Tegan

This young lady modeled for our portrait group last week. She was so professional and we appreciated her steady gaze, excellent posture and ability to return to the pose--and her beautiful costume, of course!

Remodeled Farmhouse in New York

18 x 24 Oil on Canvas

This was another Christmas commission and the client specifically asked for the chicken coop to remain in the front. Maybe there's some sentimental attachment to it. I also changed the season on this piece. The leaves were already gone and they were doing some construction on the house so I added fall color and imaginary landscaping.

Special Request

11x14 oil on canvas

House Painting

The photos I received showed the house in the summer but this client wondered if I could paint their home in a winter setting. With paint anything is possible!

Final Painting Class

I taught a group of artists on Tuesday afternoons in October and November and the class ended with this painting of a swan. I am always amazed when I see the progress students make over such a short period of time. This session I had two people who had never painted before along with some of my 'regulars'. By the fourth class the new people had caught on to color mixing. We worked with a limited palette so there really weren't many choices.

This painting, on the surface, appears difficult, but the key is the shape of the swan, so I had them spend a half hour on the drawing to get the swan in the right place. The values are stark, and there isn't a huge variety of color so everyone finished in the two hour window.

I know some artists who have the painting completed when they arrive and do another demo in front of the class. I really hate painting the same thing twice though, so I figure out what I'm doing as I paint, and it's easier for me to explain WHY I'm doing it that way, because the experience is fresh.

Tuesday Painters

Sharon, Art, Cora, me, Diana, Cherie, Clara and Scott-(missing Donna and Angie)

The Swan (after I touched it up at home)

Teenager in a Volleyball Uniform

I can't remember this model's name but she came to our group through  a modeling agency and she did an excellent job with her pose. We don't have many people pose looking downward and her face was tilted slightly as well, making it especially challenging for both her and the artists who were drawing and painting her.

This was my effort. I will try a side view next time, where the light is not likely to change if she moves slightly.

16' x 16" pastel on Canson gray paper

Marblehead Morning

I live an hour from Lake Erie and I like to go there and paint. I've taken many photographs over the years and this is a painting of one of them: Marblehead Lighthouse. The photo was taken from the rocks in the early morning light.

16" x 20" oil on canvas

SOLD

Watercolor pencil portrait

Jessica, our monthly model at the Hyter Group for June, has so many faces and such a great wardrobe. Love her.
This is a new experimental medium for me: watercolor pencils. You block in the basics in pencil, wet a brush and create a wash with the dissolvable graphite. Scary- as there is no going back once you put the water on.

I used two grades for this portrait. HB for the light areas and mid tones and 2B for the very darks.

15" x 20" on Cold press ill. bd.

More Plein Air Work

The second day of the Waterville Arts Council Plein Air event was last Friday and my friend and I decided to head out in the country. First we painted a corn crib east of town and in the afternoon we headed west toward Whitehouse. There is a barn on Finzel Road that I have always loved and the restaurant across the road was empty so we set our easels up under the overhang for shade.

Waterville Corn Crib

11" x 14" oil on canvas

Barn on Finzel Road, June

Saturday model at Hyter Group

Jennifer

11" x 14"

oil on linen

Jennifer posed for our portrait group when she was eight months pregnant. I decided to just do a portrait but quite a few of the artists showed the baby bump and did a full-figure piece.
I love painting redheads-- or "gingers" as they're now known- courtesy of the TV show "Glee", I guess. Somehow I ended up with a good position too; I was right in front of the model. That never happens. Great model and fun to paint.

Vanna from the Ukraine

Another talented and lovely model who posed for us at the Scottsdale Artists School: Vanna. She is posing in a dress she made herself, one that would be a ceremonial dress in her native Ukraine. Just a super model who was so much fun to paint.

11" x 14"

oil on linen

Monica from our portrait group

Wow- this girl is only 14 years old. She looked a lot older to me and she was very good at holding her pose. Last week we were fortunate enough to have TWO models show up. Even though it was unexpected, it was great, because we weren't all crowded together. She did a great job.

Painted at the Hyter Portrait Group, corner of Hill and Holland-Sylvania in Toledo, Ohio

Email me if you are interested in learning more about this group and drawing and painting from the live model.

14" X 11" OIL ON LINEN

Living the Good Life or Where to Dine at Lakeside

When I'm invited to stay with people and the community is as welcoming as the one at Lakeside is, I develop an appreciation for what it means to be an artist, and more particularly, a plein air artist. When the weather cooperates and the skies are sunny and blue, and the passersby are warm and cheerful the paintings come easily. Sloopy's is a little sports cafe at the corner of Maple and Second Street and they serve awesome pizza. I parked myself on a bench in front of the restaurant Saturday morning and painted a small slice of life painting.

Sloopy's Sports Cafe

8" x 10"

This small piece was painted in just under an hour as I gazed through the foliage at the picturesque umbrellas behind the beachfront cafe. As I was finishing up a group of people sat in the chairs and I couldn't resist adding a little bit of 'life' to the painting.

Lakeside Lunch

6" x 6"

SOLD