Kevin - Work in Progress

I started an oil portrait recently trying an Ampersand panel designed for oil painting. I really like the fine texture of the board, and I'm not missing the "give" of traditional canvas working on this panel.

This is in a rough phase still, especially the edges, forehead, and right side of his face. I need to finish blocking in the background and color of the shirt so I can better judge the edges and skin tones. 

Eliza Jayne

And here is the completed portrait I was working on in the photo in a previous post.

27th Annual Portrait Show

The 27th Annual Portrait Show at Francesca Anderson Fine Art | Portraits North will be held April 22nd through May 22nd. My pastel portraits Sophia and Cate will be on display.  There will also be a Children's Event on May 1st and a Portrait Demonstration on May 15th. See www.portraitsnorth.com for more information.

Happily Painting...

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.

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.

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.