In my ongoing attempt to overcome my discomfort with portraiture, I decided to do the part I really love... painting faces from imagination. First, I have to give credit to my inspiration for the next few paintings: Juan Martinez Parente. He found me on Pinterest and I've fallen in love with the faces he paints. … Continue reading Portrait Project One – Following an inspiration
Self-Portrait Project 4 – I only see myself in my eyes
Again moving the selfie around to get different dimensions of my face... I managed to distort my perception enough o almost lose myself completely. I still see my eyes. I heard once that all portraitists paint something of themselves into every portrait they paint. This comes from the hours spent observing themselves to practice painting. … Continue reading Self-Portrait Project 4 – I only see myself in my eyes
Self-Portrait Project 3 – Looking into my own eye for a memory
I flipped and moved the focal point of one of my selfies to give myself a good staring into my own eye. I needed to see something there... something I was expressing. Without my glasses on my eyes often look very sleepy, old, and tired. But inside I feel very young and curious, especially when … Continue reading Self-Portrait Project 3 – Looking into my own eye for a memory
Self-portrait project 2 – How I feel when painting the unfamiliar.
I warped the selfie on my phone for the model on this one. I observed it for a few minutes and then painted from memory. As soon as the outlines went down on paper I was aware that I was channelling feelings about my age. I couldn't figure out why I let my nose remain … Continue reading Self-portrait project 2 – How I feel when painting the unfamiliar.
Self-portrait project 1 – The first selfie
The Winter semester of my painting course will be focusing on portraiture. I must admit that this frightens me greatly. I don't like staring at my own face, much less staring into the eyes of another to paint them. I'm also not a fan of realism in any sense. So, this challenge has many levels … Continue reading Self-portrait project 1 – The first selfie
Still Life Project 2020 – In Hindsight
This project brought me highs and lows. There were days I didn't want to continue painting and got bored of the subject... That's when I challenged myself the most... first to reconsider compositions and then to reconsider materials (or how I was going to use them). I'm glad this project is over. I don't know … Continue reading Still Life Project 2020 – In Hindsight
Warped Two – I gotta move on from this now…
I've added some yellows, deepened the blacks, touched up spots with whites, and lined in some outlines... am I satisfied? No. I can't decide what to add or if I've already gone too far. I'be been staring at this composition in one form to another for over three m months now and I am frankly … Continue reading Warped Two – I gotta move on from this now…
In The Spider’s Grasp
Using a handmade marking brush: The handle is a little over 60cm long, made from a maple branch cutting and bound in coloured treads and jute twine. The brush is also jute twine. Being one of the first brushes I tried for this project, I wanted to stay simple and see how circular movements could … Continue reading In The Spider’s Grasp
A Forest at the Base of the Rocks
Using a handmade marking brush: the handle is made from a bamboo stick and jute twine, the brush/roller is a wine cork with bundling wire through it to roll on. The corks were uneven and made textures like birch trees. When I tilted the cork to get a more defined line, some ink poured out … Continue reading A Forest at the Base of the Rocks
Warped One – It’s Telling Me It’s Finished.
I had fully intended to give you several steps, like I would when painting with acrylics or oils, but this one seemed to want to finish faster. On my second sitting it all came together. While I'm not entirely satisfied with it, I seldom am with any of my works, it told me there was … Continue reading Warped One – It’s Telling Me It’s Finished.
The New Renaissance Mindset 