch

Chelsea has the type of face I love to paint. Not to mention being a super person. I hadn't seen her for a year since my stint at "Weekend With The Masters" assisting the inimitable master painter Morgan Weistling. http://www.morganweistling.com/

It was fun to re-visit with her when she arrived at the studio of another inimitable master, Jeremy Lipking, http://www.lipking.com/, to model for his packed three-day workshops. Lucky for me, I was also assisting Lipking on this day. I find Lipking to be in a painting world class all of his own. That is why I choose to assist him.

Someone close to me asked me the other day:"Why are you assisting another artist? Aren't you too far along with your own art career to be 'seen' doing that?"

Well, quite frankly, no. Being around brilliance often makes one raise one's own art game. There is no fudging this level of mastery however you try to sugar-coat it. Also, the greats I have been lucky enough to be around, work very hard I have noticed, on top of their natural born gifts. They are also incredibly generous in spirit too to an artist like myself wanting to get to the next level.

So between my assisting duties (and of course watching Lipking's magnificent ethereal morning demo) I squeezed in a two hour sketch of my own yesterday afternoon. Top image. I also post one I did of Chelsea, a year ago, from photos I took, after the Masters weekend. Also, a drawing I did of Chelsea from life quietly in my sketchbook while assisting Weistling.

It is interesting for me to see the difference. A year is a long time in an artist's life. The darks in my old sketch are now too heavy for my liking.

For details on Lipking workshop schedule and his regular Tuesday night class go here: http://www.lipking.com/

For details on Morgan Weistling 'everything' go here: www.morganweistling.com/

For details on Everett Raymond Kinstler, N.A., (I don't paint anything without thinking of this great man every day) go here: http://www.everettraymondkinstler.com/

Wham Bam! One hour demo at CAI

A busy teaching semester at The California Art Institute. Some new students in my Wednesday class along with old. Painting the figure from life, still life and landscape.

Yes, we do it all in this class! My Valued Approach (five value system) easily applies to all aspects of painting.

Decided to show new students how the form principle applies just as easily to an apple as a face.

The demo had to be quick as there was a lot to teach working on each student's canvas too.

Total painting time ONE HOUR on this demo.

Yes, not perfect. But the teaching message there.

To Catch A Chief...Face of Ventura Project

This has to be one of my favorite, and most interesting, sitters so far in my 'Face of Ventura'project...Chief Ken Corney of The Ventura Police Department. Now there is a guy with a high-pressure job. BTW, every sitter has been SUPER!

I can't give you any more details of my sitting with the Chief as I might get arrested. Chief Corney was certainly very arresting, full of wit and warmth, great stimulating conversation, and a clear passion for what he does.

THANK YOU CHIEF CORNEY!!!

And thank you to all the supporters of this project so far. WOW! But especially Sheldon Brown of The Ventura Breeze featuring the series.

How To Paint Eye Wear...What was I thinking?

I seem to be painting a lot of eye wear recently. So, how to paint eye glasses? Leave them to the very end of session and get in and out faster than a bank robbery leaving just a few notes of paint.

Then it's money in the bank!

My teaching class in now back in session, Wednesday mornings, at The California Art Institute, Westlake Village, Ca. Join me for each First Friday of the month 'in studio' painting day.

Email me for details johanna@johannaspinks.com

A Man About Town...Face of Ventura

Meet Mark Hartley, my latest sitter for my The Face of Ventura project being kindly featured in each edition of The Ventura Breeze.

Mark is a pretty amazing man and I knew I wanted to paint him for my series very much. He takes credit for much of the great renovation that has happened in downtown Ventura, taking old buildings and restoring them to their former glory. If you haven't been to his restaurant The Watermark you are missing out, not just on fine-dining, but the exquisite building containing the restaurant. It has to be seen to be believed. On top of all of this restoration, Mark is a big-wig music industry mogul. A man about town!

Anatomy of a Portrait Demo...What Was I Thinking?

Demo's End, One Hour Twenty Minutes.

Glad I brushed my hair.

Focus, focus. Paint your training.

Get the big shapes in of light and shadow. Draw well!

Forget those cookies on the coffee table. Make use of the breaks! Time is short.

Engage with those beautiful blue eyes. Feel it.

Gratitude For The Journey, a lovely sitter, and my mentor Mr. Everett Raymond Kinstler! www.everettraymondkinstler.com

To paint a demo in an hour and twenty minutes with a sitter picked from the crowd that you have never met before, me talking all the way, answering the artist audience's questions, with lights, camera, action blaring, and a microphone that is playing up, what was I thinking?

Well, you tell me?

Thanks to my friends at The SFVAC for the gracious invite to show my approach. It was a fun evening.

Do or Dare?...Portrait Demo Tonight.

Sink or swim? Join me tonight at the San Fernando Valley Art Club where I will be doing a public portrait demo. One hour and twenty minutes to paint a sitter chosen from the crowd. Should be fun!!!

http://www.sfvartclub.org/

This sketch is a demo I did in my recent class at The California Art Institute. NEW SEMESTER NOW ENROLLING. Email me for details.

Enjoying painting on a somewhat distressed board I prep. myself. The paint gets sucked in like ink on blotting paper. It takes several rounds to make it work.

Should I leave those boards home tonight? Play it safe? Do or dare?

The Face of Ventura ...What was I thinking...

I was honored to paint all around great person Josh Addison for my Face of Ventura series. So what was I thinking?

I had better not mess this up! He is the guy who founded The Bell Arts Factory that I rent my studio. Not a good day to hit a bum note with drawing and a likeness.

I think I did ok. I sure had fun with him. Thank you Josh.

More Sketching at The V&A

Blissful sketching at The V&A continues...this one a white marble winner, 'The Bather' by Albert Toft. He was obviously a very clever chap. His sculpture wasn't half bad either.

Older post:

I decided to spend more time than I ever thought possible sketching at London's Victoria and Albert Museum over the last few days...so what was I thinking as I sat there sketching watched by onlookers over four day period?

*It is so cool the V@A (http://www.vam.ac.uk/) have these little 'sketching' chairs for artists who want to sketch in the sculpture gallery - how thoughtfully British. All we need now is Union Jack sketch books for sale in the gift shop.

*The history of this great art institution - and to be sketching amid its' mind-blowing contents - is making the hairs on my neck stand out.

*People do - and say - the funniest things to draw attention to themselves and to distract the artist from drawing. Are they secretly envious? One lady explained the intricacies of breastfeeding to her seven year-old daughter loudly in front of me. NOT KIDDING! I didn't fall for it. My concentration remained intact. She was puzzled.

* How on earth did this sculptor, Aime-Tules Daleu, 1873, render this piece of a peasant girl breast-feeding her tot? It is very tender. Certainly for a mom. The crowds roaming through the V@A love it. Or is it just my drawing they are checking out? I sure got a lot of comments.

*I am so grateful that I now have the drawing confidence to sketch and copy masterpieces in museums, and I really enjoy it. Thank you to the ' 365 Days of Drawing' challenge I set myself last year. I continue to discipline myself to draw very often now, hence being in the V@A, when I could be in the local pub having a large G&T with friends. Ok...I did that too. Later.

* Simplify and connect the shapes. Know what to leave out. Hmmm...it is good to have a mentor. I think of Mr. Kinstler's words all the time, near or far. http://www.everettraymondkinstler.com/

* I must do a close-up of the sculpture's face AND another of the full figure. I have not lost my Type A personality with jet lag. DRATS.

* Why was that scone in the V@A tea room, in front of the exquisite Pre-Raphealites' stained glass windows, A, so expensive (err, derrrr!) and, B, so stale? Unforgivable. I have had better scones in America at that awful coffee chain beginning with S. That is telling you something.

Come back tomorrow to see more drawings from my serene sketching sojourn at The V&A....

Another Day Sketching at The V&A

This was a marble bust of a child called Innocence. How I wanted to take that bust home...least I got a drawing out of it.

I decided to spend more time than I ever thought possible sketching at London's Victoria and Albert Museum over the last few days...so what was I thinking as I sat there sketching watched by onlookers over four day period?

*It is so cool the V@A (http://www.vam.ac.uk/) have these little 'sketching' chairs for artists who want to sketch in the sculpture gallery - how thoughtfully British. All we need now is Union Jack sketch books for sale in the gift shop.

*The history of this great art institution - and to be sketching amid its' mind-blowing contents - is making the hairs on my neck stand out.

*People do - and say - the funniest things to draw attention to themselves and to distract the artist from drawing. Are they secretly envious? One lady explained the intricacies of breastfeeding to her seven year-old daughter loudly in front of me. NOT KIDDING! I didn't fall for it. My concentration remained intact. She was puzzled.

* How on earth did this sculptor, Aime-Tules Daleu, 1873, render this piece of a peasant girl breast-feeding her tot? It is very tender. Certainly for a mom. The crowds roaming through the V@A love it. Or is it just my drawing they are checking out? I sure got a lot of comments.

*I am so grateful that I now have the drawing confidence to sketch and copy masterpieces in museums, and I really enjoy it. Thank you to the ' 365 Days of Drawing' challenge I set myself last year. I continue to discipline myself to draw very often now, hence being in the V@A, when I could be in the local pub having a large G&T with friends. Ok...I did that too. Later.

* Simplify and connect the shapes. Know what to leave out. Hmmm...it is good to have a mentor. I think of Mr. Kinstler's words all the time, near or far. http://www.everettraymondkinstler.com/

* I must do a close-up of the sculpture's face AND another of the full figure. I have not lost my Type A personality with jet lag. DRATS.

* Why was that scone in the V@A tea room, in front of the exquisite Pre-Raphealites' stained glass windows, A, so expensive (err, derrrr!) and, B, so stale? Unforgivable. I have had better scones in America at that awful coffee chain beginning with S. That is telling you something.

Come back tomorrow to see more drawings from my serene sketching sojourn at The V&A....

Sketching at The Victoria and Albert Museum...What Was I Thinking?

I decided to spend more time than I ever thought possible sketching at London's Victoria and Albert Museum over the last few days...so what was I thinking as I sat there sketching watched by onlookers over four day period?

*It is so cool the V@A (http://www.vam.ac.uk/) have these little 'sketching' chairs for artists who want to sketch in the sculpture gallery - how thoughtfully British. All we need now is Union Jack sketch books for sale in the gift shop.

*The history of this great art institution - and to be sketching amid its' mind-blowing contents - is making the hairs on my neck stand out.

*People do - and say - the funniest things to draw attention to themselves and to distract the artist from drawing. Are they secretly envious? One lady explained the intricacies of breastfeeding to her seven year-old daughter loudly in front of me. NOT KIDDING! I didn't fall for it. My concentration remained intact. She was puzzled.

* How on earth did this sculptor, Aime-Tules Daleu, 1873, render this piece of a peasant girl breast-feeding her tot? It is very tender. Certainly for a mom. The crowds roaming through the V@A love it. Or is it just my drawing they are checking out? I sure got a lot of comments.

*I am so grateful that I now have the drawing confidence to sketch and copy masterpieces in museums, and I really enjoy it. Thank you to the ' 365 Days of Drawing' challenge I set myself last year. I continue to discipline myself to draw very often now, hence being in the V@A, when I could be in the local pub having a large G&T with friends. Ok...I did that too. Later.

* Simplify and connect the shapes. Know what to leave out. Hmmm...it is good to have a mentor. I think of Mr. Kinstler's words all the time, near or far. http://www.everettraymondkinstler.com/

* I must do a close-up of the sculpture's face AND another of the full figure. I have not lost my Type A personality with jet lag. DRATS.

* Why was that scone in the V@A tea room, in front of the exquisite Pre-Raphealites' stained glass windows, A, so expensive (err, derrrr!) and, B, so stale? Unforgivable. I have had better scones in America at that awful coffee chain beginning with S. That is telling you something.

Come back tomorrow to see more drawings from my serene sketching sojourn at The V&A....

Man of Letters...Face of Ventura Project.

My Face of Ventura project delivers the most interesting of sitters to my studio door. I knew from the very first time I met Bill, the local postmaster in town, who is known by EVERYONE, that I wanted to paint him.

This man of letters has had a long career in the U.S. Post Office. It took him a while to think about being painted by me. I was very blessed when he said yes. Now, I have a new friend and a deeper respect for the old charming ways of snail mail.

Post those letters folks!

YOu can catch my series each week in The Ventura Breeze newspaper and on talk radio's Lyn Fairly and Friends Show, KVTA 1520 AM , Saturdays at noon.

My Class Demo -What was I thinking?

Class demo at The California Art Institute: What was I thinking? 18 x 24

Keep the skin tone overal cool

Catch the rim light on her hair

Feel 'it'

Make the separation of light and shadow strong but subtle

Connect with the sitter

Feel 'it'

Feel 'it'

Feel 'it'

THIS IS WORKING, at least for now.

The New Romantic Figure Show Opening...What was I thinking?

I went to the opening of 'The New Romantic Figure" show last night in California considering myself a bit of a romantic now and again.

It was a smaller show than I was expecting. It was a good show. I enjoyed it. Happy to see artists I really admire, like Jeremy Lipking, show me once again how a figure should be painted.

Lipking's work is flawless. A master. Period. Click here

Seeing the whole collection, I was also reminded , and oddly reassured, of the challenges us artists face painting the figure well, romantically or not. Anatomy, anatomy, anatomy. Good values and accurate drawing in the right place. There are no short cuts. There is no forgiveness in a badly rendered neck, deltoid muscle or hand. Time put in results in, well, good results out.

I was also stunned by some of the frames on these paintings. They looked like huge pieces of coffin-esque furniture and surely cost as much. I could take a pass on those.

One huge drawing by Russian born artist Alexey Steele Click here was worth the visit alone. Where did he get a piece of drawing paper that large, we were all wondering? He spent a long time on that drawing, that I can tell you. And it was masterful.

Alexey Steele coined the term "Novorealism", a new art movement spearheaded with his talented art buddies Jeremy Lipking and Tony Pro. Click here The movement's aim, I believe, is about reviving romantic realsim and idealism in this new century but don't quote me on that. Art movements come and go, names sounding a bit like birth control are chosen, but I think these three stellar guys, Pro, Steele and Lipking are going to be a big force for quite while with their work. A sturdy base of a three-cornered art pyramid, that others will build on, and aspire upwards to greater heights.

Catch the show...worth the visit.

www.callutheran.edu/kwan_fong

Kwan Fong Gallery

California Lutheran University

60 West Olsen Road

#3800

Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

August 20 thru' September 30

Featuring work by Jeremy Lipking, Tony Pro, Michael Lynn Adams, Peter Adams, Cyn McCurry, Michael Pearce, Mia Tavonatti

Image posted here is nothing to do with this show. It is by me and I feel quite romantic about it.