Friends...just a quick note to share a drawing here at the Portrait Society of America in Philly!
Aloha!

Final Amber

Thought I would have one more session with this model, but turns out I'll be working instead of in class next week, so this is it. Really enjoyed these sessions! Gearing up to start painting outside class more, but this week it's OFF TO PHILLY for the Portrait Society of America conference! Have been looking forward to this all year...and can't believe it's been a year! Aloha!

Amber Session Two, Refining

Very happy about how this is coming...slowly and working all over the painting, refining the drawing and still working a lot with the values of the shadows especially. The light was changing in the room a lot today...and some of the effects were fun so I put them in...but it's definitely nice to have a little more time to look closely and be more deliberate.

We were talking about birthdays in class and it got me started thinking about how the WWF says we are literally using resources at a rate that two planets couldn't accommodate...and I thought do we have any goals at all as humans? Is this the best we can do as a species...a sort of monster ball where even managing not to massacre each other seems out of reach? And I wonder...if we could live 200 years, would we behave any differently? Our young people have a lot going for them.. I'd like to take the long view for their sake.

Aloha!

Angel in pencil

Quick sketch...movement and all. With gratitude for mothers and magic breaths today, Aloha!

Amber

Beginning a new portrait...should have more sessions with this model, so limited this to trying to get the lights and shadows in place, without rushing. We are following a lighting pattern used by Anders Zorn with light from both sides, pushing the shadows to the center of the face. Our model is a delight...strong features and her hair is the color of amber...this will be fun. Aloha!

Courage by Tom Edgerton

Cause to celebrate! Tom Edgerton has received a Certificate of Excellence for his painting "Courage" in the 2012 Portrait Society of America International Competition. Tom is a world-class artist and his portraits have been honored in this prestigious competition in previous years. His work speaks for itself, but I get to speak up for him (since he is way too modest) and say how very much I appreciate his teaching and how much I enjoy watching him constantly raise the bar for himself and for his students. It's exciting, it's fun, and his paintings clearly enrich people's lives.

This painting seems to say something about living fully and richly. How is it that something that is strictly superficial (paint on canvas) points the way to a lasting beauty that is beyond appearances? Well done, Tom.
Aloha!

Karen Session Two

We did have a second session with this model, after all. Seems like I was just starting to "see" it , when it was time to pack up and go! Probably one of the more frustrating sessions....sometimes when that happens it's because I'm learning something new on some level. So I'm hoping that's the case here and maybe it will bear fruit still. Aloha!