Expressive Figure Painting - First "Long" Painting

I am taking a class at Gage with Barbara Fugate - (again) - Expressive Figure Painting. It's nice to have a class because it's more in depth than the workshop. I feel that I have learned a lot about color, and that there is still much more to learn! Thankfully we have another 5 sessions left in the class. Enough time for one more large painting and some quick studies. Yay!

This painting took four (three hour) sessions - though we spent some of the time in lecture and demos. 30x36 inches, oil paints on stretched cotton canvas.

The goals of this painting were: Use a unified color harmony - I chose a Secondary Triadic color scheme - orange, violet, green - with Oranges as my dominant color. I also chose to neutralize my colors as my primary "mixer", though I also tinted (added white) and shaded (added black). And finally, compositionally - I used multiple diagonals to lead the eye, cropped the figure on at least 2 edges of the canvas - and also used elements of the negative space surrounding the figure to engage the viewer and support the figure/subject.

Sweet Tooth

12x16 Oils on canvas. Again, a mask painting. I just love my masks. I can paint them over and over again. This time I put a Javanese Batik in the background. In retrospect, it was more of a challenge than I expected. But the overall result is alright. I still have to work over the mask and the fortune cookies.
This piece now has me thinking that I would like to do eleven more - same format - and publish a calendar. Now all I have to do is paint, paint, paint.

Whitney - Gamblin Torrit Grey Competiton

This is my entry for the Gamblin Torrit Grey Competition. Gamblin creates the Torrit Grey Pigment from waste pigments throughout the year. The rules are you are only allowed to use White, Black and Torrit Grey. The Torrit Grey pigment shifts every year, and it is not sold in stores, but given complimentary when you purchase Gamblin paints or mediums. I got my tube at the art store at the Lyme Academy in Connecticut.

This painting is a portrait of Whitney - I just loved her unique hairstyle - 12x16 oil on panel.

Torrit Grey 2nd Pass

Second Pass on the Torrit Grey Painting. I added a graphic/spray paint-y background - as my friend Debra says, "urban" element... Cleaned up the hair a little... still a ways to go.

It's all about Torrit Grey (Gamblin)

This is the 1st pass on a painting I am doing using Torrit Grey by Gamblin. If you haven't heard of it, check out Gamblin Paints website: http://www.gamblincolors.com/torrit.grey/index.html
The deadline is August 15th. The rules are: you can only use white, torrit Grey and black. So basically, you are doing a "grisaille" - that's French for "grey" painting. (it sounds so sexy in French) Or also known as a monochrome painting. It's all about values. I first toned the 12x16 inch panel with Torrit Grey cut with thinner. Then drew the portait head, mixed up a bunch of value mixes of greys. It feels good to paint again. Even though I admit to the guilty pleasure of listening to "Eclipse" on audiobook while I paint.
The model is a girl named Whitney. This portrait head is from a photograph I had in my archives. I just loved the hairstyle. Now I have to consider - what to do about the background?

The last Donation - Floating Bridge Press - The Great Art Party

This is my final donation for this year - I say that now, of course.. But I think I have donated at least 4 pieces to various causes this year. I enjoyed this piece. It's approx 6x8 inches, acrylic on panel. It's one of my balinese masks. I was considering doing a layer in acrylics, but then due to the deadline crunch (yes, I completely procrastinated) I just went ahead and kept going just in acrylics. It made an interesting challenge, trying to blend. My parents sent me a bunch of masks to work off of - which I LOVE to do - I had forgotten I had left some of my favorites with them. My dad has graciously lent me a series of Japanese wooden masks from his collection as well. I'm really looking forward to do a series. Can't get enough of masks.

ArtHouse Co-Op Canvas Project - Five Words - Five Visual Interpretations

Top to Bottom: Reverence, TopStar, Density, Snowman, Order
My five interpretations to the words - Acrylic on 3"x3" canvas. Art House Co-Op Canvas Project - they sure do have fun projects. It was more of a challenge than I anticipated, the canvases are really small compared to what I was working on this past weekend, when the smallest size was 16"x20"!