At Play in the fields of Masters.. A Few Days with Rob LIberace in Vermont.

If you ever get the chance to attend a Robert Liberace class/workshop/pancake's house conversation - I recommend you RUN (do not walk) to get thee to it!  Great learning and much fun!..Above, "Bob" on "Yes" canvas ( at Jerry's) about 8 x 10 or so and about 2.5 hours or less everything in this post from live models.

"Spoon" similar proportions and dimensions as Bob,  oh - and all oil paints here..

"Spoon" block-in in umber and a bit of ultramarine..

"Monica's BF" as I forgot this nice fellow's name..

Monica in grisaille..

Umber 20-30 min sketch or so..

Another speedy umber sketch ( for warming up).. both of these were wiped to make way for Monica..

Here ( below) is Rob L at work on a demo.. great to watch him work - confident, engaged and encyclopedic (reminds me of things I think about Tony R as well!)

a few heads and things from past few my days in SoCal..

Yes his hair was bigger than his whole head ( I may have left it a bit wimpy at that!).. about 1.5 hours or so..

Above, about an hour at Glen-O's glass at CAI...

I sat in a bit in Charles Hu's gesture class and did nothing to write home about.. above - well I'll write here.. about 8 minutes each

Summer shorter figures ( well they are not short peole.. ahem)

Above "Daisy" - 20 minutes at MCCLA - fun poses !

A study of a Glen drawing..

Repin School head study ..

Behind the scenes and farewell to the Anthony Ryder School..

It has been such a challenging and rewarding year at the Tony Ryder School in Santa Fe - from meeting and working with so many wonderful people to all of us getting completely sick of each other ( at least until we could throw the Frisbee!)..  I learned so much from Tony, Anna, Krista, Toby, John, Dave and Celeste - and cannot thank them enough for letting me be part of their world for almost a year.  I miss them and also other wonderful fellow students - Tina, Sarah, Dorothy, Jacob, Rose, Shelly, Alex, Anwar the Gangsta, Emile, Daralyn,  and enjoyed the friendships I have made and will treasure.   I hope I will get the chance to study with them in the future - they are all great humans and wonderful artists!

Jacob, Tony, Anwar ( the Indo-Gangsta,) David-B and Toby.. these are usually very unhappy dudes, I paid them each 10.00 to laugh/smile.  Except Anwar - who got a Shrek Happy Meal toy !

Santa FE local gang-signage thrown..  Also Big John R graced us with his manly and handsome personage!  I think this is after a beer or two ?

Thank you Rose W ( on the right) and Mark ( hub) for putting on the bar-b-que!  That's Celeste Ryder in the background, avoiding hand grenades no doubt!

Tony and a painting he did in 2008.  You can tell he LOVES having his picture taken!  I own the poster to this painting ( could not afford the painting!!)
 

There is hopefully never any question of Tony's mad genius!  ( this is a long still life work of his I think mostly completed in 2009.  Amazing, Stunning.

The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead..

continues..

Randy study from the corner after I had had enough of the long pose painting.. 6" x 8" on gesso'd masonite

Mini-Trevor - the glare is still too nutty - will re-photo when I figure it out.  5" x 7" on gesso'd ply ( thanks Sir T!)..

Thanks John for posing!  graphite on bristol paper..

Doodle of AW ( very small - sorry I didn't get your other eye done!)  Thanks for posing!! ( and John too!)

Values.. sigh..

The poster..

and silliness in digitalia..

Almost finished my 9 months with Tony Ryder and crew!

My final painting that is still in-process at Tony Ryder's school.. Mostly fine tuning now and will update.  On linen..  Model: Randy via "natural" fluorescent light source.  about 4.5 weeks at 2.5-3 hours per day..  10" x 12" on Artfix Linen. This is a close-up.  I think I can say Tony was pleased!

Full-size..

A senior student who was nice enough to sit for me.. about 2 hours..

Crystal quick head study ( little bump on left nostril is her nostril/nose ring.. not really rendered.. )

The above would be the imprint of my palette after it flipped out of my hand ( trying to scare M.T.H.), down the stairs and landed ( gravity is a B!) upside down on the floor.  Right after I had flipped and prepped all my paints for the morning.   Story of my life.. dog hair in and gravel in my fancy paints to start the day!!  Thanks Big John R for the quick photos!

Soriba - about 20 some hours

Soriba on an 8 x 10 gesso panel that I re-gessoed with an additional 3 layers and sanded to lose some of the tooth.  This was done more in an alla-prima manner than typical at ARS.  Really enjoyed this painting and am happy with the results!

Here is on the first day of block in the shadows (and some dark light) after transferring a quick drawing to my panel.

One afternoon drawing of Cara - about 2 hours on Canson recycled Bristol ( vellum)..  I was enjoying the lights and shadow shapes though I did not get her as young and carefree as she really is..

Quick drawing of Randy - our final long-pose painting model..  ( painting in-progress!!!)..  about an hour and a little..

A quick 10 min gesture of Cara that I really liked!  Newsprint 18 x 24" and Conte Pierre Noire crayon ( pencil)

Sir Anthony Teaches.. and other whatnot..

Tony Ryder teaching a portrait drawing demo at Artisan in Santa FE.  Crystal did a great job as the model.  Lots of hominids came to see!

I think Tony is using a metaphor here (above)..

 

For some reason all of the attending Tony Ryder School (tm) students  are not paying attention!  Toby is zoned (slightly), Mercia is wondering why I am taking a picture of everyone, Krista is wondering what that guy with the white-ish hair is doing, John is trying to control [sic] Marty and everyone else is taking judicious and copious notes!

 

Above my 4 hour allaprima of Cara.  I hope I will get another chance to work on this!

A recent cast drawing study..  about 40 hours.. will get better photo soon!

 

Dave, Dorothy in the background, Krista making egg-lets and the sun was just rising.. Taken at 7:14am on top of some Dale Ball trail in Santa Fe.  Look at those colors!  Now where is my diet pepsi ??!!!

Raven, Crystal, Alina and an unfinished painting of Maribou

Crystal long pose graphite ( 3.5 hours a day for about 2 weeks)