Art Escape Italy challenge

Art Escape Italy recently presented a self-portrait-during-the-lockdown challenge. If you won, you would get a free workshop in Italy in 2021. What’s not to like about that?! I had been to one of their plein air workshops in 2016, so I knew they chose quality instructors and great venues. This was a “stretch goal” for me, to accept the Art Escape Italy challenge, but I figured it was worth it, since the worst that could happen was nothing and the best that could happen was to win a workshop!

It was fun to try, and my first selfie in oils. Although it makes a lot of sense to paint yourself, it doesn’t always feel comfortable as it feels narcissistic or something, so I haven’t done it much. If you don’t want to bother people to sit for even a photograph, much less an actual painting, you yourself are always there…  

They had about 150 entries. I did not win, but was close! The winner was a stand-out and I admire that portrait. Here’s Art Escape Italy’s blog post.

selfie 2020

face 51

I think this is as far as I will go with this one, as there is a flaw in the paper. Why is it so hard to photograph white paper? I could increase the contrast in a photo-editing program, but then all the grays would be lost, so that doesn’t seem like a good solution.

the eyes have it

still counting? face 50

a carpenter from Elk, California who has worked on boat projects as well. The right paper helps! This portrait was easier to work on than the last one. I was wanting to try lots of detail in the hair, but set the drawing up too small for that.

a graphite portrait

When was the last time I picked up a pencil to draw with??—it might have been about 4 years ago. I’ve been wanting to return to working on the faces project and drawing with graphite just feels fun. My original goal was 500 faces, just because it sounded neat, but is that even possible at this slow pace? Doubtful. This felt difficult, I was not happy with the blending of tones — maybe it was the paper or the pencils, or just how much time had passed. Here is a portrait of a woman I admire.

face 54 – iPad drawing

This one was done in Autodesk’s Sketchbook Pro, which I hear is no longer available in the app store. My stylus accidentally went through the laundry, but it seems to be no worse for wear. One feature I wish I had was pressure-sensitivity.

Jerry – portrait

face 53

this could be one of my portrait series (eventually I will get to 500 with luck) — co-painter Jerry Turner donned a wacky expression while wearing a painted-on moustache. I wanted to make the painting match in wackiness. It ended up more realistic than I thought it would, but I can always try again!

Maybe this should be called “Jerry Turner Overdrive”!

portrait in pencil

A portrait of a friend’s grandbaby, anonymized to protect the innocent! I still love graphite as a main medium. It’s so malleable that shading is pure fun. Of course, it comes along with it’s smudging capabilities which end up in unwanted places — nothing a coat of paint can’t fix! This will go into the upcoming Pro Arts East Bay Open Studio, June 6&7, and 13&14. http://www.proartsgallery.org/ebos/

The T has a blank in the middle — what should it say?

Baby Armadillo

workshop with Randall Sexton

faces 50, 51, 52

Weekend Warriors – 2-day portrait workshop. Randy is a great teacher – relaxed but informative and supportive. I find his work inspiring, wonderful images capturing a feeling of a place without being slavishly detailed, and lots of luscious brushwork.

These are two sketches and a full-day portrait which I did over this intensive weekend. I scrubbed one. It’s good to throw paintings over sometimes, it makes it easier to abandon those which aren’t going in the intended direction. Don’t hang on – move forward!!

a half day portrait

30-minute morning sketch

Great model all suited up with a pristine suit of the 1920’s!

detail