Pastel Portrait from Life

Our model posed in a black T-Shirt for this two hour pastel portrait at The Hyter Group in Toledo.

Painting from the live model

In my opinion, there is no better way to develop and refine your painting than to paint from life. I spend a lot of time painting still life pieces and plein air sketches to learn more about color relationships.

I also attend a weekly portrait group that has been meeting for almost twenty years in the cafeteria of a repurposed elementary school. We have the same model for four weeks so it's possible to complete a fairly detailed painting over a month's time.

This piece was done in a two hour session and I touched it up at home using a cell phone photo.

9" x 12" oil on linen, Hope

Portrait Exchange

It's that time of year again-- time for the Wet Canvas portrait exchange, and I believe this is my eleventh year of participation! Maybe the last. This year I painted E. Shubert from Jacksonville, FL.

It was a fun painting even though he used a cell phone selfie- not really the best reference. I made the most of it and emphasized the cool light coming in the from the left.

Painting a Still Life e Plein Air

On the final day of this event I searched for, and found, some shade in an alley in the middle of town. An antique store allowed me to set up near their entrance and gave me water and coffee too. Country music playing in the background and lots of observers added to the festive atmosphere.

I didn't finish the painting but I enjoyed the day and sometimes that's good enough. Unfortunately, it was another warm day and although the event was well-publicized, the wet paint sale didn't attract a whole lot of visitors so I left as soon as the awards were announced. And no-- I didn't win anything! :-)

Second Day of Painting in Converse

I painted a well-known landmark--a Shell gas station on Route 18, the second day I was in Converse. The home across the street had just been sold and the owner granted permission to set up my easel on their property, which offered a nice shady place to paint.