Tag Archives: people painting

Painting Each Other – Todd Baxter

Painting Each Other

I am a part of a wonderful little group of artists who paint together every week from life.  Today our model “no showed” so Todd – one of our amazing artists – agreed to model.  This is from a 3-hour session, painted with the Zorn Palette. 

The Zorn palette has become my go to palette.  It’s so much easier to only have four colors out, and I feel like if Anders Zorn liked it, I’m good with it!! I’m starting to use my palette knife a bit more in places.  All those daily paintings using the knife has made me so much more comfortable with it.

Looking forward to teaching another Zorn class.  I’m waiting for the doctors to give us a gameplan for getting my husband well before I feel confident to put it on the calendar. Hoping to teach a beginners oil class as well — and maybe a palette knife class.  I’m really enjoying teaching!

All the best!!!

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Painting Bethany – Day 12

Did one of my most favorite things in the whole world today — painted someone from life.  This is a dear artist friend’s daughter – she painted her too!  Bethany just returned from traveling to India to do a month long yoga training.  Before she left, she cut her waist length gorgeous blond hair and donated it to locks of love.  

You can tell she’s had lots of yoga training.  No slumping for this model!  She’s erect and poised the whole time.  Holds a pose perfectly.  

My apologies for the photo.  Since the painting is so wet, it catches lots of glare.  I was forced to photograph it in virtually no light, so it’s very soft.  When It’s dry I can retake the photo.

Day 12 done!  All the best to you and yours!!

Painting Bethany

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Dave and the Dogs – Portrait of a man and his dogs

Dave and the Dog

I had such a wonderful time with this painting!  I have a very dear friend, Marjie, who lives in Denver, Colorado.  We’ve known each other for over 40 years.  She is an artist as well — pastels, sculpture and glass work.  We had great plans in November for her to come join me for an “Artist in Residence” week at Table Rock State park.  She booked her ticket and we made plans. Then I got the news that the wildfires in North and South Carolina were encroaching on the park and my “residence” was cancelled!  I was so bummed!  Marjie decided not to come and take care of some other business in Colorado.

I felt so badly about not getting to spend that time together –  and her losing that money for her ticket!  It was a perfect opportunity to show her my love and appreciation.  Initially I asked her to send me pictures of her pups, thinking I would do a pet portrait of those two cuties.  But once I saw the photos I had to incorporate her husband Dave.  

I used my favorite palette for portraits these days – the Zorn palette.  White, black, yellow ochre and Cad Red Medium.  I pulled it together from three different photos. It was one of those paintings that seemed to flow.  Sometimes all the pieces come together — and sometimes, I wipe them out, turn them to the wall and fret about them.  Perhaps because it was a labor of love, it came together easily. 

Here’s to wonderful friendships that endure no matter what!  Love you Marjie!!!

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Silliness Day 3

Me Painting

Well I did it again — painted for awhile, working on a self portrait, realized that that was way too ambitious for a daily painting — at least for me.  Anyway, I wiped it out and did this little ditty of me painting.  Hopefully I’ll figure this out or waste lots of time over the next month!!

I also find it really difficult to light myself in a way that ‘s easy to paint.  Lots to learn as always!!!

But the good news is that I’ve continued my commitment for at least 3 days so far!!!Yay me!! See you tomorrow!!!

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Hanah from Life

Hanah from Life

Hanah from Life

Recently had the opportunity to paint one of my favorite people – Hanah – from life.  I love our little painting group.  We hire a model virtually every week and paint from life.  We paint for three hours – 20 minutes then hopefully a 5 minute break if we don’t get too chatty.  It is probably one of the best things I’ve done for my learning in painting.  Seeing those colors in people’s faces that you only see from real life.  Photos just don’t do it!  And I know I’m prejudiced, but to me there is something magical about capturing someone on canvas.  Someone described it as “capturing their soul”.  Don’t know if I’d go that far, but I still think it’s special.

In addition to the wondrous opportunity to paint from life, there is a wonderful camaraderie between our little group of painters.  We share our latest tricks, gadgets and ideas.  We critique each other’s paintings — always with kind intentions — because we are there to grow and learn.  And sometimes we just can’t see where we’re off.  It’s so helpful to get that feedback.  It seems we all have areas that we are blind to.  For instance, I invariably make everyone’s chins too short.

Sometimes I’ll take these back and complete them with the photo I take.  In Hanah’s case, I have not done anything additional.  Haven’t decided yet whether I will.  Sometimes I like the freshness of the painting, even if everything is not perfect.

The last few sessions, I’ve been experimenting with the Zorn palette: yellow ochre, cadmium red medium and Mars black – and white of course.  I love it!  With this piece of Hanah, I did add a little Ultramarine Blue to get that color in her shirt.  I recently completed a much large painting – 30×40- completely with the Zorn palette — I will show you that soon.

Should any of you be so inclined, please let me know if you’d like to model.  We’re always looking for new faces!  We provide chocolate, coffee and friendly conversation — as well as payment of course!

Thank you Hanah for allowing us to paint you from life!!!  It was an honor and a privilege!

 

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Palette Knife Portrait

Harmonica Mark

Harmonica Mark

Finally posting this palette knife painting that I did of a dear friend, Mark.  It’s been at the Elder Gallery waiting for their June Salon Show of Carolina’s Got Art.  I am so pleased that it was accepted!  I’ve missed having it around.  Despite the fact that it was a labor of love, it was quite a challenge.  After incorporating palette knife into some of my plein air paintings, I decided to attempt one of a portrait.  First I did one of my daughter, from a photo.  I was excited about the possibilities.  I’m always trying to strike some balance between realism and pushing the edges to create a loose excitement in my paintings.

Along the way I decided to start a series of portraits of local Charlotte musicians.  My husband plays music with some folks and quite often they jam at our house.  I love the music and the musicians, so it was a compelling concept.  Mark was the first of that group.  And silly me, I decided to give the palette knife a try.  I blocked it in with a brush, but committed to the knife for the rest of the painting.  I found out along the way that it’s best to complete an area before moving on.  Once an area that has been knifed is dry, it’s very difficult to go back in.  As a result, I sanded out Mark’s face many times until I was satisfied.

I was surprised at how well the knife worked for Mark’s hands.  Hands are such a challenge for me, but they seemed easier with the knife.  I can’t get too anal with the knife, which is why I like and hate it.  I haven’t decided whether I’ll keep the knife for the whole series of paintings.  I think I’ll let the subject and the painting determine that.

I’m hoping to incorporate some audio in the final show.  If anyone knows where I can get a relatively inexpensive way to have a small audio player with each painting, I would so appreciate the information.  I’d love to have a snippet with each painting.  The gentleman in this painting has done some amazing spontaneous poetry in the middle of a blues jam!  Would love to share that with his painting!

Wish me luck with my palette knife portrait pursuit!  I’ll need it!  Hope to see you at the Elder Gallery on June 5th for the opening of Carolina’s Got Art Salon Show!  And hopefully at the show of my Charlotte Musicians!  All the best!!!!

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Palette Knife Painting

Palette knife painting has become my new obsession.  In my desire to loosen up my style, it seempalette knife portraits a natural choice.  You can only get so detailed with the knife.  It’s frustrating at times — when I’m trying to get some little area done and I desperately want to pick up the brush.  I’ve done a fair amount of knifing during plein air, but recently I decided to try it with portraits. This is from a photo of my beautiful daughter Katie.  It’s interesting.  Not my best painting but interesting enough that now I’ve started a large portrait/figure piece using that technique.  Part of it my desire to “make a painting” not just a picture of someone.  We’ll see how it all pans out.  I definitely haven’t forsaken the brush, but intrigued.

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Painting from Life 2

Once a week at least I try to paint from life.  There is nothing quite like it for seeing all the colors that are really inoil portrait young black woman skin or anything else for that matter.  Often I end up refining the painting later from the photo.  If I do it soon enough I can usually remember the colors and values.  I get so caught up in the painting at the time that sometimes I don’t see some of the proportion problems.  Hopefully I catch those when I review it later in the studio.

This beautiful young woman was a wonderful model.  I don’t get to paint African Americans as often as I’d like.  Their skin presents a whole new set of values and colors.  I got to use oranges and ed oxides in a way that I would not normally.  But I would never see some of these were I not painting from life.

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