another figure study

This is a figure study that I decided to do for a friend.  It ended up being much more literal than I intended.  I find myself struggling between too much literal representation and abstraction.  I strive for being more abstract.  Ugh!!!  

figure study in stages

self-portrait study in stages

I've been having fun working on self-portraits.  On this one, I was having trouble with my shadow side, specifically, the eye.  The hardest part of doing a live self-portrait is my need to squint and simplify the shapes and work on those squinty eyes in the process!!

Color, color, color

"In spite of its complexity, color can be understood rationally and used effectively.  Three things are necessary to do this.  First, identify the color you are seeing; second, mix it correctly (so it matches what you have seen); and third, put it in the right place on your painting."  Richard Schmid

It all sounds so easy, right?!

Happy New Year!! Starting off the year with a revisit to Richard Schmid....

well, actually his writing at least.  I read "Alla Prima" years ago when I began oil painting.  Now I've discovered "Alla Prima II."  It's a completely different experience for me.  It's quite wonderful and offers insight in technique as well as in bits of art history, topped with humor and wit.

It's been great to read as I work on this:

These are progress shots of my latest painting in my "Non-human animals and the people residing with them."  These particular individuals are quite dear to me: my best canine companion Archie and my son Karlo.  I began with my focal point which is Archie's gaze.  I sketched out the drawing in paint some months ago and now I'm getting back to it.  As per Richard Schmid's advice, I eliminated drawing mistakes immediately instead of pondering how I can get them to work.  Thank you Richard.  

When I started Karlo's face, I tried to keep the values in shadow but since there's a lot of reflected light, make them nice and rich in color.  

More with maps

 

I continue with my map painting studies.  The second one is painted on two different maps sewn together.  I am really excited for this new direction.

I find a connection between the natural and built infrastructure that maps represent and the biological system of the human body.  Plus the psychological and sociocultural significance of the map has become part of the human psyche.  

"Hearts" has found a home!

 

"Hearts"

oil on wood, 36"x30"

SOLD

I am thrilled that this piece has found her home.  This painting was one of the first I did for my two-person show with fellow painter John McCarthy entitled "Disguises and Disappearances."  It had come to represent this body of work.  The process from inception of the idea to execution and then completion of it is quite a journey.  Once someone resonates with a piece enough to choose to live with it, I feel that the process is truly completed for me.  And for the new owner, its life has just begun.  It's a wonderful feeling.