Recent head studies from life - working at Travis Schlaht's excellent studio in New York City - so great!

I had a great week in New York City - painting with Travis Schlaht and Todd Casey - great to watch them both working and infuse my humble efforts as I went!  Thank you Travis for the invite and all the learning - so great to watch you work and see your decision-making!  Much to learn and miles to go..

"Brat" ( or maybe it's "BRATT!") - Oil on Linen Panel - about 3 hours and 8 x 12" size. From life and Natural light!

Maria - about 3 hours on Linen Panel.. about 8 x 10".. same as above..

About 4 hours 8" x 12" from life and natural life on Linen Panel..

Travis and Todd trying to look artist-y..  Todd is air-dee-jay-ing..  I think!

Travis in critique mode..

Left ? Right ? Maybe left of center. Thinking about the directions of things as I work..

"Annie right off Center" - 8 x 100 oil. On course Canvas pad. From life.

"As She Lay - Living" 11" x 14" From LIfe.  Oil on Canvas-board.

Marissa - 8x10" on Canvas - about 2 hours - from life.

Toned paper demo for my figure students - Foreshortening !  (From life)..

Theresa - Giant hand merely blocked-in..  From life on Toned Paper..

Recent Head Studies while teaching at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, CA

Kadeejah W - from life.  About 20 minutes for demo and a bit more time @ home.

Simone - from life - Demo for my students.

Quick drawings in Heads and Hands class.

Megan - a demo for a private student.  From life.

Terry - demo for class - from life.

Really liked how this turned out - quick head drawing from life.

Trying to Channel Hope Railey and Glen Orbik here!  (trying)

"Nose"  (kidding)  - from life..

Grab Bag - no wait - Son of Grab bag ( Returns)! (And) Please Watch "True Detective" on HBO - a true work of ART in its own right. Yep..

Pigeon Plumlee III from life on Yes Canvas ( Oil painty); 11 x 17" about 4 hours.

Mr Chuck Pyle - Director of Illustration - AAU

 The above painting is acrylic on paper and was done for Chuck Pyle's 60th bday ( folks were asked to do a card.. In the words of Peter LeFleur ( Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story): I over did.  I think he liked it!  Happy B-day Sir!

Nih, from life on canvas board.. Oil paints.. about 4 hours..

Above - Kelsey from life.. about 40 minutes..

 Above - Ted - demo's for figure drawing class!

Below - mostly quick head studies for my Heads and Hands class this semester!

Simple Apple study - done with my new Solux Daylight Light ( small, bright, white - awesome!).. In Watercolor on paper..

"I am Bursting!" Watercolor on Paper 7" x 9" 2014 - from the live model.

What should it be ?

I find the biggest things I am asking myself as a painter and art-person ( I don't take easily to the word "artist") is this:  What should the work be ?  What should I be ?   There are fractals and iterations of answers for these questions.

How realistic ?  How faithful to what I see ?  What pleases me when it's complete ?  Is it the hard effort of a finely rendered work ( yes) ?  Is it the heroics of a few lines and good design-thinking which propel beautiful shapes ( yes!)..  Is it the quality of the stroke of the paint and  how it meshes and mingles with the paint nearby ? ( absolutely yes)..  

I am blessed to have studied under amazing artists - and many of them - while having similar roots ( Ted Seth Jacobs and Frank Reilly seem like the primogenitors largely) they each have an aesthetic - and they are ALL valid.  These slightly shifting aesthetics argue in my head as I work sometimes ( often ? always ?); and I am working to create a more singular aesthetic for what I do.  How long will this take ?  All my days I should think...

If you read this far - you are kind.  You probably feel some of these things as well ( but based on your own path and trajectory).   Some current thinking - below - A figure based on several references - Acrylic paints on watercolor paper. 12" x 16"

"Wuthering Heights 2014"

Some recent oil paintings - all from life - all Alla Prima - @ Academy of Art University and with Robert Liberace 2014

The first painting below was done during a documentary shoot @ AAU for Tomutsu Takeshima's father.  A Japanese film-crew came and shot Tomutsu-san and several painters doing their thing.  I hired the model - she did a fantastic job!

The paintings that follow I completed ( -ish) while assisting Robert Liberace @ his Portrait Painting workshop in the Woodlands TX via the Woodlands Art League.  A great group of painters there and super nice as well ( great Bar-b-Que !).  Thank you Rob for the opportunity to attend!

"Sarose" - 10 x 10" - about 3 hours - done from life - Sunday @ AAU.

Oil on Yes Canvas - about 3 hours - via Robert Liberace workshop @ the Woodlands WAL - TX
Limited palette of Burnt Umber, White, Burnt Sienna and Black.

Same as above but on Linen panel..

Same as above but on Yes Canvas..

Oil on Panel @ Palo Alto Art Center in 20 hours on my Open Box M !  ( 8 x 10" gessoboard)

A few things in the hopper.. Mostly practice stuff and demos from school..

Figure studies in charcoal on neswsprint..

Same as above - different times for each drawing - nothing more than about 20 minutes..

A 1 day cast demo for my Masters Drawing class students #Academy of Art

Study of one of the V sisters #Robert Liberace Workshop.  Oil on Yes.

Grayson W age 14 - acrylics on Canva-paper. About 12 x 17

I plan to be posting some new project work in the coming weeks and months - more about what I hope to accomplish vs simply: practice work.  I hope you'll take a look when I do!

Happy New Year! 200,000 Page Views! 

Здравствуйте и спасибо российских посетителей! (Hello and Thank you Russian Visitors)

Я просто хочу, чтобы поздороваться и поблагодарить Вас за то, чтобы всех людей из России, которые приходят на мой блог! Приветствия и спасибо - Кевин

I just want to say hello and thank you for coming to all the folks from Russia that come to my blog!   Cheers and thank you - I have noticed lately that sometimes half of the visits to my blog come from Russia and nearby - Kevin

5 minute construction gesture November 2013 - from life!

 

Need it need it - got it (!) GOT IT!

BACAA Travis Schlaht and Ted (Edward) Minoff 1 Day portrait workshop painting.  Oil on Linen - just about 2 hours - so basically FLYING!

Megan - from life on toned green paper!

Figure on Toned Paper from life..

Erica - from life - charcoal on newsprint..

Kelsey - from life - Oil on Yes Canvas.  About an Hour.  I liked it all unfinished so I left it this way!

OK now this is officially a hodgepodge!   Here is a wrinkly-shirt-in-strong-chroma demo I did for my clothed figure students!  Go UT Austin!