New Paintings from Open Sessions

The two female paintings are of the same model during different open painting sessions.
The two male paintings are not of the same person. The last one was the last painting I did. I like that one the most out of all of them, because it seems to be more finalized. This model might come back for this weekend and I will decide if I will work with a new painting or develop this one further. Showing these together makes me realize I have been working.

Open Painting Atelier

I came to Open Painting this past Saturday without any expectations.

It was hard to even get into my car to go. I realized though that my brushes were clean and my marks were more articulate. I was actually happy at the end. The model might come back. This won't be for a while though since we already have models booked for the next 3 weeks.



I enjoyed this painting the most

Art League of New Britain

Check out the Fall 2010- Brochure

https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B0jRTttei6f7NDNkMDMyZTMtOTYzYi00MjVlLWE4YzUtOTQ2MzQ1OTVhZjQ2&hl=en&authkey=CKD0hZII

Saturday Open Painting Atelier-Mareo

I got to the Open Painting session one hour late but no one cares. They are always just so happy to see people come. I love the group, because they are so inviting. Anyway, I did not have much confidence that I would get very much done. Mareo sat off and on for two more hours. I brought a really small canvas. At least I got something done.

Classes at: NEW BRITAIN ART LEAGUE

Check these list of classes at New Britain Art League: http://library.constantcontact.com/doc202/1102261798679/doc/5UNwSoLzJJ5rHfkp.pdf

Register at:

http://library.constantcontact.com/doc202/1102261798679/doc/orikr1CfydMRsEhU.pdf

Art League of New Britain Specials via @constantcontact

New Fall classes at the Art League of New Britain with Lauren Mills!

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Art-League-of-New-Britain-Specials.html?soid=1102261798679&aid=c3AetNpf7Dk

July 17-Open Painting at ALNB

Kathy normally paints with us but she decided to pose this time. Good for us because she is a great model! I only wish I had more time with this painting.

I am starting to feel like I need to move my paintings further.

I have been pushing myself to get back to composition in my work in a conscious way.

No Model: Bruce Sat Instead!

The New Britain Art League was going to have the same model this week come back from last week but he never showed so Bruce (one of the painters) said he would sit!

He is such a distinct character that it made him interesting to paint.

The only problem is that I did not get a lot of time to do it and I might actually work on it with out him there.

Open Painting- David - A new model

It seems like it has been a very long time since I have painted but it has only been 2 weeks.

I really needed it though.

Next week I can work on this piece more. My goal will to be to resolve the colors and shapes in the background. I also want to make some distinct marks and bold moves that will bring the piece out spacially.

I have been looking at my old work and I like the passion behind them. I would like to capture a sense of emotion and movement in this piece as well!

Most people comment on the sculptural quality of my paintings. I need to emphasize that too. How is always the questions. Maybe by focusing on the space will do that.

Brian-Watching a movie while I torture him...

I was having such a hard time painting today. I chose a very minimal pallete.

The colors where not working the way I wanted so I had to add an Ultra Marine Blue.

Brian watched "Old Boy" movie which was extremely violent, subtitled, and Korean. He like the movie but I was not able to pay attention to it enough to know what was going on.

Open Painting -April 24, 2010

I have one more three hours with this painting so hopefully I can get something done.

I like the softness of this painting. I just need for the head to move out of the space and the space to have more depth!

We will see what I come up with next weekend- May 8, 2010!

See you after that..

Chet Series: Painting #2

When I said I was going to continue painting Chet but now as a series- I meant it!

I read an article from the "Artist's Magazine" that has led me to approach this painting a lot differently.

I will be coming back to finish this painting probably more than once.

I actually like this because it feels more fresh and more like me! Very bright though! Woow... I was laughing as I put down another neon color but it was fun!

Chet Series- Painting #1

This piece is on a 12" x 24" stretched canvas.

I have decided to creating distinct pieces of Chet.
It is the easiest way to start a series right now.
Chet is a constant model who I can consistently paint.

Chet will be posing again next weekend so I have some more time with this piece.
It got so thick and gook that I had to stop.

If I can finish this by 4/28/10, I will enter it into a show.
We only hope it is good enough to enter into any show.





_______________________________________________________________

Well, it is now 4/29/10, so the wish of finishing this by 4/28/10 is not going to happen!

I think I will be working on it more too at some point next week, because it needs to dry a bit before I touch it.

John-Open Painting

Another Saturday Open Painting session at Art League of New Britain. It was a good one in that I felt like I am progressing. I don't love the painting but I see how I am making sense of the colors in another way.

How am I making sense of the colors? I cannot pretend to know the answer. I picked up two books to figure it out but I believe this will take a lot of work time rather than book time!

John, the model, will be back in a couple weeks so that we can work on our paintings more. This is great, since I need to learn how to go back into a painting in order to solve its problems.

Problems: How do I refine the face without killing the life in the painting? How do I create active lines that have clear and distinct purpose? What is my purpose for this painting?

A painting of Chet-Again!

This time I used Titanium White, Permanent Magenta, Cadium Yellow (Hue), Cadium Red (Hue), and Viridian Hue. This is a very bright mix of colors. The one thing I found hard was getting a good mix of darks because the only agent to make that dark was Viridian and it did not do a very good job.

Pushing through to make more art:

Lately I have found making art disappointing in that my results are disturbing. I know that I need to just push through and continue over and over again.

Work through it!

I read an article in the "Art Calendar" called "The Gift of Persistence" by Matthew Daub.

The article specified that an artist's "talent" is not as important than their persistence, disciplined labor, and love of making art.

I find that one's skill comes from the consistant pursuit of one's art making. It is not easy yet everytime I work I am high on life. Although sometime while I am working I am also cursing! Just starting artmaking is the hardest thing for me to overcome.

http://www.matthewdaub.com/matthew_daub/Bio.html

Matthew Daub notes that an artist needs to:

1. set aside time everyday

2. make it a priority

3. keep a schedule

4. treat studion life as a job


But - he states that an artist needs to couple this time in the studio with time spent getting their work in front of the public. Even as a beginning artist it is important to apply to as many juried shows and get used to rejection.

Two Paintings In One Day

I did not say either of the paintings were exactly finished or my best work but I did do two. Neither will I be "finishing". Again, these are only my 2-3 hours sketch paintings. These are not final works. They proove to test, fustrate, and completely stump me, because these paintings are exams or practice runs for what I hope to later be a series that I could be proud of? We will have to see about that.. but they sure do test me patience! That is for sure!























First is the one I did at the Art League of New Britain. I was so fustrated with how the colors were mixing. One person at the Open Painting said that it looked like I was using markers at first. Which proved to me that something was really wrong with how my painting was laying down on the canvas. Annoying but I did not give up, instead I kept on ruining it. Hey, you can't blame me for not trying!

I started this one at 8pm tonight while Chet watch the "Pirate Radio" movie on OnDemand. The light to his left or my right was making everything white while the rest of his face was darkened except for a very distant light behind me that caught a bit of his ear and side of his shoulder. I really like this, because it does a bit of what I was looking for. Pretty good for 2 hours.

Portrait of Mom: Sitting on Sunday

My mom was apprehensive in sitting, because she was worried about how she would be depicted.

She watched the movie " What women want" with Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt while I rushed to paint her in less then 2 hours.

My goal was to block in the shades and plains while creating a harmonious color scheme.

I have been using a lot more paint ever since my class with Jerry Weiss at Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts. That means I finish work quicker and need to buy more supplies!!!

Oh the expense.. Fun!

KudoSurf Me!

Portrait Painting Class with Jerry Weiss: The End

I expected not to accomplish something material out of this class but instead a sense of purpose afterward. The purpose is to resolve all the questions that came up as I worked. The only way to resolve these questions is to do more work... Yet I wonder if I will ever feel resolved or if this is a never ending cycle... Or is that what I love about painting and art, for that matter?

In my "day job", people say I have a knack for problem-solving. I tend to think that all my other "jobs" were to prepare me to solve my own problem.

The next class I signed up for, Figure Painting, is up in the air as to whether it will run this coming Wednesday but either way - I will be painting!

Portrait Painting Class w/ Jerry Weiss-Continued

I have two more classes to finish up this painting.


Here is what I have done so far in the past two weeks.

I thought I did not like it but I think the photograph makes it look better than in person.

Chet- Another Try

Since the only other person at my disposal who sits quite still, I must add, is Chet, I decided to do another painting of him. Again, this painting was quick-2-3hours.

I was really trying to show that it was quite dark in the room and there was a bright light to his left (paintings right) and a distant light behind me which cast a bit on his ear.



























I have to say that this photography though does not show it so much because the paint was wet and the flash bounced off of it making it look lighter on the left side of the painting then it actually was.. I might try photographing it again? We will see.

Self-Portrait- Torturous Work

I wonder some times if I find enjoyment in torturing myself!

I hate this painting. My mother said she would give my her 3 way mirror and I think I will have to take her up on it, because I obviously am having a hard time seeing myself. It is all contorted?

However, I think I am going to continue to work on it! Crazy, I know!

Portrait of Chet: Another Practice

I feel like I am improving yet every time I look back at my work I see where I need much improvement. Especially on a day like today, after I have seen so many other who are masters at portrait painting. It is quite humbling to say the least!

I did this painting in about 3 hours. Fustration set in as I tried to find a way to make the darks dark and the lights light. In reality there was little light but the painting makes it seem like there was a lot. I don't know? I hope to learn the tricks!

New Britain Art League- Open Atelier Painting Group Work

I woke at 9am and pushed myself to get up to go to the Open Atelier Painting at Art League of New Britian. www.alnb.org .

The model's name is Carla. She went to UofH for her bachelor's and Western CT U for her master's in Painting. Her concentration is with wooden landscapes. I wish I got her last name! I would have been able to direct you to her blog or website. Carla said she works as an art teacher and has a show at a Library coming up soon. Good for her!

David Black- Collaborative Painting Project

Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts was holding a Collaborative Painting Workshop with David Black, Saturday, February 20, 2010!

I was a part of this painting. It was challenging to work with people you barely know but reminded me of what I need to work on.

Check out this article:

http://lymebfa.wordpress.com/2010/02/24/david-blacks-collaborative-painting-seminar/

Jerry Weiss's Class-Portrait Painting

When I started working at Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts, I decided to take some portrait painting classes with Jerry Weiss. http://jerrynweiss.com

The class started last week. Although I get fustrated easily, I love it!

I really need it in many ways more than one. I had noticed my mood was getting angry and depressed but after the class my mood went back to normal. I need to get back to art.

This is what I am working on now in the class.