"The Bellydancer"

Recent commission. So much fun to work on because of its interesting pose, love doing costumes and my favorite medium, charcoal and white chalk. Approx 16"wx19"h, on pale green canson mi-tientes.

Jesse - PAOA Portrait Studio

Super pleased with my results from yesterday's Portrait Studio painting model Jesse St. James. My confidence level is very high and I finished this in about 2.5 hrs! Yay and it is a good likeness. I think I am finally moving towards a "Pamela-style" and I like it. This is a 12x14 painting on triple primed linen with an acrylic burnt sienna ground. Artisan Oils with Gamblin's Neomegilp medium.

Portrait Study in Local Cultural Dress

Simply loved painting from this model in PAOA's Portrait Studio session on September 18th. I'm really happy with my results and am hoping I get back in my studio to finish the hands and do some refinements. Oil on triple-primed linen 12"x14"

Finishing up unfinished works...

I have been continuing the project of going back to unfinished works from Portrait Studios. This one still looks like an old tintype, even with all the added color. Perhaps it is the pose, very stiff. At any rate, it is a work in progress...still.

"Grecian Dreamer" - Oil

This was started in a live model portrait studio last fall and I've finally finished it to my satisfaction. Oil on linen 16" x 20". This was my favorite costume for my portrait group, as I made the Grecian gown and garland for her hair myself! The only think I regret in that from this pose you can't see the model's glorious hair that billowed out on the other side. Sometimes you can't get setup in the place you wish in these shared sessions. Maybe this will motivate me to get my studio setup with a platform and start working from life at home :) Eventually ! Ha!

"The Granddaughters"

More work done to refine the faces and hands.












12"x16" oil on gessoed panel, very slick and shiny surface. I used Artisan water miseble oils with Gamblin's Neo Megilp medium. Boy, the paint sure moved around a lot and I think I probably should Not have used bristle brushes. However, it make for an interesting loose look. My first attempt at 3 figures on any size, but this small sure was a challenge making the faces very tiny. But, I sure enjoyed the experience! I may try another of the same girls but on a larger linen canvas with a little tighter look on the faces.

Landscape...I know...it's not a portrait...

but this is where my artistic efforts have been lately...preparing class material for Acrylic Painting Workshops I am doing for Michael's Arts & Crafts Store as a new Grumbacher Art Instructor!! For more information visit my Workshops Page of my website or click HERE

I will be teaching how to paint this Step-by-step in the 2-hour Landscape Workshop.

This Daisy painting will be taught in the Floral Workshop.

Cute Kittens in Graphite

Wow, it's been quite awhile since I've posted anything. Haven't been in the studio in ages. Felt good to be drawing again. I love graphite! Cute little kittens. Plan to do a series of graphite kitties for cards and prints. Enjoy!

Quick Sketches

A couple of 15-20 minutes charcoal quick-sketches on newsprint done from life at the Valentine Art Show at the Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix on Feb. 14th. It was a beautiful day. Not a lot of traffic, but still good experience working from life in an unstructured environment. These people were artist members of Tempe Artist Guild, not professional models. So was extra good experience :)

Monochrome Study - Costumed Model

In a local open studio offered by PAOA, I practiced a monochrome study using the "sight-size" technique. Approx 3 hours of work and I feel it still needs quite a bit of tweaking. I did add a little color to the skin areas and some white on the highlights.I used burnt umber on a 14"x18" linen canvas. When I prepared my canvas with a wash of burnt umber the previous day, I used Artisan oils with the Artisan thinner. This was a mistake. When I attempted to remove paint to achieve the highlights, it did not come off easily or at all. I should have used water for the wash. It is a learning experience working with water-misible oils. (Below) a photo of the in-progress painting with model set to size.