Waiting II - Complete

12 x 16 oil on linen

Finished  this one today.  I had to remove 1 inch from her height and adjust everything - hate when I have to do that but just the way I approach.....  I had my canvas on a desk top easel and I was standing up--that usually throws my proportions off--when I am not eye level with canvas.

Waiting II

12 x 16 oil on linen

I started on this one today and I think I need to make some adjustments to her length.  I need to measure her out to see.  Some times I get a little too elongated.  Normally I paint by feel, which I did today, then go back and measure after that--kind of a backwards way to approach things but I like to jump in right away while I'm feeling it.  Too much measuring, etc. takes away the initial "fun" for me so I deal with that later.

Deconstruction in Progress

16 x 20 oil on hardbord

I am borrowing the title from Terry Miura's description of the way he handles some of his paintings.  I am trying to deconstruct this one so it doesn't look so stiff.  It is hard to go back into an old painting and  destroy it in an effort to "help" it.  I know I need to get over that trepidation and just go for it but I'm still having trouble going after his face and cigar which I know needs to be loosened up.   

Bananas

8 x 8 oil on stretched canvas

My take on banana trees; love them, just can't seem to grow them but my neighbors have plenty!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

12 x 16 oil on hardboard

This was painted from an old black and white photo from the 40s.  These girls were on the levee in the Mississippi Delta.  I liked the way the two on the left painted out better than the right.  I think I got too "drawey" on those and will probably continue to play with them.

Life Drawing Sketches

These are some sketches from my life drawing class this spring.  The first one was where the figure was lighted with one light source to the side and we did a value drawing.  The second and third drawings are of the model unclothed (which we did first, I just have the order reversed here), then we added a vellum tissue paper over our initial drawing and drew him clothed on top of our original drawing.  The last drawing was where we could look at our paper to just place the pencil on the sketch pad, then we were not allowed to look at what we were drawing, not even to see if we were in the correct position.  Our eyes stayed on the model the entire time and we were supposed to draw her in one continuous line.   I picked my pencil up a few times and that is why the left arm is growing out of her left leg.  On some level, I sort of like the finished product, you at least get the feel of her wearing a turban.  All of these life sketches were done while being timed.  I can't recall how much time for each.  I think the last one was for 5 minutes.

Fishing First

5 x 7 oil on mylar

Another submission for the 30 in 30 Challenge.  This is a very quick sketch of my grandson's first fishing expedition with his grandfather.   He actually caught a fish that day (about the size of a minnow) but a fish nonetheless!   My mylar has a fold in it and it shows in this photograph but I didn't even discover it until now.

Rodeo

6 x 6 oil on canvas panel

This is my entry into Leslie Saeta's 30 in 30 Challenge.  This is a friend's grandchild at the rodeo - I just loved the pose and wanted to paint.  My theme for the 30 in 30 will be children having fun!  Hopefully, I will be able to hang in there for 30 days.  I'm already one day behind.