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.

Draw Today, Draw Tomorrow

Pastel sketch, 12" x 12"

My 365 Days of Drawing Challenge 2010 featured in American Artist Magazine, August 2011

I get twitchy when I don't spend time on my drawing - no matter what is going on in the studio and in my regular life.

My 365 Days of Drawing challenge to myself last year, recently featured in American Artist Magazine, has left me with this twitchy condition, a huge plus. I know if I don't work on my improved drawing skill set hard-earned in 2010 it will soon disappear.

If you played the piano and didn't show up for a few days to do your scales, you would feel rusty. I don't like feeling rusty.

So here's is last night's effort. Actually, a two-sitting drawing. Pastel

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 clerical robes...what was I thinking?

On the radio today. Catch me at noon west coast time on The Lyn Fairly and Friends Show

http://www.kvta.com/on-air/lyn-fairly/

Top image is a portrait commission just about to leave my easel. A reverend from the mid-1800s for a church collection. My second reverend for this collection. I wanted a back light on my sitter. A candlelight kinda feel. That I made up from my head.

The photo reference was minimal for this posthumous portrait. Only one ever-so grainy photo of an old 'head' portrait done of this reverend - and not a good one at that. No clothing I could count on.

So how did I do the vestments? Research. Always do your homework. I looked up other clerical portraits from the time for feel and style. Then I posed some cloth on a dress form in my studio under a light and the rest is history.

I wanted a contemporary color harmony tho' as I feel it important to paint in your own time period even if you are painting someone from a long time ago.

Hope you like.