Some time ago when I was still attending Georgetown Atelier, we had a little red headed model who posed for us. During her breaks she would don this gorgeous red robe that had a huge hood on it. It was an irresistible combination. I asked her if she would model for me after class for a photo session and she agreed. We met one evening and worked together for about two hours. The results were so good that I almost couldn't wait for the end of school so I could get started on a painting. While I prefer to work from life, the model lives in Seattle and I, unfortunately, live in Port Angeles - a difficult commute for either myself or the model. Now that school is over, I'm a bit reluctant to spend a lot of time commuting. I had previous done a small portrait from life of her in the class so I was confident that I had her coloring. For working from photos I use a large flat screen monitor in my studio that rotates to vertical. This provides more realistic coloring and I can adjust things as I need to. There were many photos that came out beautiful and worthy of painting and some I will pursue at another time, but this particular pose (with some changes on my part) worked because of the edgy quality of her gaze. It seemed perfect for the story of Red Riding Hood. Umm...just who is the wolf here? I spent about a week on the drawing which I did to size and then reduced it for the purpose of doing this color study. The study is only 8" x 11" on "Yes" canvas. The finished piece will be 19" x 27.5" but likely done on board. I'm still working out my preference. This came out so good, I'm going to frame it too. I'm having a great time! School was so intense, I almost forgot how much I love to paint. It's good to be back.
Every artist has a favorite model and Amber is without a doubt, mine. She has beautiful bone structure and at the same time a certain softness about her that makes her a pleasure to draw and paint. I did this portrait from a photo that was taken some time back when Amber was pregnant with her son Joshua. It was a rainy, cold day and Amber was standing at the window on a short break. It was the perfect shot so I asked her to hold still while I adjusted the camera. I took hundreds of photos that day but this one was the best. I prefer to work from life, but often my budget or time do not make that possible. Photos can sometimes lead to a stiff or an unnatural looking portrait. This is because when you work from life, the model moves. So the work tends to be a composite of many poses which come together to lend the portrait a certain sense of life. Photos, on the other hand, don't move and this can cause the eye to focus on each portion of the photo separately making for a hard lined and fragmented painting. I think, however, that I managed to retain Amber's special qualities as well as her quiet moment of hopefulness in this portrait.
One of the projects we had to do at school before starting on Limited Palette, was a cast study of warm and cool light. At first glance, this appears to be a black and white painting, but if you look closer, you will see warm orangy tones in it. Done with an extremely limited palette of burnt sienna, Ultramarine Blue, Naples Yellow and flake white (no black), my job was to paint as accurately as I could, the values and the relative temperature changes I saw in the cast. The project took about a month or two and marked the end of my mostly monochromatic months at the atelier.
Well, OK. I never seem to find the time to do this anymore. But I do have a really crazy schedule. I'm attending Georgetown Atelier in Seattle three days a week, teaching all day Friday, doing homework Saturday and Sunday and Monday I run a life drawing group so I can get some more practice in. Phew.
The Blue Whole Gallery in Sequim, where I show, is having a gala auction event as a fund raiser next Saturday. I managed to squeeze this out toward the end of my summer vacation and frame it just in time. It was accepted for live auction so I'm pretty happy. The interesting thing about this piece is that it was painted using just three colors and white. A very limited palette. But it goes to show how nicely this technique lends itself to a cohesive painting with good color harmony. It's a donation and I truly hope it raises some money for the event.
Painting is becoming more and more of a challenge with the mess around me growing daily. We're into the third day of drywall and mudding. I'm told to expect at least three more before they plaster and paint. Sigh. I purchased the materials for my matting table today and hope to sneak into the empty studio space on Sunday when the workers are gone and put the thing together. However, I did manage to get a bit of work done yesterday and today. My husband helped me move my huge case of pastels into the dining room (the drawers tipped forward, oh no!) and after I made some order out of the mess, I started this painting. It's a mixed media, actually. The underpainting is done in watercolor and then I've worked glazes of pastel into it. I've found that this technique works best on rag. While the paper is a bear to raise a nap on, once you do, the surface allows you to get multiple lazers of pastel in thin glazes. I'm entering this one in the Northwest Pastel Society members juried competition. They've advertised that it's an "anything goes" show for pastel so I'm hoping the mixed media flies. Wish me luck.
You probably think you've seen this one before. And you have - sort of. This is a large painting of the earlier small format figure study I did. I painted it in glazes and started with a full monochromatic under painting to make sure that the skin tones will glow more as the painting ages. I wish there were some way to really show this piece off. Photos just do not do it justice. As you turn the light up or down on a dimmer, the painting takes on a brighter luminescence that emanates from within the piece. There are some corrections that I can see still need to be made, but overall, I'm happy with it. Funny how things become apparent when you take a picture. No matter how much I look over my shoulder with a mirror, putting paintings on camera always reveals new things to my eye. I won't bore you with the changes by posting the painting again. But you can always check back to my website at www.susanspar.com in a few weeks to see if you can notice any subtle differences.
I'm not sure if I'll get the time to publish over the holiday, but just in case I don't, let me take this opportunity to wish all of my collectors and friends out there a very happy Chaunukah and a very merry Christmas. Above all I wish you health and prosperity in the coming new year. I'd also like to take this opportunity to say a heart felt "thank you" to my collectors and customers who have purchased from me over the past year. Your purchases are always a compliment and so very much appreciated.
I hope to be able to provide you all with lovely new and exciting pieces as the new year progresses.
Time for another floral today. I'm needing to build up a backlog as I intend to do the festival at Bellingham this summer and will need a score or two of these and others. I'm a bit out of practice with flowers so it's good to stretch my proverbial wings a bit. Enjoy.
Thought I would loosen up and shake out my hands for a floral today. Also, it is so dreary out this morning that I needed a little sunshine in the studio. This was a nice break from the large figure I'm working on right now.
Here's a little bit of news I thought I'd share with you. One of my dreams has been to have my very own mentor. A teacher that I could learn from for an extended period. I've wanted to study at the Gage Academy of Art in Seattle for a long time but distance, availability of classes, etc. have just made it impossible. Tenaya Sims, an alumni and teacher at Gage has started teaching small (8 students, on going, atelier style classes from his studio once a week and I was lucky enough to get in! It will mean having to travel into Seattle for two days a week (a three and a half hour drive for me). I'll stay with a relative for one night, travel to the class in the morning and after a long day, head home - with a car load of homework. I'm not sure if I can keep the pace up but I'll sure give it my best shot. I think the hardest part will be keeping sales and teaching going at the other end. Something I need to do with the economy being what it is. But, hey...when times get tough, the tough get going. Or feint. One or the other. Wish me luck!
I just felt like dabbling today so I took out a couple of sketches I did some time ago and repainted them on watercolor paper in pen and ink with a watercolor wash. They're in small, playing card sizes and backed on a bit of black foam core. Whimsical and fun to do. Just not a serious day. I think there's enough serious stuff going down right now - don't you? E-mail me if you're interested.
Yellow roses are my favorites (I think) - no really. It changes from time to time. But I do love them and they always seems to lift my spirits a little. I don't know about you, but right now, in these times, I need all the help I can get. Chocolate helps too. I fussed with these a bit. Roses are always a challenge. See the detail shot below.
