Saturday, June 30, 2012

Mirror Image One 2012

Drawn from mirror and imagination, today.  This is not a "portrait"--more like an impression/instantiation of feelings.

One great thing about self-portraits is that there is no worry about flattery.  Indeed, my self-portraits usually veer in the opposite direction.  This one could be called " Picture of Dorian Gray meets fun-house mirror."

Tombow marker and pan pastel on watercolor paper, 8" x 8".



Friday, June 29, 2012

Sleeping Woman



Drawn from life, in Spring. 

Charcoal on paper, roughly 12" x 12".

NATURE WATCH:

Night fall at Bull Creek.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Blue/Lavender; Gestures 4

Drawn from life, this April.

Blue/Lavender is Tombow marker, ink and pastel on highly absorbent watercolor paper, about 6" x 9".

Gestures 4 is charcoal on shopping bag.

PRIZE :  

I won Petrea's 200th Zen Monday contest (okay, I tied with Pasadena Adjacent).  To participate in more Zen Mondays, which are lots of fun, even without prizes, check out Pasadena Daily Photo.

NATURE WATCH:

Bull Creek, beer and ribs.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Quiet Time (Work in Progress)

Painted Saturday, from imagination and sketches from life.

I've stopped here, for now.  I may make some changes, but I'm going to wait on this one and see what I think in a few weeks.

Oil on canvas, 16" x 16".  Work in progress.

NATURE WATCH:


We play tourist at the Oasis.

Friday, June 22, 2012

Seated Brown; Reclining Grey


Seated Brown is pastel over Tombow marker on 8" x 8" watercolor paper.

Reclining Grey is pastel over Tombow marker on sanded paper, about 9" x 12".

Drawn from life, Tuesday morning.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Austin Summer Blues (Re-photographed Yet Again)

Oil on canvas, 30" x 40".

Still not able to capture the lightest yellows in a photograph.  For example, the sky in my painting is actually predominantly pale yellow.

June 22:

Oh, no!  I just saw this on a different monitor and the colors were wildly off and highly intensified, compared to what I see on my old laptop.

So I have photographed it yet again, outdoors in the afternoon, out of the glare.  I think this is closer to the way the painting looks, at least on my laptop.

For now, no matter what colors you are seeing, I hope you enjoy this painting of summer.

NATURE WATCH:

Austin goes to the dogs.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Austin Summer Blues


Oil on canvas, 30" x 40".

Last summer in Austin, from my memory and imagination.





NATURE WATCH:

Austin goes to the dogs.


Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Red Tendrils


Drawn this morning, from life.

The tendrils have their genesis in a faded blue tattoo the model had on her upper arm and under her left breast.  I think the swirls may have been intended to represent octopus arms.

I have considerably enlarged the swirls, colored them red and made them envelop her form.

Pastel and Tombow marker on sanded paper, about 9" x 12".

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Some of the "Taheerah" Paintings and Drawings

For a change, I thought I would post a group of drawings and paintings done over the last couple of  years.  The last two drawings, a pastel of a reclining woman and a graphite drawing of gestures, have not been posted elsewhere on this blog.

These all have the same model, Taheerah.  She is a working artist, mainly doing animation.

She is one of my favorite models.  Even though none of these works are "likenesses," you may recognize her distinctive regal confidence in other drawings and paintings I have posted within the last couple of years.

The top drawing, a pastel, is the first drawing I did with Taheerah as model, and it is still a favorite of mine. 

For the curious, here's a list of the rest of my posts featuring Taheerah as model:  March 1, 2012; June 11, 2011; January 24, 2011; December 2, 2010; November 23, 2010; and September 7, 2010.

My drawing of Taheerah titled "Floating Woman" was also used, with my permission, to illustrate this blog essay by Margaret Diehl.

NATURE WATCH:

Tacodeli goes to the dog.

UPDATE . . . 


on Daniela Rossell and her book of photographs, Ricas y Famosas


I now have a copy of  Ricas y Famosas.  The photos are gorgeous, and the context of the work is much clearer.

The photos, taken together, are beautiful and strange.  They also tell a bit about wealth in Mexico; how the very very rich live. Rossell is a member of this privileged group.  Like photos of extreme poverty, these photos make you aware of extraordinary disparities in society.

She started this series of photos with a core of close family and friends and expanded outward from there.  The subjects decided how and where and with what objects they would be photographed.  They are mostly women.  They are mostly rich, though some are not (several are servants of the very rich).  They are all fascinating.





Thursday, June 14, 2012

Seated Man With Stained-Glass Glow; Joy in Blue


Seated Man With Stained-Glass Glow

Pastel over Tombow marker and ink, on sanded paper.  About 9" x 12."

Drawn this week, from life.

The dark parts of this drawing are actually darker and more intense than this photo shows, but I've been unable, thus far, to get a photo that depicts the richness and intensity of the darks..

Joy in Blue 

 One-minute gestures.  Drawn from life, May 29.

Tombow marker and Conte pencil over ink, with brush and water.  On watercolor paper, about 5" x 12".

NATURE WATCH:

Tacodeli goes to the dog.

AUSTIN SUMMER BLUES:

I've painted some more on this large oil painting, and I am much happier with it.  Posted below.


Sunday, June 10, 2012

Austin Summer Blues; Under-Paintings; Grey Abandon 2



I started some paintings last week.

First, Austin Summer Blues.  Oil over acrylic on 30" x 40" canvas.

Painted from memory and imagination.

I tried to paint this entirely in acrylic, but I missed the sensuous feel and look of oil paint, so I painting over the base of acrylic with oils.

I don't know if it is done.  I'm going to let it sit awhile and then re-assess.


Next, Under-Paintings, two canvases, waiting for additional work.

I like to make my under-painting interesting.  It gives me something to paint in reference to, that I can work into my final composition to a greater or lesser degree.


Finally, Grey Abandon 2, a digital version of Grey Abandon  (8" x 8" total, with image at 6" x  6"):
Grey Abandon 2 


NATURE WATCH: 

Three dears at rest.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Grey Abandon; Red Abandon


Drawn from life, Wednesday morning.

Grey Abandon is Tombow marker on 8" x 8" watercolor paper.

Red Abandon is Tombow marker and pan pastel on watercolor paper, 9" x12".

NATURE WATCH:

First fawn of the season--almost captured in a photo. ( It's there, just blurry.)


Thursday, June 7, 2012

Seated Rainbow; Gesture Blue


Drawn from life, Tuesday morning.

Seated Rainbow is Tombow marker and pan pastel on watercolor paper, approximately 8" x 8".

Gesture Blue is Tombow marker on 8" x 8" watercolor paper.

NATURE WATCH:

One for Paula.

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Champion


Champion is Tombow marker and pan pastel on sanded paper, about 9"x12".

Drawn May 30, from life.

The model, Jean-Pierre, is also an artist.  One of his striking paintings (simplified here) forms the backdrop for Champion.

 

NATURE WATCH:

A doe alone.