I'm Back!

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I promise I haven't been lazy since my last post! I had a large undertaking of a painting that was a suprize gift. (the painting is 30 x 40") This took up all my art time for a few months, so I had no other work to report back on this blog! Now that the suprize is over, here is the painting! It was part of a proposal gift. Instead of painting the actual couple in a proposal scene that hadn't happened for them, I decided to have a couple that looked similar to the original couple. This way the painting would be more about the relationship and experience than the physical representation of the couple. I chose the environment as a sort of indoor picnic (minus the food), to keep the lighting and space intimate. Also, instead making this an on one knee sort of scene, which would have communicated "Marry me!!" I chose to make this less about performance and more about relationship. While this is a moment of importance, her hand is in two of his, but the words you may imagine are deeper and more complex than "marry me". Their expressions say something more like, "I want to be with you now and always."
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Congratualtions Jen and Zev. :-)

Inspiration For Today:

Ingres! LOVE his pencil portraits.

Complete!

A little bit of the background is still wet, this is as much as I could reduce the glare from the wet areas of paint. Once it dries and I spray it with a protective finish it won't have that problem. Also, in these photographs the background is a hair darker than the original. The last update was more accurate in that aspect.

Almost there..

Just a few little things left to finish up on this! (mostly refining the rope)

Sunny Fall Day!

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I cleaned my studio Tuesday which made a perfect day today for painting in the studio!! I paint closer to the back corner to keep direct sunbeams off my painting, but have a perfect view of my clean space and the yellow leaves and sunbeams! The other chair and easel I sat in is out of view of this picture.

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Below are a few views from out of my window this fall. Can you believe I live in a city and have such a green backdrop?! (Even if it is mostly weeds!) I am so lucky!
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Closing in For Completion

You can click to zoom in on the first image. I don't know why I can't get it to happen for the second. Anybody know how that works?

Baby portrait is just about there!

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Swing painting progresses. Sorry for the light glare. The surface is wet and shiny.
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Thanks for looking! Feel free to leave comments!
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Art find of the Day

Check out this mural!

http://www.woostercollective.com/2009/06/boxis_to_die_for_on_the_streets_of_athen.html

It's a bit depressing but the simplicity of their pose and emotion is incredible. It's very similar to the work that I am doing now: simple expressions, simple poses, the weight of the subjects and lots of space!

I see stuff like this and wish I could have been the artist! (Especially since it's in Athens!)

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I need to pay better attention to upcoming exhibitions at museums. Maxfield Parrish work is at Delaware Art Museum right now! http://www.delart.org/exhibitions/fantasies_fairytales.html I'm thinking about going this or next Sunday. Come along!

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And with my own art:

I'm actually really busy with art right now. I'm working with Bright Ideas Press to do more coloring pages for a homeschool ciriculum Tyler and Helen have written. I have worked with Bright Ideas Press in the past to create coloring pages for this book: http://www.brightideaspress.com/YSGComposers.htm
I'll be sure to show a sample or two of the current project when I get them in ink and scanned in.