Whole Piece #72

"Whole Piece #72"
Oils on Panel
5" by 7"

This Particular Painting

In this painting I was most interested in capturing a softness in the expression.  I'm quite pleased with the result. This painting deserves a better photo, but I just couldn't wait to share it.

The Series

I'm in the final stretch of the series now, I finished Whole Piece #76 yesterday so that means just 24 more paintings to go! I've got a schedule marked down with no exceptions in my planner. Wish me luck! I've been reflecting a lot on the series of late and I have more ideas to share in my upcoming posts.

Exercising My Muse

I take photographs almost daily as well as paint. Often times those photographs capture some quality that gets me wanting to explore an idea in my art, whether it be a pose, expression, emotion, mood, color palette, pattern, or textures. I've decided to share some of these photos on a linked blog called The Muse's Routine. You can find the blog on one of the tabs at the top of this page.  Right now they are all nature photography (I live in the mountains.) but there are triggers for my art in man made objects and buildings as well, it just depends on the spot of this Earth I occupy that day. ;-)

Next

Mad, simply mad times...simply the madness of painting my days away. ;-)

"Whole Piece #43"

"Whole Piece #43"
4" by 4"
Oils On Panel

Subtle Shadows

I've been trying my hand at more diffused low contrast shadows in a few of the more recent additions to the Whole Piece Series. In this case this face was back lit so that the whole face was similarly set in shadow with very little value contrast.

When I was at art college and we had a live model set up for the students to paint or draw, that model was almost always lit with high contrast between light and shadow (basically a spotlight was on them). That kind of set up is good for getting basic ideas about drawing and painting down, but there is so much more subtle experiences of light in real life that are meaningful to express in art. Another basic rule often taught is to have a full range of values in a piece of art, from the lightest light (Something similar in value to white.) to the darkest dark (Something similar in value to black.). I find myself more and more drawn to lighting that has to be expressed by breaking those formulas.

"Whole Piece #43"
Side View

So much of what we do see around us we can not fully see because of lighting and that forces us to use conjecture to create much of our understanding of the visual world and much of our understanding of our experiences. I'd like to think on that more.

Next

I'm doing a little jig, as it looks like I have a taker for the bunny portrait! I can't wait to stare at a bunny face for hours and try to suss out its mysteries. I've also got Whole Piece #53 well underway and #54's reference ready, AND I've been able to get back to the landscape on my roof as the weather has finally been cooperating! Perhaps I'll even manage some book art this evening.

The 7 Day Painting Sprint

"Whole Piece #44"
4" by 4"
Oils on Panel

The Painting Rampage: To those wishing to try this themselves I issue a warning. All the sitting and concentrating intently on painting may strain your back. :-P

I aimed very high. I aimed to get 10 paintings done in just 7 days. I guessed I wouldn't make it if anything else in my life that week didn't go as planned. No surprise, everything did not go as planned. BUT, because I had aimed to get more than one painting done a day I managed to get 9 paintings done in just 7 days, despite the fact I couldn't paint one of those days and only had a bit of time one of the other days! AND I completed #50 the very next day!

I'll be catching up on sharing the paintings as I organize the photos. Here is just a couple to wet your appetite.

"Whole Piece #49"
4" by 4"
Oils on Panel

Next

More Whole Piece Series paintings from photos I took at Grossmont College, perhaps a chance to share an in progress landscape, and prepping my Whole Piece Project proposal for a competition application (That proposal means a photo of all the dry paintings together!).



P.S. A bit of your face can be a part of the Whole Piece Series too. Read about that here.

"Whole Piece #19"

"Whole Piece #19"
5" by 7"
Oils on Panel

Intrepid Painting Experience

This was a joy to paint. I started it not long after my husband and I got back from visiting New York and the Met was still fresh in my mind. The Met reminded me of all the possibility in creating art. I saw so many approaches to creating a painting.

In this painting many ideas I had about applying one layer of paint before another, or intentionally picking up paint from previous layers, or laying in color a bit more directly, I allowed to come out. Throughout the painting process I kept thinking I had to try these ideas out as there are so many more ways I can paint and fully become myself in my art.

Next

I'm almost done with Whole Piece #36, so I'll be posting the last couple of paintings. My goal is to paint two 4" by 4" Whole Piece paintings in one day this week. I've been painting daily, but so much in life has interrupted the progress that I must gain some ground; I must exhibit fortitude. Enough grandiose declarations.

Oh, and I've started reading a book on the lost world of letter writing. When I saw the book I couldn't help thinking that blogging feels a lot like writing a letter to me. I'm not sure the book will further that connection in my mind, but it is worth exploring.

Another idea in the works! I must try one of the projects out on the new PBS online series "The Art Assignment." I just noticed they uploaded another video. I want to do every project, but I'm thinking I'll have make a tough choice and only count on doing one in the next week or two. 

Whole Piece #22, 23, & 24

"Whole Piece #23"
Oils on Panel
6" by 6"

"Whole Piece #22"
Oils on Panel
5" by 7"

More Pieces

These are the three latest additions to the Whole Piece series! (You can read more about the series here.) I've made quite a jump since I last shared Whole Piece #12, so I'll be sharing the interim paintings in the next few posts. I'm still collecting photos of faces to use for this series, so feel free to contact me if you'd like to participate. My goal is to complete a minimum of 100 paintings in this series.

Inspired 

I recently visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and of many images and ideas that inspired me I especially enjoyed seeing the glorious texture and depth that I could never see in prints. I took some detail shots of the texture and brushwork, so I'll have to share that as well. 

Plans

I'm bursting with visual inspiration and a desire to do a few playful experimental paintings to pull out ideas 

and techniques from all my recent experiences. So, I have 

much to make time for; wish me luck.

Whole Piece #24
Oils on Panel
4" by 4"

"Whole Piece 11," Daily Painting # 46

"Whole Piece 11," Available (click here)
4" by 4"
Oils on Panel

If your interested in knowing more about this series visit here. Find out how you can get your facial feature painted here.

"Whole Piece 5," Daily Painting # 40

"Whole Piece 5," Available (click here)

5" by 7"

Oils on Panel

A Shadow Cast

Whole Piece 5 Side View
(Without as much glare! I must take some
 time to redo the photographs
 of so many of my paintings that
are tainted with the glare from
bright lights in night photographs.)

The moody gloriously shifting shadows in the reference for this painting drew me to more subtle brushwork than usual. I am intrigued by how subtle an eye can be. In interactions between people we focus so much on other's eyes. It is natural to spend a lot of time understanding the other person through what their eyes tell us, so we think of them as bright and full of contrast and liveliness. Here the shadows cast across the skin and over the eye are much more dramatic in contrast than the eye itself. Because this eye is in shadow I feel it draws my eye to it more, trying to understand it's subtly, trying to read the expression.

Whole Piece Series

I have gotten a few volunteers for my Whole Piece series! ( You can read about the idea and how you can join in here and here.) I believe my next piece in this series will explore a new feature. I'm interested in a few photos I have of noses and forehead wrinkles.


Adventures that Lead to Paintings

I have a trip to the zoo planned for tomorrow! I'm hoping for some splendid new reference. I must spend some time with the monkeys I think, and perhaps some colorful birds. Hopefully something will surprise and inspire me. I will not be able to paint, so I'll be playing catch up for a few days. Wish me luck. :)