Amira Revisited

About a year ago I completed two portraits of a girl named Amira. The first was done using colored pencil on panel, and the second was done using colored pencil and water soluble pastel on sanded board. I recently decided to revisit the subject, and the finished painting is shown above (12" x 16", oil on board).

Telling

I just returned from getting the portrait of the Storyteller scanned (see image above). I forgot to mention that this was my first time working on Gessobord, though I found it to be very similar to painting on Pastelbord. This piece is 36" x 24".

Portrait of a Storyteller

I am nearing completion on a portrait of a woman who is a Storyteller, and I wanted to post a photo of my work area along with reference photos. In this case, I had several photos to work from, but I still chose a combination of three to use for the portrait. I don't have Photoshop, so the combining process is more creative than technical. In general, I used the photo on the top left as a reference for painting her face, while her hands and the book were based on the photo on the bottom left. The photo to the right of the portrait is one I used as inspiration, as I felt it showcased her personality. Though the portrait is not quite complete, I am satisfied with the likeness, as I feel it represents her essence better than any of the reference photographs.

One from Last Week

I am taking the week off from painting, but I realized that I have not yet blogged about my latest painting that I finished last week. "Etude", shown above, is 30" x 24", oil on linen.

Down Time

This past Memorial Day weekend was a busy one for me, starting off with a half marathon (Boston's Run to Remember) that I ran with a friend who was visiting from Texas, followed by a trip to NJ to visit with family. Now I am in recovery mode, taking a few days off from painting and running, as I am paying the price for a lack of training for the race and a lack of sleep. I could probably force myself to start another piece, but I think it's best I wait until my mind and body are revitalized.

In the meantime, I have three art shows now and in the near future: the Francesca Anderson Fine Art 26th Annual Portrait Show with my pastel pieces Allison and Cate on display, the upcoming SCNY Annual Non-Member Painting and Sculpture Exhibition where my oil piece Resolute will be on display, and the upcoming CPSA 17th Annual International Exhibition where my colored pencil piece Self Portrait with Tea will be on display.

After the Rain

I just returned from getting a scan of "After the Rain", 24" x 18", oil on Pastelbord. This image is much more like the original than the photo I posted earlier... thank goodness for Image-Tec!

26th Annual Portrait Show

Yesterday I stopped by the reception for the 26th Annual Portrait Show at Francesca Anderson Fine Art Portraits North (I'm standing by my two pastel portraits of Allison and Cate, above). The show is a beautiful arrangement of some of the most amazing oil, pastel, watercolor and pencil portraits I have ever seen. The artists represented are listed on the gallery website, along with contact information to schedule a viewing.