I set up this terrific still life in my studio.  I loved the subtle colors of the pot and background with the bright contrast of the garlic.  I first painted this in oil and got bogged down with the middle of the painting blues.  I had a student working in pastel who was also enamored of the still life.  I worked beside her and found that working in pastel renewed my vision of the painting.  Thus I have posted on my website two versions of the mottled pot and garlic from two different views and different mediums. 

Sometimes when you have been doing a lot of studio painting you need to get out no matter what the weather. I painted this outside on a day that was very gray and dull.  I was surprised at how much color existed in the flat light.  The grasses were a pale ocher and the tree trunk was a kaleidescope of orange, purple, blue and green.   I couldn't feel my fingers or toes after awhile but it still felt good to get out.

I used to buy peaches at Eastview Orchard when I first moved to Romeo. About ten years ago it closed and the abandoned buildings slowly decayed. A friend and I decided to plein air paint there and were excited to find such a great spot so close to our homes. I was able to start a quick sketch but unfortuneately the bulldozers came the following week and tore the buildings down. This painting is done from my quick sketch, photo references  but mostly memory.

It has been a real winter here in Michigan.  Starting in December the snow began falling and has not stopped, forgoing our typicall January thaw.   Finally in February the sun came out and the snow began to melt.  I used this break in the weather to go plein air painting.  I crammed myself and my painting equipment into the front of my car and for two blissful hours I painted while the snow melted.

This is a detail of a recent painting of my son.  I wanted to capture this phase of his life as a young man on the brink of independance.

I recently viewed a Scott Burdick DVD where he demonstrated painting with powdered charcoal and water on illustration board.  I was enthralled, it seemed like a great blend of painting and drawing.  To create "Relaxing" I laid an initial wash with the charcoal then loading the brush with more charcoal I massed in the figure and background.  When it dried I lifted out the light areas with a kneaded eraser then finished by using a stick of charcoal to add lines that were important.  This is one of my first attempts at this blend of drawing and painting.  Should it be called a drainting or a prawing?

The local farm markets are bursting with produce and my roses are making a last great effort to put on a show before the frost. All these lovely spherical shapes echo each other in this composition.  The faculty exhibition at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center starts tomorrow and I wanted to have a one day all prima painting to show to my students. 

Courtney is one of my favorite models to paint.  She has an expressive lovely face and gorgeous deep skin tones with beautiful blue highlights.  It was especially fun to paint her swathed in the peachy fabric. I painted her on clear gessoed Senso linen canvas and used the bare canvas as the background.  

   Portrait Painting

The most important step in painting a portrait is starting correctly.  Without a good foundation the rest of the painting will be a struggle.  This drawing is the pastel construction of the portrait "Anna in Green Scarf."

What makes a good start?  
   1. Axis line- This line runs down the middle of the face and defines the tilt of the head.  It also helps the artist show the turn  of the head depending on how much facial mass is showing on either side of the line.

   2. Feature Placement- The features lie perpendicular to the axis line and parallel with each other.  Each person has unique features yet each persons features follow a ratio that is the same no matter your sex or race.  As an example everyones eyes are one eye width apart.  

   3. Value Pattern- The pattern of shadow caused by light falling on the head.  This pattern will differ depending on the direction and intensity of the light.

If you can get the axis line, feature placement, and value pattern down correctly then the rest of the portrait will be easy.

Last week I taught my first plein air workshop out at the beautiful gardens of Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills, MI.  Now I have always loved my job as an art instructor but the workshop convinced me that I have one of the best jobs on earth.  I had an enthusiastic group of students who were up for the challenge and eager to learn.  The students painted in the beautiful evening light with the smell of the blooming linden trees permeating the air.  There were no expectations for successful paintings, the goal of the workshop was to become familiar with the plein air set up and challenges, but there were some very beautiful paintings created during the sessions.
 Cranbrook Fountain

I have posted two sketches I did during the workshop.  The fountain was a demonstration for the first evening and the pillar is at the front gate where I set myself up to paint before the students arrived.  There were twelve in the class so after a few of them drove by I knew it was time to pack up and get ready to teach.  It truly is a good way to make a living.