6x6 oil on Raymar panel
$70.00 plus s&h
I enjoy plein air but am fairly new to it. Wow - it's a whole different game out there! The bugs! The changing light! Forgeting your turpentine!
This house, the John Rains historic home in Rancho Cucamonga, California, was built in the 1840's. It is the oldest house in our area, and was built with handmade bricks. It's a beautiful home with an interior courtyard. John Rains and his wife, Dona Merced, owned much of the area where we live, until his murder, which is unsolved even today. The house, abandoned and dilapidated, was set for demolition in the early 1970's, when a school teacher and her students (my husband was one of them) stood in front of the bulldozer that would start the demolition, and stopped it in it's tracks. It was saved, restored, and is now a county museum.
Another great session of painting last night! The model was beautiful - she reminded me of a modern day Pocahontas. I'm learning a lot about the portrait, and how a limited palette is so unifying to use. I'm working on seeing the head as a ball, and identifying values as they recede from the lightest part.
I feel I've had a breakthrough in painting the portrait. This one was especially rewarding, because I captured her essence, her attittude. Her direct gaze is a little intimidating and raw.
I have been studying with the renowned artist, Joseph Todorovitch, for over a year now, and the focus is on academic painting concerning the figure. I tend to focus on the head, as I am more interested in portraits. This particular model is excellent and is serious about her work. I work with a limited palette - white, ivory black, yellow ochre, and cad red light. It's amazing what colors can come from these! It also makes decisions about colors easy. I will be posting several more heads this week.
This young man posed for the first time at one of my painting groups. He was a good model. I like the strong shadows and lights. A warm direct spotlight was used here.
This young couple posed for a painting group a few days ago. They are engaged, and one of their common interests is the Victorian era. They dressed in Victorian costume - which was beautiful and enjoyable to paint. The real challenge was doing two people in under four hours and have them look at least a little like who they really are.
