Vermeer - the hottest thing since sliced bread?

My favorite painter Vermeer traded his master pieces for bread just to survive.

I guess he had no time to second guess his art work, never imagining in his wildest croissant dream moment that he would be the hottest thing since sliced bread centuries later, his "Girl With a Pearl Ear-Ring" idolized world-over.

Did he like his paintings when he finished them I wonder? He was a SLOW methodical painter, fastidious in technique, who apparently did very few paintings in his lifetime. Being the bread-winner, got in the way.

Not that I am anything close to a Vermeer, but I promised I would post the' finish' of this painting just off easel, after the earlier 'mushy middle' stage post. I am now in the final stage wondering if a good crusty warm french loaf is in my future.

"SILENT LONGING"

American Stories By Johanna Spinks, copyrighted.

18"x24"

oil on linen, framed

$1,500

Shipping $50

How to paint hair?

Super nice guy Peter Godinez of Xerox, made this surprise nod about my Face of Ventura Project.

Hair is fun to paint, so is a bald head but I really must remember to brush my OWN hair more when someone is filming from behind.

Where is the hair and makeup team when you most need them? Oh, who cares! So long as the sketch turns out ok. Thanks Peter!

http://youtu.be/idfH96wfXC4

Dog Tired With Sargent

Bentley Azure is not just any old toy dog. Oh no. He gets to sleep in front of huge portrait paintings by John Singer Sargent. Now how cool is that???

This one, of sitter Pauline Astor, c. 1898, is at the Huntington Gardens Library in Pasadena, Ca. It is said to be Sargent's largest and most impressive full-length portrait in a landscape setting.

The dog pulling on the cool satin gown, a marvel in itself, is a spaniel and certainly female. Bentley could not take his eyes off her all night.

He is dog tired today.

It's A Dog's Life..

My mistress is bored of doing her blog so has handed it over to me for today.

My name is Bentley Azure. I am a very smart silky terrier and handsome in a canine sort of way which you can see in my distinguished portrait here which was featured in The New York Times a few years ago. What a 'DOUBLE WOOF' surprise that was.

SHE didn't do a bad job of my likeness but I think there is 'something' wrong about the mouth" for sure.

As a trusted studio companion for nine years now and I have seen it all, from the fur flying on the bad painting days to being served fresh chopped liver on a silver platter on the good.

Unfortunately the bad days seem to outweigh the good from where I sit and observe - and I am often treated just LIKE chopped liver, only once in a while allowed to sit on that comfy red portrait throne in HER studio.

This weekend is quiet after a busy studio week. . A party tonight. A portrait sketch to finish tomorrow. Hopefully that will mean some good quality 'curl up' on the couch time while SHE is distracted with those little black sticks that look like they come from the garden.

FACE of Ventura...Public Demo tonight...

I am doing a public demo tonight from 6 to 8pm at Ventura Harbor, The Greek Restaurant, for my Face of Ventura project. Here is this week's sitter film director Lorenzo Destephano, creator of The Ventura Film Society and currently working with legendary actor John Hurt....wowee,,,

Now that's a chap I'd like to chat to over a martini - but not two. Might fall off my manola's.

Painting- The Mushy Middle Stage

I am at the mushy middle stage of this painting, knowing I will bring it 'home' but quite a lot of work to do still.

I said I would post it again as a 'work in progress' so hope you find it interesting. Those yellow arches on the left will disappear tomorrow. That is the original ground. and there is a lot of tweaking all around that needs to be done.

Most of all, I am working 'inside out'. Finishing an area almost to completion and then working outward from it. I find this a challenge and it is not my usual process but the great master artist Morgan Weistling www.morganweistling.com often works this way and he has inspired me, as he often does, to try new things around old concepts of hanging on to one's drawing, value control, and compostion concept.

Who knows...every painting or sketch has a 50/50 % chance of being a somewhat success or complete disaster. Don't ya think?

PS..unless you are Mr. Weistling.

TALK TIME...

Catch me today on KKZZ am 1400 Talk Radio today, The Lyn Fairly show, 11 am to 12 noon, talking about guess what?

Thanks to photographer James Scolari for this great photo of me painting my most recent Face of Ventura. Ventura Film Society Founder Lorenzo Destephano who will also be on the show.

Call in and chat to us.

805- 639-0008.