Sept. 14

This week again I was using hot press watercolor paper. Not my favorite, but giving it a good shot. The figure and color portrait were both watercolor, the other two were charcoal pencil on newsprint. If they turn out this well, I should be using charcoal paper.

Back at the drawing class

It's Fall again and the Summer Camp for kids is over at the Skokie Devonshire Center and that means our drawing group meets again. The model is Ken and I used my usual charcoal pencils on newsprint. This time I wanted to experiment with hot press paper doing my watercolors. I bought Hahnemuhl paper this time. The smooth surface wants to let the watercolor pool and run which I don't like in the upright position, so I had to hand hold the paper at a lower angle. The surface is less absorbent and thus the pooling. Anyway, I worked around it. If ever there was anything I was meant to do, it's painting or drawing portraits....so, very happpy to be back at it.

Works from the drawing group....done for the summer

The Saturday drawing group of the Skokie Art Guild has to make way for the children's Summer camp. At the final meeting we had the model, Megan. The two watercolors were done on Arches rough paper, single sheet. The charcoals were just done on newsprint. Megan took a pose that did not seem anything I would like to either paint or draw (although I certainly could have), so I chose instead to draw Eugene. I did him in about 10-15 minutes because he left early and hasn't seen this. It's another of my ambush portraits. The other works were all done in 25 minutes. So, off this for the Summer and probably on to do some plein air painting.

Deja vu on the Brassown Road

These are two watercolors done a week apart. These were done plein air. Not sure why I chose to do the same view, maybe the challenge of doing all the trees. Anyhow, I sat out in the sun, put up with a lawn mower and wood chipper while I was painting....luckily no bugs. These are both watercolor but two different sizes. The view is the parking lot at the John C. Campbell Folk School looking down the Brasstown Road. My favorite was the first one.

Portrait and figure work, May, 2019

These were all done at my drawing class. The first is a charcoal portrait done in 15 minutes and the others are all watercolor done in 25 minutes.

Watercolors done at the Campbell Folk School

As usual we went to the Jon C. Campbell Folk School in April. I was there two weeks in art classes and was able to get out and do some plein air painting with my watercolors. The garden at the school was still being planted and was still covered from the cold. The garden painting was done in about two hours. The Rooster at the garden I did standing with my palette and paper in one hand and the brush in the other with my water can at my feet. One of the gardeners threw some treats into the chicken pen to keep him there, but of course he never took the same pose as the one I began with. So it was a matter of just taking information into memory and then working out the rest by looking at color.

Watercolor portraits

These two were done in about 25 minutes at the Saturday drawing class. Done on Arches cold press paper. And, yes, that guy's cheekbones are really that red. He is an umpire at high school football games and probably spends a lot of time in the sun.

Saturday's latest drawings

Latest charcoal drawings from the Saturday life drawing class. Three with the model, Lulu and three with Meg. One of Meg is very light --- I did a pretty large rendering, but only had 15 minutes.

Charcoal

The model was Lucky (yes, that's her name) and these are a few studies done at the Saturday morning drawing group. Charcoal on newsprint, some done in 15b minutes and some in 25.

Another 1st place and how judging should be done

The Spring show my art guild puts on has been good to me over the last several years. This year after hearing the judge's remarks I was fortunate to have someone who not only appreciated my work but also understood what I did to make this pastel painting cohesive. She not only understood the composition but the handling of the things in the painting --- she must have been a painter. I've had plenty of the "art teacher/college art graduate judge" who hasn't the foggiest idea of how to paint. Maybe you have too. Anyhow, very much appreciated. Secondly, the other works are two watercolor portraits done in 25 minutes each and one charcoal back of the head portrait also done in 25 minutes. That is the longest we get in my drawing group, so you have to be quick.

It's not all I do....really!

Last Saturday's work in charcoal on various papers; newsprint, charcoal paper and Stonehenge paper. I am working on a 20" x 30" oil painting at the moment, but often there is more to show with these studies. The model was a guy named Ken and these were all 15 to 25 minute poses. I also have several other paintings that are up on the easel, but sometimes I need time off from them because I either get tired of them or need time to think about them. Plus, I am a new grandfather and have to attend to family things more often. (I don't want to make excuses.) Hope you like them... the drawings, not the excuses.

Recent work, life drawing

These are some recent works, one in watercolor and the rest in charcoal on paper. The quick sketches were done in 15 minutes and the watercolor and the more finished charcoal done in 25 minutes.