Uggs and Kisses

Uggs & Kisses

10x20” oil on canvas (sold)

So adorable in her Uggs and Tutu.

This is another new painting for the ValeArts show.  Its hard to believe that the show opens this week.  Lots a admin things to do for the next week.Two BIG boxes of frames have arrived from Florida Frames, one of my favorite places to get frames.  So I will be framing, writing inventories and making labels.  

Artistic License

This was one of my first museum paintings & people in museums have become one of my favorite subjects to paint. 

I saw this young lady at the Smithsonian Portrait gallery.  I liked the color of the wall and how the young lady was so casual in that formal setting.  But as I painted it I realized the museum painting was a dark portrait and didn't work at all with this gal.  Plus, I just didn't like it.  So I walked around the Smithsonian National Gallery until I found a painting I thought matched her personality.

Finished Painting (sold)

The roughed in painting, first layer

I enjoy starting with an under-painting to get a feel for what works and what doesn't.  

• After this quick under-painting, I decided the green was too bright, I wanted more color in her shirt, and I wanted to change the painting from the wall.   
• The beautiful Renoir replaced the roughed in18th Century portrait
• Changed the color of her shirt to blue once I decided on the painting I would use
• The wall was toned down
• Highlights & shadows were added throughout the painting
• A touch of light blue was added to the right to indicate a hallway and add more light to the painting and to balance the blue in the museum painting & her shirt
• Changed the color of her flip flops to red

Hilton Head 4 Challenge #7 - "Hanging Out"

Hanging Out, 9x12" oil on canvas

It was my turn to pick the photo reference for the HH4's semi-monthly challenge.  I chose 2 photographs I'd taken of this young man in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden on the mall in Washington, D.C.   I've had him in my "going to paint one of these days" file for a long time.  He had such an attitude about him for such a young age.  He stood there for the longest time in what looked like a model's pose in his cool shades and layered shirts.  He was adorable.

Here are the other HH4 ladies' interpretations:  

Chris Werst 6x6” oil What a fun and different approach!

Chris Werst

6x6” oil

What a fun and different approach!

Shades

Regula  ‘Lulu’ Scheifele

4x4” Oil on Gessobord

Yeah…That's My Ride

Maria Bennett Hock

8x8” Oil on Raymar Panel