Sullen

Rounding off the year with this skull post. I have always wanted to paint one. This was a quick 2 hour sketch; more like a stretch during a long day of live model figure painting. I am looking forward to taking a deeper dive into painting in the new year. The best is yet to come. 

Raven Undone

I just got back from a workshop with Michelle Dunaway at the Village Arts of Putney in Vermont. Its a beautiful and an inspiring place to say the very least. The format of the workshop was perfect in my opinion. We worked on figure the first day, portrait on the second and a two day 'model in an environment' pose in the next couple of days. I wanted learn how to turn the form in a realistic manner and came away with a good understanding on how to do so. A few simple things made all the difference. My goal with the painting posted here was to achieve luminous skin tones and to subtly turn the form. And I think I was able to scratch the surface on that one! Am now waiting to push the limits (read colors!) and see how far I can go. 

Vignette in White

The second attempt at painting roses with a slightly different style as compared to the previous one. We had them in all colors. After trying the pinks and the oranges, I decided to work on the white ones where the temperature, I think, becomes imperative. I didn't think this looked like much until I moved a few steps away. Squinting and stepping back is almost becoming second nature now and I know why!

And I am off for a dose of vacation! I have been planning on doing a whole travelogue of paintings. I am not carrying paints this time but am sure I will be back with oodles of ideas! Well.. what they say is true, all roads lead to Rome!! :)

Daniel J. Keys

Rosy endeavors

A day dedicated to roses. The paint consistency, how much and the way the it should go onto the canvas and of course the shape, color, value and temperature; a whole slew of things to think about before putting down every stroke. This had to be the brightest pink rose I have seen, the color was very difficult to match. And building up from a block-in approach completely threw me off track, but had to try the method of the masters! 

Plum peaches

And that's day one with Daniel Keys at the Sadie Valeri Atelier. Getting the still life fix! Daniel is precise in his suggestions & critique. His stark colors & crisp brushwork make his paintings exquisite! Looking forward to working on a large still life painting in the next few days. Hopefully a complex composition. That would be fun, and his forte of course!

I Figure..

A full day of figure sketching at Randall Sexton's Studio. Worked on poses lasting from 20 min to an hour. I like the tiny bit of work that has gone into the drapery. It helps to suggest the form of the figure. The best part though, is figuring out the subtle temperature and color notes in the skin tones! It is quite an intensive exercise in observation. 

Vendu à Paris

I am back from the great escape - The Kim English workshop in Paris. The city is synonymous with art and never once failed to inspire! We explored a new location every day for our painting ventures. Each day started with a demo by Kim followed by our own attempts at getting at least two sketches done in a day. The emphasis was on being 'quick' to capture the essence, especially of the figures, without getting bogged down by the details.

The couple here made the first day a little more exciting by buying my painting of the Cafe at the very lively Mouffetard neighborhood! I had blocked in the figures, but people kept changing of course. And my painting was way different from what it had started out to be and also how I usually paint. I don't quite have a comfort zone as yet, but trying to paint en plein air a bustling cityscape was a huge departure. Paris, along with the fun crew, made the perfect backdrop for the trip; the beauty all around did a lot to soothe the nerves and the many failed attempts dint seem so bad after all!

Portraits with Laurie

A weekend with Laurie Johnson at the Redwood City Art Center - We painted from a model, starting with a value study and then painted in full color. Staring intently to identify the subtle color and value shifts wasn't too different compared to painting from a photo reference, thought getting the likeness was more difficult. I am stilll working on getting the values and temperatures right. I did learn to look for the planes in the face. The John Asaro head at the studio was very helpful. This painting was done on a PVC sheet textured with one round of sanding - the smooth surface makes the paint glide and the colors look brighter. I am not sure if I like it just yet. Laurie is a wonderful artist and a highly spirited person. It has been fun painting with her, and I look forward to learning more from her.

The Kim English Method

I dedicate this post to the widely known artist - Kim English. The two day workshop at the SWA in Redwood city was literally a hoot. The theme was quick figure sketches conforming to Kim's Alla Prima style of painting with 'immediacy' and 'spontaneity'. We were constantly wiping the canvas every 5  to 10 min, getting ready for the model's next pose, working to get the gesture down with pre-mixed piles of paint. We probably did more than 30 of those on the first day spent inside the gallery. And on the second we were out in a park working on 20 min poses. The strict time limit forced us to focus on the big shapes and the gesture. I was tired by the end of each day, but couldn't have been happier.

A few things I came away with -

- Mass in shapes instead of a line drawing or a combination of both for a more painterly feel.

- Start with flat organic shapes and then push the paint around or wipe off parts to redo an area.

- When painting from a live model, start with a few quick sketches to prepare for the long pose.

It was tough but a lot of fun. This, to me, was the warm up for the week long workshop in Paris with Kim in September, which I am very eagerly looking forward to. Kim's paintings are of simple scenes captured in unique compositions, radiant colors and glowing lights - a constant reminder of the beauty in every day life. And that, to me, is the whole purpose of a painting. 

A 20 min sketch by Kim English. Pure brilliance.

Red, Blue and Yellow

Last week I attended Carol Marine's 5 day workshop at San Francisco - Capturing People and Places, organized by the Sedona Art Center. It was more like a soothing vacation of sorts - filled with fun, food and of course a lot of painting and wandering in the streets of the quirky city! Not to mention all of the great fellow artists I got to meet at the workshop - the painterly energy around the room served as a tremendous boost to my own momentum. 

Through the course of the workshop, I realized that the confidence of 'being able to paint' and 'tackle any subject' exponentially explodes when you paint, paint and just paint. It was an intense week of talking, learning, making friends, eating and of course continuous painting, and a thoroughly enjoyable first workshop experience for me. I completed six small and simple paintings from photos that we got from our wanderings in the city. I will be posting them to the blog soon. Above is Carol doing her magic, the first demo of the week!