Wigs and a Lamp

This is a commissioned piece, and I've told the patron that I should have it finished by the Christmas holidays, so I'd better spend a serious amount of time on it in the next several weeks. Worked mostly on background stuff today.

Wigs and Shades, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

 

 On this next painting, I concentrated on the hanging lamp. The tiles are still presenting a problem. I have to resolve the measurements, especially where there are smaller, square tiles on the sides of the bar opening.

Waiting At Le Diplomate, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Craig's Face

If you look at earlier representations of Craig, the face hasn't been developed. It really bothers me when that happens, but it does take a few layers of paint to define the features. I just finished working on them a few minutes ago and am happy to see that the painting now looks very much like him.

Craig, America Series, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

At Le Dip

Continuing work on this one; Figure on right, details on bar, cabinet front and some of the tiles. The bartender now has that gorgeous warm glow of light on her face and on her white shirt, coupled with bluish shadows. I'm very happy with the way she and the waiter glimpsed through the doorway on the left appear; the standing figure still needs some work on his shirt and apron. Color in photo not quite accurate.

Waiting At Le Diplomate, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Completed: Finding A Shell

Finally.

Finding A Shell, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

 

I really can start something new now!

Faces

I made some minor adjustments on the profile but it's still not a good likeness. Will keep trying.

The Promise Of Evening, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

 

And some work on the mannequins:

 

Wigs and Shades, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

 

Establishing Planes of Color

The face is beginning to take shape; I'm using a very small flat brush to paint in the planes and will get to more details (like the eyes and beard) after the paint dries. I feel re-energized about this series again.

Craig, America Series, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Watery Progress

Worked on making the water look more natural; I think it might be done now. Have to work on the hands, profile, and a little blending on the tunic, and it'll be done.

Finding A Shell, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

The Big Repaint

With the mad rush to finish the paintings for the show now over, I can paint whatever I want. Of course, there's the omnipresent awareness that I need to work on things to put in the galleries, but I can also indulge myself a bit (hence the cat mug shots).

Years ago I completed a set of 30 sky studies, all of them 11"h x 16"w, and nicely framed in black-with-silver floating frames. A few of them have sold over the years, but I'd really like to propose a show somewhere and get them out of my basement. However, there are several that I'm not happy with, and I'd like to repaint them, then write up a proposal or two at out-of-town venues.

This is #21, Array, in its original state:

I don't like the turquoise sky, and the clouds aren't well formed. Like Joni Mitchell, I've studied clouds for a long time, seen them from above and below, and still don't understand their form. But I'm going to try to do a better job on them and make the color more realistic, too.

Here's the partial repaint of the sky color:

And here's where it is now:

I'll work on the clouds next, after the paint dries. And then pick up on some of the others.

Hair and a Face

IT seemed like a good idea to concentrate on finishing one of the wigs this morning, so I chose the one at upper left. Barring any future thoughts about adding a highlight or reshaping a curve, it's done. I also worked on the modeling of the face, though that needs a bit more. Those lips are tricky; they have very dark uppers and coral-colored lowers, and very bright super glossy-looking highlights.

Wigs And Shades, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

On the painting below, I decided to finish the face, something that's been nagging at me for a while. There is a better resemblance now, and I'm happy with the way the skin tones are working. But there is a phenomenal amount left to do everywhere else.

Waiting At Le Diplomate, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Painting Fur Is Very Soothing

For the wall of cat mug shots. Not as much angst involved in the decision making here as on some of the others.

Grey Tabby, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Back To Some Older Pieces

I got distracted by the bad news today of the terrorist attempts to murder high profile Americans, so didn't get a lot done. But I did pick up again on The Gauntlet, and will attempt to do the same tomorrow with the fire extinguisher painting.

The Gauntlet, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

 

 What I don't like about painting on canvas is the fact that I can't get a straight line when I need to; the surface is too bumpy, even when I use the fine weave stuff. I spent a long time on trying to get the lines straight on the trim just behind the woman walking. And they're still not right. But the cost of panels this size (28" x 32") and their shipping is prohibitive.

A Darker Ceiling

I think instead of tilting towards the warmer colors in the ceiling, I ought to go more neutral. But still darker than it's been in the past. Trying out some darker colors:

A Quiet Evening In Cambridge, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

 

Meanwhile, I'm laying down some more paint on the Craig panel. I'm feeling more like working on the America series lately, and need to 1) get some more panels, and 2) get some more models.

Craig, America Series, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

A Moody Evening Painting

The sense of early evening is beginning to come across, I think; the colors outside the window have to be readjusted. They're too greyish. And I need to get the profile right; the nose just doesn't look accurate to me, and it's hard to know whether to lighten or darken the background behind it. But this is a fun painting to work on.

The Promise Of Evening, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

A Solid Day Of Work, and Getting Back To The America Series

I tackled two more paintings late today and then finished Ieva from the America series. Now I can start Craig (see below).

Wigs And Shades, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Slow progress on the Wigs painting; modeling those faces is taking a lot of time, and the skin tones are very weird.

A Quiet Evening In Cambridge, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Still need to figure out how dark to make that ceiling, and which colors to use. Maybe I'll take it into Photoshop and experiment with it there.

Ieva! Done!

Ieva, America Series, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

 Next:

Craig, America Series, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

The Water Is Driving Me Crazy

 I really want to see this one finished, but have come to the conclusion that eyeballing the water details and painting them in with a free brush stroke is not going to work for this piece. Impressionist painters can do that very well, but I just mess up. So I'm back to careful measurement and placement of the watery elements.

Not sure that red hair is working, either.

Finding A Shell, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Darker, Then Lighter

Once the green tiles dry, I'll bring some lighter tones back in, especially on the right side. There are large skylights in the room, and they create slanting reflections on the glossy tiles.

Waiting At Le Diplomate, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

One More For The Evening

Back to the wigs.

Wigs And Shades, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Making Up For Lost Time

I spent so much time out of the house last week that not a lot got done, so I'm trying to do some painting today.

Finding A Shell, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Ieva, America Series, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Gotta Work On That Likeness

It's hard to get a resemblance, or it is for me, at least. Being off on a feature measurement by a millimeter or two really changes your perception of the model. So there's more to do on this one. But I'm establishing the various grey tones on the window frames and the curtains.

The Promise Of Evening, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Completed: America Series, Eddie and Jeff

I'm not entirely sure that the corner of Jeff's smile (he's on the right) is correct, but otherwise this painting is done. Of course, once all of the figures are finished, I'm going to go back in and mix up a big batch of background color, then paint all of the backgrounds at once. So those misplaced markings to the right of Jeff will be covered up.

Eddie And Jeff, America Series, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Now I can start another new piece!

Trying Out Color

I'm still trying to get my feet back on the ground after yesterday's overload of beauty. A full day of exposure to golden sunlight and 9 different art venues out in the country made it almost impossible to get to sleep last night. I felt like I was radiating all the light and energy I'd internalized like a rechargeable battery.

Anyway, I do like the way this painting is starting to shape up. I'm mixing the greys using Cobalt Blue and Cad Orange with Titanium; we'll see if that mixture holds up in the long run.

The Promise Of Evening, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

A Ramble In The Country, Part 2

So I met a friend at the Metro, and we shrugged off our political news angst and headed for the country. The fall color is not there yet, despite the fact that it's well into October, but we got a few decent reference photos and visited A LOT of art spaces.

I'll have to check what's on my other camera, but this appears to be the money shot right here:

The day couldn't have been more beautiful. Tomorrow: back to work.

Gazing Out The Window

I got a little more done on this last night, mostly blocking in face and hair. It'll start to shape up soon.

The Promise Of Evening, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Surprise! I Completed Something

This is actually finished! I thought I had messed it up yesterday, but when I took a look at it later it seemed fine, and after a few more minutes today, nothing more needed to be done.

Morning Light, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Now I can start something new— especially since I picked up several stretcher bars at the art supply store a couple of hours ago.

Meanwhile, I floated some orange wash over this one:

The Promise Of Evening, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Don't worry, it'll be fine.

Party Colors

Today's work:

Wigs And Shades, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

An Attempt To Get It Right

Originally, I created this image through the use of three layers in Photoshop: a basic background layer with the main image; a separate layer for the view of the marshland through the window; and then another layer of the main image on top. So when I pencilled in the vertical lines to establish the window frame at the top, I dimmed the two lower layers and used the measurements on the top layer. The next time I got back to it, I used the lower layer, not realizing my mistake; the measurements are offset from the top layer by nearly an inch. Things didn't line up. After figuring out what was wrong, I let it dry and have now gone back and drawn the window frame lines correctly. Have also blocked in a few areas.

The Promise of Evening, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Weekend Work, And A Little Self-Indulgence

I worked sporadically from Friday through Sunday and then a little this morning. It's a new week, and though I look forward to the ones where I don't have to leave the house and can just concentrate on painting, this is not going to be one of those weeks. But I'll fit as much work in as possible.

Over the weekend I managed to mess up the measurements on the new painting, so I've had to let it dry before going back in and correcting it. I did some more on the wigs painting, and indulged myself by starting a new little cat portrait— I'm doing a bunch of these as a goofy sort of project; a wall of cat mug shots, so to speak. But here's this morning's work:

Waiting At Le Diplomate, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Each of the tiles is slightly different in color, and there's the added trick of the light coming from the skylights above. So there's some variation. But I like the way it's going so far, and have been using a little gel medium to glaze the green colors.

Here's the new painting in progress:

The Promise of Evening, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

And the latest on the wigs:

Wigs And Shades, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Last but not least, my little cat painting:

Grey Tabby, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

I Worked All Day And All I Got Was This Lousy Grid

Well, it's not really bad; in fact, I have hopes that this will end up being a really beautiful painting. But it did take hours. And there's a lot more pencil work to do (actually, pastel pencil) before i can get to the fun stuff.

I've been struggling lately with trying to finish the 5 or 6 pieces in the works right now or start one of the new ideas that have been nagging at me like a half-remembered dream.

The Promise of Evening, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

A Few Refinements

Darkened a few areas, notably the orange-wigged mannequin's neck, the purple hair, and some of the background. It sure is a colorful piece.

Wigs And Shades, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Le Grid

Struggling with the grid for the tiles on this one for the last day-and-a-half; you'd think it would be easy to just measure it out and paint the lines. But sometimes the brush tip lays down a larger than intended line, and the tape placement can be a bit off. No matter; I have to paint over the current lines anyway and also create some darker ones adjacent to them to give the effect of depth.

Waiting At Le Diplomate, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

A Ramble In The Country, Part 1

Yesterday we took the day off and drove out to the country to scope out a venue I've been considering for showing my work. It was a lovely day, albeit very warm for October. I took over 350 shots but only about 10 of them might be useful for painting. Here's the best of the lot:

Modeling The Faces

My camera goes crazy when I take photos of this piece; it thinks the mannequins are real people and it puts frames around the faces and tries to identify them. Ha! Well, nevertheless, the structure of the faces is woefully unreal to me as I look at them, so I've been working on that.

Some of the colors in the original photo defy description, and it's a challenge to try to replicate them.

Wigs And Shades, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Darker

One mistake that I make on a regular basis is to avoid going as dark as I should, or maybe in some cases the paint just dries lighter than it looked when it went on. I didn't have a lot of time to work today, but I did darken a few areas, and modeled the cheekbones on the mannequin at upper left. I'm also spending a lot of time really looking at things, trying to understand what's going on before I try to translate it with the brush.

Wigs And Shades, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

If It's October...

Every year I pick up again on this painting in the fall, in an effort to get it finished in time to show it for the holiday season. And every year something comes up that makes it impossible to do so.

This year, I'm starting off by trying to fix a problem that's been nagging me, albeit subconsciously: simplifying and darkening the ceiling area. I'm also trying to warm things up with deeper reds and red-oranges, and warmer neutrals in general.

A Quiet Evening In Cambridge, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

I think I'll take out that distracting bright spot at upper left. That'll throw the focus on the center of the picture plane and make the whole interior seem more cozy. I'm trying out different colors on the right hand side wall, too, as you can see. Here's the previous version, with a lighter ceiling:

A Quiet Evening In Cambridge, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Back To The Reds

Since neither of these paintings was slated for the show, I've had them on the back burner for weeks. I listened to CNBC while working on this first one this morning, found it (oddly) to be less unsettling than listening to the actual news. Worked on evening out the interior shadows and the reflections on the glass case on the lower half of the piece.

In Case Of Emergency, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

 

And here's the other one: I had to stop working because I was screwing up the trim lines below the window glass. You can see the blue painter's tape where I was working.

 

The Gauntlet, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

 

I'm trying to make some decisions on where to go from here, besides catching up on the things on the Works In Progress page on my website.