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

Painting California State Senator Henry Stern

I am honored recently to have painted California State Senator Henry Stern for my Face of Malibu portrait project now in its' fifth year. Senator Stern was my 59th sitter painted for this series kindly featured in The Malibu Times each month with articles (by writer Homaira Shifa) about their life and what they thought about being painted.

I did the portrait sketch of this very busy senator in a single two hour sitting and am very grateful he made the time for me.

Senator Stern is the first millennial elected to the California State Senate and we covered a lot of ground conversationally during the sitting. I wish you could have been a fly on the painting wall.

Please read more about this inspiring environmental lawyer, now a Senator, with a very bright political future ahead of him.  I feel the Gold State, us Californians,  are in very good hands.

click here_to read Senator Stern's  life story by the wonderful Homaira Shifa.

The Face Of Malibu will have a solo show at Malibu City Hall this Fall in conjunction with The Malibu Cultural Arts' Committee. I paint my 60th sitter next week! Stay tuned.

California State Senator Henry Stern
Single life sitting
For The Face of Malibu by Johanna Spink

A Special Time...Thank You Senator Stern

Portrait In Progress

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.

Worth Its' Wait in Gold?

It has taken me a long time to paint this gentleman. Two years in fact since he led a fantastic trip to Northern India in the footsteps of Buddha's life and the places he visited and was inspired by.

Work in progress...Martin Aylward.

http://www.martinaylward.com

My palette knife  is working  in frenzy here against gold leaf.

The background will be the black rock of this famous spiritual cave, rubbed with gold leaf by Buddhist pilgrims for centuries.

Come back to see more...

 "The Leader, Sariputta's Cave, Vulture Peak, India."
By Johanna Spinks
Oil on Linen Via Palette Knife

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.

Corsets Selling Like Hot...Er..Corsets

Anyone reading this blog, knows I have a passion for corsets and have been collecting them for years.

I have just "untied" a few. 

A huge studio "STEAL of A DEAL" thing is going on over at DailyPaintWorks, many sketches of mine done as demos during my time teaching at The California Art Institute and The Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art or during private studio teaching.

Five sold this week to as far a field as Switzerland to a wonderful new collector I have so enjoyed getting to meet - and email with about all things corsets. 

The prices are super affordable, to say the least, as affordable as they are ever going to be, in time for the Holidays. One thing I know is that everyone seems to absolutely love corsets. Most are oil sketches with gold leaf. 

Go here to view what's available. I am adding corset sketches daily.

stealofadeal

Life Sitting This Week
"Nothing Tolouse"
18x24"
By Johanna Spinks
Oil on Museum Quality Light Board
Just added to www.dailypaintworks.com

Sold This Week - Corset Art By Johanna Spinks
Adding Daily
www.dailypaintworks.com

Election Day Bull Dog

I painted this yesterday especially with the US election in mind which happens TODAY. Everyone is in a tizzy.

I am reminded of a GREAT leader of all time Sir Winston Churchill after binge watching Netflix's The Crown at the weekend.  Episode 9 made me teary-eyed. I won't spoil it for you. But watch this amazing show.

"You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks." Winston Churchill. Also a good painter as well as politician and poetical orator. 

The Bull Dog- Winston Churchill SOLD
Via Palette Knife
12 x 10"
by Johanna Spinks

I'm On The Radio...

They say talk is cheap -  but that can never be said when it comes to Art surely?

I will be appearing on the radio show "Del And Debi, Mind Body and Soul" this coming Tuesday to discuss all things about my portrait world. Also appearing with me will be ArtModelShannon who I painted this week. See photos below.

http://www.delanddebimindbodysoul.com

When I was asked to bring a model I like to paint along with me, who has an interesting story that would be inspiring to others,  well, there is no-one better than ArtModelShannon, a visual artist,  a fine art model AND  a full-time nurse.

Her art message is female body empowerment (among other things) and that is one helluva message for all of us. Pushing the envelope.  Plus she is a really hard working nurse helping others daily in their times of need.

Call in with your questions for us all  this Tuesday at 3.45pm.

323 473 3100

ArtModelShannon
18x24"
Single sitting
Palette knife/brush combo
By Johanna Spinks

Available for purchase at DailyPaintWorks
here

Fly on The Studio Wall...Portrait Video

Always fun to be a fly on the studio wall...

This is beautiful songstress Mather Louth who I painted from life in three sittings of around 3 hours each, 30x40".

The pose was inspired by a favorite painting of mine by master portrait artist Philip De Laszlo who painted more kings and queens than any other portraitist ever during his reign of  portrait fabulousness in the early 1800's  after taking over from John Singer Sargent when Sargent got tired of painting swagger portraits and people complaining there was  "something wrong about the mouth". Sargent's quote not mine.

I have long felt a tie to Mr. De Laszlo. This previous post explains why.

Thank you also to Ms. Mather Louth. She is extraordinary in so many ways fronting the band Heathen's Apostles.

www.matherlouth.com

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.

Thank You To Art Models...

I have worked with more art models than I  have had hot dinners over the last 20 years of life painting. I wish I could remember each and every one but the number runs into the hundreds at this point.

Each however is a special encounter for me and many have now become my friends, as we work together so often over the years.  We kind of grow up together. Art models bring so much to the studio  table and help us artists paint well. They inspire leaving us hopefully to join hands with the Art Spirit and do the rest. Art models have to show up through thick and thin, with a good attitude, smile on their face,  no matter what is going on in their personal lives. I know from my old  weekly teaching class this is not always easy. A ton can be going on behind the scenes in your daily life.

So today I just wanted to say thank you. Our collaborations are appreciated. I also wanted to say thank you to Jeremy Lipking. I have learned so much from Master Lipking about figure painting over the last few years.

www.jeremylipking.com

These two corset paintings of mine sold today to a new collector featuring two models I have been luck to paint many times, Amina Santana  and Toni Sky.

Thank you to all three.

Catch more of my corset paintings and sketches at www.dailypaintworks.com

The are super affordable and make delicious Holiday Gifts.

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

Rose Is A Rose...Upcoming Portrait Demo

I have painted Toni many times over the last 20 years and each time it's a different experiennce. This is probably one of my favorite sketches I have done of her - I don't know why. It just seemed some things came together that I have been working on for a while in my life panting. It is a mix of palette knife and brush, about 75 per cent knife.

This is what I will be demoing for The San Fernando Valley Art Club tomorrow at 6.30pm with the lovely Theresa, a friend of mine who will be sitting for me. Join us?  Link here.

http://www.sfvartclub.org

Hope you enjoy.

A Rose Is A Rose
By Johanna Spinks
16x20
$185
For purchase go to DailyPaintWork link on right sidebar

Three hour sitting at my studio

Close-up

Designing Women

Thanks to beautiful founder/designer Heidi Maria Schwark, of the ethereal children's clothing line, Luna Luna Collection, for sitting for me in my studio this week. Single life sitting 18x24".

What a lovely lady inside and out.