A bottle of gin, a cup, Lucia, wooden boxes, and Richard

While I haven't posted many paintings, I still have been attending class. Here are the ones I've been waiting to dry.

Gin Bottle and Tea Cup
19"x10"

I was so lucky I brought this non-standard sized canvas for this set up. The long shadow was so interesting to me and with this canvas I could give it all the space it needed. This set up was after some Richard Diebenkorn paintings with scissors and ink bottles. (I've decided he's my favorite artist--he went from abstract, to contemporary realistic, back to abstract with his Ocean Park series. He lived in both LA and SF--a true Californian artist. I love seeing his landscapes turn into abstract paintings in Ocean Park...it really made me appreciate abstract art. It's not just something anyone could do, it represents something. That's the point. I'm currently reading a huge art book on him and am just eating it up!)

Lucia
10"x10"

This will be the first of many people. My still life class has ended and now it's the figure! Harder, but more interesting (although I have come to see objects differently, especially dead fish, pumpkins and glass bottles).

For my first portrait in a while, I'll cut myself some slack...but this isn't my favorite one. This time we looked at Diebenkorn for his figure paintings. I think I got carried away in the blue and the shadows and I wish it looked more female, but it was hard on such a small canvas, so the next one will be a larger canvas.

Morandi II
9"x12"

Then still life returned, as we had a make up class after a figure painting class. While I'm glad she squeezed it in...wow...was I exhausted after one painting, especially a face. It was like a marathon. I rehursed a couple different reasons for leaving, but ended up staying and painting. I'm glad I did! I got a chance to focus on the big picture of painting and with the crit. from the last class fresh in my mind I could use other people's advice in my next work. I like how much simplier this one is than "Lucia".

Richard
12" x 24"

So I loved working larger. I was able to use a bigger brush (size 12, about 1 inch wide) and not get caught up in the little details. As I was on the shadow side, I had to use almost white paint to make the light side bleach out enough so his head looked round not flat. I've also never painted a man in oils, so this was a first for me.