Monday, April 5, 2010

Another Pastel


Here's a quick snapshot of another pastel portrait of Sophia I completed recently. This piece is the same size as my previous portrait of Sophia, but this time I worked on a textured paper rather than sanded board. The larger grain of the paper seemed to allow the pastel to adhere more readily, though the grain texture remains visible in the final piece.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Pastel Portrait


Recently I completed a 12x16 pastel portrait of Sophia, shown framed above. This is my fifth time using pastels, and I've decided that I really like the medium for rendering children. The only drawback, in my opinion, is all of the dust it creates (I wear a mask while working), and the need to frame the piece behind glass. This piece is framed with museum glass, which minimizes reflection and helps to protect against UV light.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Academic Artists Association 60th National


I just received notice that my piece Self Portrait with Tea has been accepted into the Academic Artists Association 60th National Exhibition.

The Academic Artists Association is dedicated to promoting artwork of classic media rendered in a representational manner. The exhibition will include works in oil, watercolor, graphic, pastel, and sculpture, and takes place at the Karen Sprague Cultural Arts Center in Springfield, MA from April 25th through May 7th. Jurors for this event are Larry Preston and Arlene Fins. 

Thursday, February 25, 2010

"Hands" Prints Available


I am now offering prints of two of my hands pieces, shown above, that were recently published in an article about my colored pencil work in American Artist Drawing magazine. To order, simply click here and select the size, finish, and framing options you desire.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

A Couple New Oil Paintings


I recently painted the two oil portraits shown here using a toned canvas, a technique new to me. Basically, before sketching the figure, I applied a thinned layer of neutral colored mid-tone paint over the entire canvas. I chose a lightened mixture of black and raw sienna for one, and raw umber for the other. I really like how starting with a neutral toned canvas makes it easier to judge lights and darks, as well as warm and cool tones.

Also, these two portraits were done on very large grain canvas, which I have decided is not ideal for achieving details in portraits. I will probably stick to a finer linen in the future.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Drawing Magazine Article

I am so excited to be featured in an article in the Winter 2010 edition of American Artist Drawing magazine! The article talks about my path to becoming an artist, as well as some of the techniques used in my hands and self portrait drawings in colored pencil. You can subscribe to Drawing magazine on the Artist Daily website or order a copy of the Winter issue here: http://www.interweavestore.com/Art/Drawing-Magazine/Drawing-Winter-2010.html

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Faces of Winter Exhibit

The Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists is holding a "Faces of Winter" exhibition beginning February 5th. My piece Eclipse will be among the over 70 portraits on display. See the exhibit announcement below for more details on the event.