The Art Critic?

Honored: invited to judge Simi Valley Art Assoc. Annual Open Show again in California. 

Cash prizes. Open to all artists. 


This ptg. a favorite of mine by Norman Rockwell "The Art Critic" painted in 1955. Oh boy, to paint like this master. It's just impossible. And he is still not in The Met in New York's collection.

www.simivalleyart.org

It's #RAINN -ing Portraits

Eighteen mini- portraits commissioned so far for my @RAINN "#Face of Me Too" fund-raiser in this month's Sexual Assault and Prevention Month.

My goal is $10,000. I am at almost $4,000 so far. Complete donation by me and free shipping worldwide. Click the link below to get yours for a $200 donation and find out more about the importaint work RAINN is doing, the leading advocacy group in the USA to prevent sexual abuse and violence running a 24 hour hotline.

There is now a bit of a wait for these minis. There are also no changes to them due to the fund-raising nature of this project. I supply my time, supplies, free shipping and don't take a cent. You supply the photos and I ship out when I feel I have created my best.

These six were commissioned by one family including the family pet!

GET YOUR FUND RAISING PORTRAIT

Mini Portraits Painted By Johanna Spinks for #RAINN fundraiser.

Holiday Portrait Demo and Workshop

Thank you to The Westlake Village Art Guild in California for inviting me to demo at it's full house Holiday dinner meeting last night.

A lot 'festiveness' to get painted in a short 90 minute demo but my palette knife helped me get there for a quick finish of the festive head piece toward the end.  Another 90 minutes would have been great!

This review just in!

Thank you Johanna for the wonderful way you broke down your process last night!  I loved the mis-en-place concept and seeing how you built depth in your painting while keeping your original intent with your lights and darks!  Hearing your insights on painting portraits and working with clients was also very helpful!!!  What a great evening for all of our members to learn! 

Anette Power

WVAG Program Chair

Thank to beautiful Lynette who modeled so well here.

And yes, it's for sale. $395, plus shipping.
buyhere

I'll be teaching a painting workshop for WVAG Jan 26th -28th covering all aspects of painting. "Oil Painting - A Valued Approach By Johanna Spinks". More details here.
http://www.westlakevillageartguild.org/events.html

Close-up

Holly And The Ivy
Demo For Sale
clickhere

In progress

Phew...it's done.

Great Crowd

Off we go!

About 30 minutes in. 

Where Women Create Feature Article

Honored to have a feature about my studio and portrait work in the Winter edition of "Where Women Create - Inspiring Work Spaces of Extraordinary Women", a U.S. magazine.

It is an incredibly inspiring glossy mag. of super high production value. I have enjoyed reading it so much since I was first introduced to it by my good pal artist Theresa H. It's something I savor each edition.

You can find the magazine at high end newsstands or order online. Box at top right bar of this blog will take you straight to the link or click on the link below the cover magazine image.

Thank you to WWC! Also,  a huge thank you to  LA based photographer Dave Teel for a great photo shoot.

Find Magazine Here

Pink Pussy Hat

I dedicate this new large format palette knife to all my sisters out there, no matter what hat you wear. It was inspired by a young lady I met thru Etsy who was making these hats for the the Womens' March in America. I found her story interesting and was inspired to paint it.

Pink Pussy Hat
Oil on canvas via palette knife
36"x36"
Original and Prints For sale through Saachi Art

saatchiart.com/art/Painting-The-Pink-Pussy-Hat

Contemporary Contemplation

Life just couldn't get any more fun painting super large with my palette knife.  I never really saw myself painting portraits so contemporarily but here we are.

Thank you to Mather for sitting for this.

Custom portrait commissions available in this contemporary style.

www.johannaspinks.com

My latest
"Om"
36"x36"
Via Palette Knife
By Johanna Spinks
Original and prints available for purchase at Saachi Art
saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Om

In progress - life sitting

In Situ

Live Life Large?

Work in Progress
36"x36"
By Johanna Spinks


Living out large in my art life continues...sitting from life this week. A good start but a ways to go. Thanks to lovely La Larva for sitting for me. Come back to see it done?

Go Big or Go Home?

My 2017 New Year Resolution of painting all portraits via palette knife is off to a bright start.

 I went large format for the first time ever this week in a life sitting painting my pal Keri and it was exhilarating.  My brain had to really work hard to get out of its' comfort zone.  At first I wasn't sure I could do it.

I now realize I have been building up to this for a long time.

Thank you Art Spirit.

 Stay tuned. It's going to be a year like no other in my art life. 

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

The life sitting with Keri
About two hours in. 

New Year Resolutions?

The end of the year is a good time to reflect especially after such a crazy one this year with a lot of incredible creatives lost to this living world - along with a hostile USA election year and Brexit.

My New Year's resolution is to paint my heart and art soul via my palette knife. To dig a little deeper.

It's never too late to start anything. Here me talk more about this as a recent guest on the LA TALK Live "Del and Debi Mind Body and Soul"  Radio Show. Thanks ladies for inviting me along with one of my muses ArtModelShannon.

"Every production of an artist should be the expression of an adventure of his soul", W. Somerset Maugham.

What will your expressive resolution be for the upcoming year?



clickhere to listen to the interview

On the radio talking about my portrait world and a lot of other things in between. Thank thank you to show hosts Del Adey-Jones and Debi Carlin Boyle.

The Mayor of Malibu Gets Painted.

Honored to recently have painted the current Mayor of Malibu Lou La Monte is a single life sitting  - of exactly one hour and thirty-eight minutes.

Not that speed is a measure of anything, but this Oscar-winning film director/producer is one busy guy. Also charming and contributing a ton to this great beach town. The conversation flowed easily and I like what we captured. So did he.

This sketch is featured in the current edition of The Malibu Times. Lou is my 49th sitter painted for "The Face of Malibu", an ongoing public portrait project of mine, each life sketch and sitter's unique life story featured  kindly in The Times.

Lou is the fourth Mayor of Malibu I have painted for this series from life.

Read Lou's life story here, his thoughts about Malibu, and being painted by moi!

http://www.malibutimes.com/malibu_life/article_

Thank you Lou! What a pleasure it was to meet and paint you.

Malibu Mayor Lou La Monte

At the sitting's end.

I'm A Political Winner!

Here's my latest take on the topic of Brexit.  A palette knife portrait of Britain's new Prime Minister Theresa May using her famous slogan as the title for my portrait.

The first portrait I painted around Brexit of David Cameron, see below,  was just announced a winner in the 2016 America Art Awards Political Commentary Category.

That sure was nice! Thanks to AAA judges. And special thanks to Prime Ministers David Cameron and Theresa May.

"Brexit Means Brexit - First Day- Theresa May"
By Johanna Spinks
Oil on Linen via Palette Knife

"Brexit - Last Day - David Camerion"
By Johanna Spinks
Oil on Linen Via Palette Knife
Voted a winner by America Art Awards 2016 Political Commentary Category.

Corset Love...

By now, everyone knows I love painting and drawing corsets. I did a ton of them in 2010 and they flew out of the studio like hot cakes into many homes.

I have built up quite a corset collection over the years after developing an interest in them as a very young woman, long before I thought of painting them.

Anyho,  I decided to revisit one of my corsets,  painting it with a palette knife. The corset is a lavish stunner.

Hope you enjoy...

"Roses and Pearls"
8x8" Oil on Board
with Gold Leaf
For sale via Daily Paintwork auction...very affordable daily painted gems for all art budgets.

clickhere

Lights, Camera, Action -Paint!

Thanks to The San Fernando Valley Art Club
for inviting me to do a portrait demo for the third time. Thanks also to my lovely artist pal Theresa for sitting for me. Thanks also to a new collector who purchased the sketch hot off the easel. I post the stages. Hope you enjoy.

Heads UP! Tonight's The Night...

Heads Up! My Portrait Demo tonight at The San Fernando Valley Art Club Featuring My Palette Knife/Brush Approach
Details at Link Below

"Ahead"
By Johanna Spinks
Oil on Masonite  Board
Gold/Copper  Leaf
8x8"
One of DailyPaintWorks" Auction Choice  of The Day

Bid here:
dailypaintworks.com/artists/johanna-spinks

http://www.sfvartclub.org

Paint An Apple, Paint A Face.

Years ago I was told if you can paint an apple well, you can then do a face. I did both this week from life, via my palette knife, both in same color compliments. Both still excite. Thanks to photographer/art muse Timothy Clark for sitting for me. What a nice guy.

Timothy 16 x 12"
Oil on linen
via palette knife
www.johannaspinks.com

"Spa Lunch"
Oil on Board
5x7"
by Johanna Spinks
www.johannaspinks.com

Single life sitting
Timothy Clark
via my palette knife
www.johannaspinks.com

"Southern Charm's" Patricia Altschul Portrait Sitting

Bravo TV is back with its' hit show "Southern Charm", new series premiere this week,  starring the one and only witty and gorgeous grande dame Patricia Altschul - along with a cast of real life characters from the delightful town of Charleston.

http://patriciaaltschul.com

I was lucky enough to paint Patricia  recently at her beautiful historical home in Charleston for my "Face of Charleston" portrait project with The Charleston Mercury Newspaper. See pictures below.

portrait-in-profile-pat-altschul-at-home

The sitting was a real delight, as was Patricia. Alas, it was a Sunday and the butler's day off so I didn't get to drink a martini with her at the sitting's end. The consolation was playing with a new puppy.

Patricia is famous on the hit American show for her crisp martinis along with her hilarious equally crisp one-liners about pretty much everything. Vogue Magazine has done a couple of articles about her witticisms.

patricia-altschul-cocktail-party-rules/

patricia-altschul-life-lessons/

http://www.bravotv.com/southern-charm

I knew it was not a good day for my portrait painting hand to be 'off', even a little bit, or spill oil paint on the lush cream carpet and  softly lemon-colored walls. We chatted about all sorts of things as I painted Pat  in her sumptuous Southern living room. She looked so glam in a golden gown and perfectly coiffed hair.  Impeccable make-up. I felt a big scruffy next to her. Most of all, how on earth could I capture all of this quickly? After about  a two hour single life sitting,  Patricia saw the portrait for the first time. I was super glad her first reaction to seeing the oil sketch of her was a big smile. Phew. She could not have been more gracious toward it - or me.

I was also glad the cream carpet escaped a fallen brush or drip or two.  But I must confess to missing that martini once the pressure was off.

Patricia Altschul
By Johanna Spinks
Single sitting, two hours.
Painted for The Face of Charleston 

Patricia see her life sketch for the first time.

David Bowie...

I was in a retro nostalgia Bowie mood and invited the incredible @vnixie to sit for me today, via palette knife,  to capture that feeling. She is perfection, as was he. 

I was lucky to meet Bowie once, a long time ago. You could feel his presence in the room. Such a genius creator and innovator. 

Life is sadder with this legend gone but of course he is just with Major Tom. Back shortly. 

V-Nixie
By Johanna Spinks
Via Palette Knife
16 x 20"
www.johannaspinks.com

HeART Love Letter

Happy Valentines... and a little HeART  loveletter from my studio

readhere

Love Letter
By Johanna Spinks
Sold
www.johannaspinks.com

Unsung Hero Portrait Series

Honored to have been commissioned to paint a series of "Unsung Heroes" for The Ventura Breeze Newspaper  by gracious Jordan and  Sandra Laby. Here is our fourth recipient Elizabeth Cornejo at her presentation lunch with the Labys. Single life sitting. Thanks also to ace publisher Sheldon Brown

Read Elizabeth's courageous life story:
here

Elizabeth Cornejo
24x18"
By Johanna Spinks
Single life sitting
www.johannaspinks.com

Presentation lunch with Elizabeth and series' gracious sponsors Sandra and Jordan Laby. Kindly appearing in The Ventura Breeze.