Sparrows

First painting of 2019.

Last of 2018

Stuff from 2018 that didn’t get posted:

Wickford

There are Cows in Attleboro!

Mowry Reservation

Sara’s Garden

The Taunton River in Dighton

Ivy

Wareham

Charles River at the Newton-Needham Line

Duck Skull

Bruce

Random Musing No. 1

The human eye has a range of 120°, mostly peripheral vision, compared to the camera’s typical 200° or more. That is why the figures sometimes seem distorted at the edges of a photograph. We make up for this seeming deficit by moving our focus (in movements called “saccades”) around a scene to build up a gestalt awareness of its appearance.

A painting, curated by human intelligence, is superior in every respect to a photograph, except for how long it takes to make it. If cameras took three hours to create the exact same image as they do now in a split second, there would be no question as to which medium people would choose when they needed an image recorded.

More Nudes

Charcoal on gray toned paper heightened with white

Last Night’s Life Drawing

Reasonably pleased with the results from last night’s drawing session. The model was tall and athletic–at first I thought she was a guy–and, for a change, no tattoos! Here are the nicest ones.

 

Nude Portraits

When I draw the nude I usually try to get in a portrait during one of the shorter poses. My nudes also have strong portrait elements, but sometimes it’s nice to forget the body and just concentrate on the face.

Recent Portraits

Mollie, below, was the last portrait I painted in 2017. I’ve been experimenting with an imprimatura but I didn’t have a toned canvas ready so this is painted on a white background. Just as well, as the model was so pale I would have done the entire piece in pale tints of white.

Mollie

That is precisely what happened with this portrait, the first oil painting of 2018. The tone is way too dark and as a result this is a chalky, unsuccessful painting.

Chrissy

This last painting was done on a much more delicate background, and is perhaps the most successful of the three.

Elizabeth

All from Kate Huntington’s Tuesday portrait session.

Recent Stuff

I always forget to update this blog. Here’s some new stuff since October:

Dauna

Tomatoes II

Hatch

Paul

The “Tomatoes” watercolor is a replacement for another painting of the same subject I sold. Dauna, Hatch, and Peter are from Kate Huntington’s portrait painting session. I’m experimenting with imprimaturas again (every 40 years, need it or not). I can’t help but feel it’s cheating.

Some Figure Drawings

I finished off an 18×24 drawing pad the other day. Here are some of the pieces I particularly liked.