Green Renewal of The Fires

Chris Dali - "Renewal"
By Johanna Spinks
36 x 36", via palette knife

The Face of Malibu Rebuilds
By Johanna Spinks
A series of interviews and sketches by Spinks appearing weekly in The Malibu Times featuring the rebuild of people who have lost everything. 

Green renewal on the fire torn mountains - and within me. This portrait of Chris Dali, relative of the great surrealist painter Salvador Dali, was started the day of the Malibu wildfires that took 600 homes and two-thirds of my neighborhood. Yet alone, the rest of the destruction through California.

It was started the day of the fires, from a three hour life sitting with Chris, and survived an absolute inferno blazing around my studio, home and neighborhood in a way that is hard to describe and  nothing short of a miracle that my home, studio, and this painting and other paintings didn't burn. The fire came right up to my kitchen back door and studio front door but decided to go, unfortunately, to my neighbors. We have some big repairs but nothing compared to others. 

I did lose quite a few commissioned portraits in Malibu homes that burned to the ground. I am so sad for these familes who have lost everything. It is going to be a long re-build. As some of you know,  I been painting "The Face of Malibu- Rebuilds" with The Malibu Times, donating my time sketching, interviewing and writing about people who have lost everything  in the fires while still being displaced myself. So far about 11 people have been featured. The interviews are painful and tears on both sides are often shed. 

The green portrait of Chris has been sitting on my easel for three months, waiting for me to get back to it, defying me not to finish it after all it has been through with nature. The journey home and back to life has been slow. It was three and a half weeks before we could legally get to our home with roads opening, yet alone live there. We managed to hard-hike in once and it was just devastating to see the destruction and not be able to immediately protect your home from incoming rats and terrible smoke damage with broken windows. Nothing happens until those roads open! Now, friends' burned homes are being bulldozed to the ground. Humbling. Shattering. Something life doesn't prepare you for, to watch. 

Three months later, I am feeling so grateful I got to finish this portrait of Chris. It will aways be a special painting for me, as will the new series and the very brave people I am also grateful to have met.

I also show the "Face of Malibu Rebuild" sitters who I have met so far. The series continues weekly.

Thanks
Johanna

Saatchi Art's The Other Art Fair - Almost Here

POP-Traits!
By Johanna Spinks
Now accepting commissions. 

My POP-Trait paintings are being packed and my business cards are at the ready. Saatchi Art's sponsored "The Other Art Fair" show,  which travels from London to Australia with various U.S. locations/stops is almost here.  It's a big production and I am honored to have been hand-picked by a Saatchi panel of judges to show.

I am looking forward to the experience and will be posting here. It is a four day event in Los Angeles this weekend featuring about 120 artists from 800 applicants. Some artists are flying in internationally to show which makes me so grateful that I am so local.

I do still have a few comp. tickets. Emal me.

So far, the pre- show organisation, and its'  team,  have been impressive, not to mention friendly which is always good.

Stay tuned! I hope to see some of you there. I am at stand #30 with my POP-Trait! series of large format portraits painted in two sittings via my palette knife.

Thanks to Dave Teel Photography for this photo.

Comp. Tickets - The Other Art Fair, Los Angeles

Thanks for following this blog and my artwork. It means the world to me.

As a small thank you to readers that are local,  I have a few comp. tickets to The Other Art Fair, Los Angeles. Contact me at johanna@johannaspinks.com if you would like to attend. You can choose the day you would like to go at a link I will give you.

This promises to be a great show of contemporary art and I am excited to show my "POP-Traits!" for the first time which some of you have been following on this blog.

I will be blogging about the four day show so stay tuned.

Johanna

Naming Paintings...

Very impressed with the folks at Saatchi putting on this show.  The pre-show prep is very thorough.
  My POP-Trait series featuring comtemporary portraiture has been handpicked by a panel of judges  to show at The Other Art Fair presented by Saatchi Art in Los Angeles

Naming paintings is almost as hard as painting them...any ideas for a title on this one? Just finished this week. 

My latest POP-Trait portrait of the lovely Alexandria Morrow painted in two life sittings via palette knife, 36 x 36"

My "Pop-Trait" Series Unveiled

Excited my "Pop-Trait" series will be unveilded for the first time at this huge contemporary show. As many of you know I have been quietly working away on this series for almost two years now. All 36 x 36" and mostly painted from life in two sittings via my palette knife.

I have had the most encourging words from my dear friend and mentor Everett Raymond Kinstler, N.A., painter of eight American presidents and a who's who of America over the last 60 years.

Kinstler says of this new body of my work:

“I am impressed with your new striking portraits. I think you are on to something. They are fresh, contemporary and different. The new scale and size lend themselves to very modern settings and a new audience."

How cool is that. Thank you dear Mr. K.
www.everettraymondkinstler.com

 I will be posting the whole collection over the next few weeks. Please stay tuned. Would love your feedback.  There are about 24 of them now.  

Taking Risks Is Risky?

Just finished up this new large format palette knife to add to my building  collection of now twelve started at the  beginning of this year, all painted from life in two sittings-  and all 36 x36". Some friends of mine have sat for me along with some professional models, but even more excitingly, people I have just met in my hometown walking on the street so to speak.

I love painting people from life who are completely new to the experience and I  think it makes me paint better.

The large format super bright coloration via palette knife has been quite an extraordinary exploration within my portrait world - and like nothing I have done before. At times I have felt I really must stop and go back to what is safe. But exploring makes you learn, grow, and nurture, yes,  independence from art formulas that artists can get stuck in when they start selling their art to collectors. They get known for a certain 'look' and that is what they have to keep producing so their collector base doesn't get confused and head for the hills.

Taking risks is risky.

But something keeps driving me forward to continue perhaps thanks to great feedback from some very kind folks in the most surprising places.

Here is my latest finished today in time for July 4th Independence Day in America.

"Independence"
By Johanna Spinks
36 x 36"
Available through Saachi Online
click here

In Situ
Who says you can't hang paintings on patios?

The second of two life sittings via palette knife. Thank you as always to the beautiful Lynette.

Got The Blues?

Shades of complimentary orange and blues...I met Chris as he was leaving a wine bar wearing this really great hat. I knew he had a really great face to paint so I approached him to sit for me. I wasn't disappointed. A few weeks later he came into my studio for two sittings, and this is what we created -probably my favorite large portrait so far this year. 36x36" via my palette knife.

Thank you Chris.

"Steel"
By Johanna Spinks
36x36"
Oil on canvas, via palette knife
For purchase at Saachi Online
gohere

In situ...what a beautiful wall.

Painted in two life sittings. Thank you Chris!  What a great young man.

In progress...end of first sitting

Neon Lit Palette Knife Journey?

My journey this year painting large portraits  via a palette knife continues. Here is my most recently completed one with the lovely Amina done in two sittings of about three hours.

I am surprised - and challenged - by what is coming off the canvas. It is so different from anything that has come before in my creative journey  but I also know I must continue to see what develops. I also know I have been leading up to these neon large format palette knives for a while.  

I started painting portraits with a knife about four years ago in my non-commissioned work. I started exploring the neon color, lots of drips, about two years ago in my back grounds. 

My goal is to make these large one look really abstract closeup. Just dabs of unconnected paint. But view from a distance, they read as a whole. 

Hope you enjoy!

"The Coral Earring"
36x36"
By Johanna Spinks
Oil on canvas via palette knife
Available for purchase at Saachi Online
Go here

Two life sittings. Here is the then end of the first one. I'm happy if I have got the eyes done as to me they are the most important part of the painting. 

In situ, pretty as a picture

Close-up, trying to leave as much of that original toned pink as I can, laying cool colors over the top. Mostly. 

Coral earring.

Tuneful Songbird Gets Painted.

The lated large format portrait painted from life in two sittings.
Thank you to beautiful songbird Christine Nelson.

The first sitting. Must get the eyes right!

"Retro" By Johanna Spinks
Oil on canvas via palette knife
36"x36"

For sale through Saachi Online