Cuties, oil 12 x 16

Practicing some of the composition techniques from my workshop with Jeff Legg:)

April 7- 10, Chattanooga, at the Townsend Atelier

Just few spots open! Registration deadline
March 15!

PORTRAIT PAINTING WORKSHOP WITH CHRIS SAPER April 7-10 | 9 am-4 pm click for detailed syllabus & to register This four-day workshop will focus on painting from a model and on technical "labs" that will cover invaluable information on the art of the portrait including proper lighting, photographing the model, marketing, pricing your work, and professional development. Nationally recognized portrait painter, Chris Saper has completed almost 400 commissioned portraits, authored four books and filmed four DVDs on portraiture.  We are happy to have her teach a four-day workshop at Townsend Atelier where she will cover lots of ground including lighting, photographing the model, color, materials, capturing a likeness, professional development, marketing and more. For those traveling to Chattanooga, feel free to contact us and we will be happy to help recommend lodging. About the Instructor: Since beginning her commission portrait painting practice in 1991, Saper has completed almost 400 commissioned portraits nationally, authored four books and filmed four DVDs on portraiture. "I love the discipline of working with clients in a shared vision of the portrait to be painted.  There's a satisfying result when I can achieve beautiful skin tones, accurate likenesses, and yet still paint a lovely piece of art." Her books include:  Classic Portrait Painting in Oils: Keys to Mastering Diverse Skin Tones,  Painting Beautiful Skin Tones in Color and Light, For Love or Money: a Business Handbook for Portrait Painters and Mostly Monochrome.  Saper has been published in The Best of Portrait Painting, Artist's Magazine, American Artist, International Artist Magazine, Pastel Artist International, and the Pastel Journal. Her work is also included in North Light Books' Strokes of Genius: The Best of Portrait Drawing; Strokes of Genius 2: The Best of Light and Shadow; and Drawing & Painting People: The Essential Guide, also published by North Light Books.

Workshop with Jeff Legg

I recently took a four day workshop with Jeff Legg at the Scottsdale Artists' School, and I am pleased to say that I got out of it what I had hoped - mainly a  new focus on designing and composing still life.

Here are the two paintings I made during the class, each using one of Jeff's signature elements: Eucalyptus leaves and canteloupes.

It was a good week, and I think everyone enjoyed Jeff and the things he showed us:)

Portraits Inc Workshop, Birmingham, AL

My thanks to everyone at Portraits Inc, and especially to workshop coordinator Laura Murphey for making the experience so great for us all!

We had the chance to try out my new workshop syllabus, which involved a Day One morning monchrome oil demo, with students painting their portraits from life in monochrome oil and Torrit Grey, if they chose. Wonderful samples again provided courtesy of the Gamblin folks - thanks Dave and Scott:)

I liked this format quite a lot, warming up with an oil monochrome, then painting from the live model again the second day, but in color. There were eleven students (one had to drop out at the last moment) and plenty of room in the portrait gallery for 11 easels and two live model set-ups.

You can tell they are focused by their stance!

The workshop was followed by the "Down South" Portraits Inc meeting, with artists and sales associates, coinciding with a terrific show and a packed house at the adjacent Beverly McNeil Gallery.

If you are in Birmingham, be sure to stop by to see the portrait and fine art galleries, pick up a "tiny treasure" painting, or commission a portrait!

And remember:

Webinar now available! Painting Beautiful Skin Tones with Color & Light

If you missed the webinar with ArtistsNetwork, you can view it here...I thought it would be edited to a short version but the whole thing is available, which will be great if you are ever having trouble falling asleep:) It's about an hour.

My daily palette, to accompany Artists Network's free online webinar Tuesday Sept. 22, at 1 pm eastern daylight time

There isn't enough time available during the webinar to go through the palette colors in detail,so I am providing it here for anyone who would like:)


https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4077641495097249026

Samantha, life study, monochrome oil with Torrit Grey

At the Portrait Artists of Arizona open studio yesterday our model Samantha held a STANDING pose all day! In order to try out some methods that I'll be incorporating into future workshops, I came with an oil-primed linen panel, already primed opaquely with Gamblin's Portland Gray Medium (PGM). Materials were white, black PGM, and Torrit Grey.

At each step, the toned ground offers the option to cover up mistakes, either by lifting marks out with mineral spirits or just painting over them with another coat of PGM, which will match the background perfectly.

Apologies! I posted the incorrect dates ---Just scheduled: Workshop November 15-19 Birmingham AL, hosted by Portraits Inc

Please contact: workshops@portraitsinc.net  to register.

This workshop is open to all artists - please contact me if you have any questions about whether this is the right workshop for you!

Janet Napolitano, Preliminary Study, oil 20 x 16

This small study is one of several I am doing to prepare for next month's opening of "Women Making Faces", an exhibition of the Chandler Center for the Arts's Vision Gallery.

Janet Napolitano is one of three subjects I've selected for my entry into this inaugural event, showcasing the work of ten women portrait artists who live in Arizona.

The show opens with an reception from 7-9 pm on August 14, 2015 and will run through October 24, 2015, with an Artists' Meet and Greet, along with live painting demonstrations from 7- 9 pm on September 18 - stay tuned for more details!!

Tumbling Roses, oil on linen, 18 x 14

With this still life, I decided to experiment with non-lighting- diffuse, non directional light. I thi8nk this makes for a more difficult approach since it doesn't allow for strong light and shadow patterns to created form and design. The plus side is that the light and colors are so soft, they seem to melt into the atmosphere.

Dori and Rachel Double Charcoal Portrait from Life

This morning we were in for such a treat - our open studio coordinator, artist Dorothy Ray, arranged for two models, a mother and daughter, to sit at the Mountain Artists' Guild in Prescott.

I wish I could remember what kind of paper I used - some type of pastel paper that's been in my closet for way too many years- mainly because I don't like the surface and would never buy it again, sigh. But I did like the color:)

Dori and Rachel, charcoal on something, 16 x 20.

Harley Brown: American Artist oil study, 20 x 16 - accepted into the OPA Western Regional Competition, August 7 - September 7, 2015

Harley Brown has been one of my closest mentors and has also become a very dear friend since I first studied with him over twenty years ago. I am really honored to be included in this Oil Painters of America competition, and wish I could attend! 

Wild Horse Gallery
802 Lincoln Avenue
Steamboat Springs, CO 80477
(970) 879-5515

Painting Luann, Mountain Artists' Guild, Open studio

It is always a delight to find out what our wonderful model artist coordinator, Dorothy Ray, has  lined up:)

This morning, Luann...I thought I had more canvases here, but the only one I did have was a Fredrix panel, but too absorbent for my tastes. I found that I couldn't get the surface covered with enough slickness to really let me move the paint the way I wanted to... so here's the thing: you dance with the one who brung ya, right?

Portrait Society of America 2015: Opening Night Face-off

At 5:00 pm on Thursday night, fifteen artists gathered to paint 5 models before a packed crowd in the Grand Ballroom at the Hyatt in Buckhead, GA, a suburb of Atlanta. Both artists and models draw numbers so no one knows in advance where he or she will paint nor whom will be modeling - it is such fun, and in my group were Kate Stone and Carol Arnold, both spectacular painters. The finished demonstrations are auctioned during the weekend, with the proceeds going toward the scholarships the PSA offers each year. Here are several photos showing the process - time flying until the final bell rings at 7:30 and the event is concluded. You can see all the paintings here, on Matt Innis's excellent blog, "Underpaintings"

Above, an overview of one end of the ballroom. All of the painting stations were set up in the center, so that conference attendees could move around the perimeter to watch each artist's progress.

Here are some of the steps:

Above, part way through painting our model, Sarah. You can see artist Katherine Stone painting next to me. Carol Arnold was on Kate's left. I used for the first time the Natural Pigments's Artefex oil-primed linen panel, with thanks to George O' Hanlon who graciously donated the panel. It's a beautiful panel, and I will look forward to using more of them.

Above, artists painting the model in red. And below, my artist friend Annette Goings must have been saying something funny as she took these pics:)

 Below, my finished portrait of Sarah. Oil. 20 x 16.

Below, showing artists my brand new fabulous NewWave grey palette, complete with a thumb gasket to prevent aching hands while holding the palette. It's a beaut,and best of all I got to keep it - thank you Kyle!