Self Portraits.

After the classes in portrait painting, I've been all into portraits, but have only myself as a model. So... last week I took a mirror into my studio and did a couple of self portraits. These are 2 of them which look a little bit like me. I have found that I am much more comfortable doing portraits from life than from photo, which surprises me.

I have also been doing some sketches from my living room window. Check out Urban Sketchers - Indianapolis for some of these!

Shannon

My beautiful daughter-in-law posed for us when Susan Mauck stepped in for Jerry's oil painting class. She taught us her portrait painting techniques, and after one week of dismal results, I was able to paint this the second week. Although not a very good likeness of Shannon, I'm please with the painting overall, and really excited to practise my new portrait painting skills!

View From My Studio

I'm Back!

Our computer is up and running again, HURRAH!!!! I now have a backlog of images to post, but will try to go slow, no need to bombard you with everything at once!

I did this painting recently of my view out the window of my studio. Remember, this is mid-winter. The day was gray, but not completely overcast, so there is some lights and shadows contrast on the buildings, but the color is very low-key, with not much detail visible. I think I've captured the feel of the view I could see.

Down, Not Out!!

For anyone following my blog, it must seem that I've fallen off the face of the earth.  No, I've just fallen off the world wide web.  Thanks to a nasty virus, my computer crashed last week.  It is now at the computer hospital being taken care of by the geek squad.  No access to my photos or the internet.   Currently I'm on the computer at work (the hospital) in order to have internet access.  Hopefully, in a few days we'll have our own baby back, complete with photoshop elements and my saved artwork!  Until then,  happy sketching to all!!!

Finished At Last!!

It's done!  The differences from the last time I posted this painting are subtle, but I think they make a difference.  Notice the sky...

Now, on to something new, maybe a skyline of the city?...

Broken Eggs

This still life was begun in my Wednesday evening oil painting class.  It started out OK, but quickly got very muddy and ugly.  Everything was purple!  After it dried, I went back in with a lot of drybrush and adjusted the color of almost everything, and I think it is much improved.  The inspiration is from Carole Marine's paintings of eggs as shared by our instructor,  Jerry Points.

Warm Ups

 

These are two small paintings, 6" x 8", that I did as "warm up" this past week. It helps me get going with the larger work. Today, though, I went back to them to improve both the color and brushwork. Some how, I think I'm starting to get the hang of this thing! 

It's close to done...

I worked on the large painting some, and it's almost done.  I'd like to change the sky a little, make it darker at the top and try to add a warm yellow glow at the horizon.  Have to wait for the sky to dry first!

Carole's Painting

I worked on the large painting today, it's for a friend who's been waiting a long time, until I took enough painting lessons to be able to do this! It's probably 2/3 of the way done. It isn't as large as I thought, but is just under 4 feet tall. Still large for me!

Very Small Painting

Before beginning the large painting in the last post, I decided to try a small one, just to warm up. This painting of my coffee cup is just 6" x 8". It's not terrific, but it did serve it's purpose... I was ready to begin in earnest when I'd finished this one.

Very Large Painting

This scene of a footbridge on the grounds of the IMA is one I've painted before. What's new, for me, is the size. It's nearly 5 feet tall, so I have to move it up and down to paint on different parts of it. It's just the beginning. The large areas of orange are actually acrylic paint applied to tone the canvas before beginning the oil painting. As you can see, it was not possible to even finish my color notes in one sitting. I'm definitley using a lot of paint on this one!

Lotus, for the Fourth Chakra

I've finished the Lotus abstract. I plan to put it in the upcoming show at the Stutz on Friday Feb. 5th. Hope it will be well received, maybe even sell!

Classwork

Painting these watermelons from life was the assignment in Jerry Points last oil painting class. Originally my still life had a warm neutral background, which was OK, but one of my classmates had put his watermelons on a black background, which I really liked. I changed mine the next day, to a very dark purple-blue background, and I think it works.

Still Life in Progress

This is an unfinished still life I set up in my studio. I'm having trouble with the lower right quadrant. There are about 5 thin books that the green candle is sitting on, but when I've painted them in, it doesn't look good, so I've rubbed it out. But now the candle is floating in air. Something needs to go under it, but what? Any suggestions? Also am still struggling with the background texture, and the reflections on the glass vase. Hope to work on this some more today.

My husband took our camera to work with him today, so no new photos from my studio. This is a charcoal drawing done at the open figure drawing at the Stutz a couple of months ago. It's probably the best figure drawing I've done. The Open Studio group took a winter break, we start up again this Thursday. Can't wait! I miss not only the drawing from life, but the group interaction. In my next life I'll be living in an artists' commune, where we live together, grow our own food, and do art all day. It will be in a place it's warm year round, with wonderful vistas and quaint surroundings... But for now, I love the Stutz!

The Fourth Chakra

This is about half done, it's an abstract piece I'm working on for the Stutz first Friday show, "The Fourth Chakra". The show is inconjunction with the American Heart Assn., and part of the proceeds will go to them. The fourth Chakra is the heart, it's color is green, and it is represented by the 12 petaled lotus. It signifies universal love, compassion, and forgiveness. Hope this painting will turn out well, and perhaps help the AHA.

Finished Painting?

Further refinements, and hopefully, better modeling of the bottles, though I think they are still a little flat. The thing I struggeled with most was getting colors right. During class that was what I concentrated on, never really happy with the outcome. In the studio, not having the still life in front of me, I was free to make a nice painting instead of recreating what I was seeing. It seems that either goal is valid, it would be nice to be able to attain both of them!

I made some changes to the painting from the class the evening before. Lightened the background, and changed the table to draped fabric. Tried to improve the brushwork in the bottles. But still not satisfied...

Oil Painting Classwork

Art class has started up again, with Jerry Points instructing. As usual, it's fun, interesting, frustrating, fulfilling, stimulating. I feel fortunate to have such terrific talent to learn from right here in Indianapolis. This painting is what I ended up with after the first class. It was a still life set up by Jerry after the Stutz Artists Assn. dinner, using "leftovers". There would have been more wine bottles, but someone from the dinner retrieved one or two just as class began! Of course, the glass bottles were very challenging, but the ice bucket is actually plastic, which didn't have the distortion and reflections that glass would have. I was not very happy with the painting at this point, so the next day...

Eagle Creek

This is the result of an afternoon spent photographing Eagle Creek Park in November. I'm not a very good photographer. I used to think this was a hindrance to working from my own photos, but it allows me to explore changing the composition and colors rather than just trying to copy the photo. I like the contrast of the vertical tree trunks against the horizon, and the contrast of the orange tree trunks, with the blue-purple horizon.

Heart of the City, Canal

This painting is of the view seen when coming out from under a pedestrian bridge while walking the canal downtown, just south of the Eiteljorg Museum. It is a view I have admired for some time, and finally took a camera with me on my walk to get this shot. The painting was done entirely in the studio.

This is the first painting I've started and finished while at my studio. I'm pleased with it, and certainly wouldn't have done as well without the comments/advice/guidance from fellow artists at the Stutz. I am definitley loving the art community here!

My Studio!!!!

It's been awhile since I posted, but am resolved to be a better blogger this year! Since my last post, I have rented (sub-leased) studio space at the Stutz Building in downtown Indy. I ablsolutely love being a Stutzie! Here is a photo of part of the interior. Although I wasn't looking for studio space, this opportunity was too good to pass up, and I guess I was ready to make the plunge. This has to be considered an investment in my happiness, as it certainly isn't a money making endeavor yet.

Stage 2, Value Sketch

At this stage I have added ultramarine blue with the alizarin crimson to create a very dark purple. I have used this to lightly fill in some of the darkest darks, to further the value sketch. At this stage I am still pleased with how the painting is going. It took about 20 minutes to complete stages 1 and 2.

Painting in Oils, Stage 1 - Line Drawing

The next few blog entries are of different stages of creating an oil painting. I am painting a scene from a sketch I did on site. I was sitting on the banks of the White River, near the NCAA headquarters, looking southwest at the bridge that leads to the zoo. This is the first stage, the line drawing with alizarin crimson on an orange primed canvas. I have also scrubbed in a little of a value study.

Stage 3 - Color Notes

Nearing the final stage, here I have filled in the color notes, approximately what I'll end up with. There is probably a little too much paint on the canvas, so it's getting hard to keep the colors from getting muddy. I'm not entirely happy with it, the water color is wrong, and I need to add a reflection of the bridge. The contrast isn't great enough, either. It may be a few days before I get this finished and published.

Einstein

Just completed this portrait of Einstein for my brother-in-law, Pete. Hope it looks like hime, the dog that is!

Bob, Portrait in Pencil

Did a quick 15 minute sketch while my husband was watching TV, then worked on it more the next day. I love pencil, it's so easy to blend! I think I captured him, or at least all but the back of his head!

Debby Painting

This is my friend Debby. She is working on an oil painting from yesterday's plein aire class. I'm not sure it's still considered plein aire if you spend more time in the studio than on site...

Greenhouse at the IMA

This is the latest painting done for Jerry's class, yesterday was finally a comfortable temperature in which to stand for 3 hours. I'm getting happier with my results. Either I've lowered my expectations, or I'm improving!

Bridge at the IMA

Started this painting last week in Jerry's class, but reworked it some this morning. Added more folliage at the top, and more color in general. I think I'll rework it again, darkening the flowers & shrub in the right foreground.

Pond Behind Butler

This was the first painting that I felt happy about using different colors than I actually saw. Who knew I'd like purple rocks?

Grounds at the IMA

If I had painted it, you could see the IMA just peeking out from behind the center tree. Chose not to, as I was working on trees and folliage.

Fountain at Butler

This was a difficult painting, as there is a lot more going on than I'm used to painting. It still feels a little stilted to me, could have been edited better, leaving out some of the concrete lot.

Bridge Over the Towpath

The next few paintings are ones that I have done in Jerry Point's plein aire painting class. I just reworked this one from last spring, it now has more color and depth, but could still use work.

Bob with the Remote

My husband is willing to sit still long enough to draw him in only one of two positions, this one, and sleeping.

Faces in Concrete

KAREN MASBAUM

I had a hard time getting into drawing the whole building, but liked these faces that are carved in concrete on the front of the Blacherne on Meridian. They were difficult to see because they are a little high up the face of the building, and not very big.

Pedestrian Bridge Over the White River

This is my first time using Photoshop Elements to organize, edit, and upload an image. Very frustrating! I'm sure I'll get the hang of it someday...

Holcomb Observatory

Did this with the Urban Sketchers group, Butler Campus is so beautiful, we'll have to return here to sketch again.

Barbara at Petite Chou

As part of Urban Sketchers, Barbara, Connie, and I met for breakfast in Broadripple. I had a difficult time getting into the mood to sketch, this is the result. Need to keep up the practise!

Leadville CO & Southern

We took a historic train ride into the mountains from Leadville CO to the Climax milybdenum mine. Had one short break where we got off the train to stretch our legs. I had only been sketching this for about 5 minutes when the train whistle blew, signalling it's time to re board. I'd heard they had left people behind before, so I wasted no time in scrambling back up the hill.

Camp Site

This was our campsite at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in southern Colorado.

On the trail in New Mexico

Mineral Creek, Gila Wilderness, NM

Finally back from 2 week road trip. We would choose the hottest area of the country to go to. Drove 3 days, through Arkansas, Texas, into New Mexico. Had planned to backpack in the Gila Wilderness, but temps over 100 each day discouraged us. Did get in some hiking early in the day. This is from a rest stop along Mineral Creek, where there is ruins from old gold mining sites. Just gorgeous!

NCAA Building

When I got out of the gym I sat down in the shade to draw this, the NCAA Headquarters. The building was recently re-opened after renovation. It sits on the canal, but I was in the grassy amphitheater near the White River to draw this.

My Kitchen

This took longer, I did it over a couple of sittings. Was playing with my new markers.

Guitar Player

The reason the guitar case is empty.... This was done in about 5 minutes. Bob does not sit still for long.

Guitar Case

Decided to post some of my very rough sketches. This was done in less than 10 minutes. Just trying to capture the "untidyness" of the bedroom.

Downtown Skyline

Another skyline from the library. It's a favorite subject.