Tess took painting classes from me. She was already quite talented and drew well. I shared the basics of painting in oils with her. Then she became a teen ager and I lost her to boys. This is an oil sketch I did of her using a less limited palette. It’s basically the Zorn palette, along with a […]
Artwork
Portrait of Zoie on a Monday
Having a model is a great way to start off the week. This was a quick two-hour portrait study of Zoie, one of my students. She’s a great model. Didn’t move an inch! I used the Zorn palette that I wrote about last post, which consists of Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Red light, Ivory Black and Titanium White. This is […]
- Artist's life
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Popcorn Skies and a month of Plein Air
I want to win a Strada easel. I know. Fat chance. Strada easels are the brain child of Bryan Mark Taylor and they are a cool, light-weight field pochade box. They’re running a contest for the month of September and no doubt thousands will enter. You have to paint en plein air every day […]
Cardboard Sky
I enjoy painting from observation. For me so much about art is really learning to see both with the internal and external eye. One thing I’ve been focused on over the past few years is trying to get accurate color temperature and value in the work. That’s what really describes the quality of the light and the atmosphere […]
Upcoming classes
My oil painting classes will begin again in September. If you’re interested in taking small group classes in the intimate environment of my studio, please get in touch with me. I’ll be teaching both beginning and more advanced levels and all subjects. You can email or call me for more information or click the ‘classes […]
Three Pears with Sky & Chocolate Bunnies
I’ve recently been painting skies and I love the wonderful red blush of pears so it was a no brainer to put the two together. But I wanted to emphacize the pears more than the sky and so I kept the clouds whispy in the background instead of the big puffy, rain filled ones I tend to favor. […]
White Azaleas in Blue Pot
I bought this beautiful white Azalea as soon as I saw it. Or maybe it’s a Rhododendron. I’m not really sure. I didn’t notice that the tag was missing until I got home. So I can only guess at what it is and how to care for it. I set it in a pot that was a gift […]
Apple demo for ghosts
Cray-cray, I know, but not long ago, I did a demo for no one. I admit I didn’t publicize it well and it WAS on a Wednesday evening after all. But ever hopeful, I wagged my gear to Mas Art and set up for the demo. No one showed. But, I was already there so what the […]
- Artist's life
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Nopal with Apricots and season’s greetings
This time of year I spend a good deal of time reflecting on what went well, what didn’t, what I want to change and how I want to change it. Sometimes I get great insights, sometimes not so much. This year in an effort to have more reflection time, AND to be able to enjoy […]
Advancing to Red
This year, for the first time, we got about 2 dozen pomegranates off our tree. Pretty amazing for a tree we thought was dead after a severe freeze a few years back. So it was time for a pomegranate study along with some Fuji apples from another tree in our yard. Just playing around with perception […]
White Rabbit with Cherries
Several years ago I purchased a white ceramic bunny when I was visiting in Arizona. I used it in a painting, White Rabbit with Apricots. Since then I have acquired several more white ceramic rabbits, mostly Lefton’s, but I still love this little Napco bunny which I’ve paired with Bing cherries, one of my favorite fruits. […]
NMSU collector’s auction fundraiser
I was honored to be asked to donate a painting for the NMSU Collector’s Auction Fundraiser, Gym to Gem. I was happy to be included in this worthy cause. The current New Mexico State University fine arts building is a converted gymnasium from the 1930s or something. The painting studio is on top of the former swimming […]