A little different

Trying out these Prismacolor brush markers French Grey 10%, 50%, and 90%. Something to use to get a more abstract start to things. Want to experiment a little. My first attempt. 

Why not? 

Value Study

Last week Judy and I posed for each other to get our homework done for the figure painting class at MassArt. I sat for 20 mins while she painted me, then she sat while I painted her, you get the drift. We went on for 2 hours, which gave us each an hour with a model! What a deal. Trying to simplify and just paint the shapes I see. She was sitting by the window with the light coming onto the right side of her face, which helped me to see plane changes.

Self Portrait 2

My daughter came by and saw this self portrait,homework for the figure painting class I'm taking and said," Oh no  Mom,you look like a guy.You are way prettier than this!" So my vanity almost won,but I thought,no! I painted what I saw, and so be it!

Figure Week 2

Last night as I looked at the model on a low cot on the floor, lit from overhead, all  I could see was the light of her body. How am I ever going to find form? Well, it took awhile,but gradually my eye began to see the plane changes. I had to darken the background, which was a very light grey floor, 2 times. So you can't paint what your head tells you you see, but what you actually see. Ah, to discern these subtle nuances is the challenge. Meanwhile, someone in the building was using the WRONG kind of thinner, and we all left feeling woozey from the fumes. Into the Boston  hot summer night air and we're heading home,happy night painting.

Shell Values 1

This is my entry for last weeks challenge from The Daily Paintworks. A value study from Carol Marine using only burnt umber, rubbing out for mid value, laying in more paint for the darks, and using thinner or a q-tip to lift for the lights. I've been painting shells for a week, so it only made sense to try this value exercise with some more shells. Will paint it again in color-this time it's on a blue cloth.

Studying Diebenkorn

Did a value study in graphite of a painting by Richard Diebenkorn.Plan to copy this work, 8x8 in oil, for a show at The Spring Bull Gallery in Newport: Fakes and Forgeries. Diebenkorn (1922-1993) abandoned his work in the style of the Abstract Expressionists in favor of more figurative work. He was associated with the Bay Area Figurative Movement and lived in San Francisco, one of my favorite cities.