Slow and Steady

Sometimes finishing the portrait is the most difficult. It requires a lot more patience and dedication. Getting closer.

New Self Portrait in Progress

I don't have much time to work on it, so it is a slow process. A hour here and two hours there. Here is the progress so far.

In Progress

Here are few things I have been working on.

At It Again

After moving to NY I finally got settled in enough to start painting again. Having not painted for two months I decided to make some small portrait studies and a quick Velazquez copy to get warmed up. I am also working on another landscape of a local waterfall called buttermilk falls.

Falls

Here is the finished study 9x12.

9x12

This is a smaller study that I am working on. If I like it enough I may paint it larger. The small studies really help to see what is working and what isn't without investing alot of time and resources.

Color Sketches

I come to realize that the only way to get better at painting is to paint! The only problem is time, not enough of it. Solution 1-2 hour color sketches of master paintings that are not much bigger than a post card. Here are the results.

New Work

I finished another self portrait and here are a couple of figure drawings from the figure structure class that I taught this past semester at Utah Valley University.

I am waiting to hear back from the Springville Muesum if one of my self portraits made it into this years spring salon exhibition. Wish me luck.

Landscape Painting

I finished it, at least for now. 8x10

Landscape

I painted a smaller color study a while back of this stream, I am working on a larger version.

Vermeer Copy

I wanted to study Vermeer's painting technique of the milkmaid. Here is my success and failures so far. In process.

Rembrandt Update

Update

Working on the Bouguereau portrait and feel like I am making some progress, fixing some drawing errors and started a copy of Carl Bloch's Christ. I am becoming painfully aware that my edge quality is not up to par.

Bouguereau Update

After looking at this copy I realized that I could put it a lot farther and there is still a lot of errors to fix. It is testing my patience. I really don't have the patience for this, but I realize that patience is it's own reward and that craftsmanship and workmanship is born in the fire of affliction. Still is process and may be for the rest of my life.

In Process

This is a portrait of Natalie Malan. I am not sure I did her justice and there is something not right that I can put my finger on. Feedback welcomed.

Carl Bloch

Carl Bloch is one of my heroes. I did this copy to gain a better understanding of his paint applications. The values are a little too dark.

What Difference a Few Years Makes

Here is a copy of a Rembrandt I did in 2007, 2009 and one that is in process.

Rembrandt Copy

This is the Rembrandt I copied before my self portrait. It's 5"x7".

New Self Portrait

I've been studying Rembrandt lately and been intrigued with the way he applies paint. For me that solves the expressive nature I have been seeking lately in my work. I've also tried to fined that balance between expression and accuracy. I love some of Van Gogh's self portraits for their expressive nature, but they fail to satisfy the accuracy that I seek. Rembrandt seem to do a good job at both. I did a Rembrandt copy in oil before this self portrait hoping some of his influence would rub off on me.