Charcoal of James

I have been away in Annapolis studying portraiture at Maryland Hall and with Cedric and Joanette Egeli since the first week of September. I am so glad to be home.

What did I learn while I was there? I learned too much to type it all here but some of the best things that I came away with are the ability to handle charcoal, how to set up a model with one light source (that is why there is a red blanket on the window behind James) and how to think about the structure of the skull and muscles under the skin on the face. I am still thrilled to use charcoal.

I included some photos of what I have had to do to my living room in order to have a good work space. The model stand doubles as our coffee table. Also, I noticed that you can see the window on the stair landing is blocked by another painting to keep out the light. As always, James and Alex are ever handy models but I am going to start looking for people who can pose for me for two days, two hours each day in intervals of 20 mins posing and then resting for 10. That is plenty of time to do a charcoal from life.
For James, I popped in a two hour movie and that helps to pass the time. So, in the time it takes to watch a couple of movies, it would be done. So if you know anyone who would like to sit for me...I need the practice but I also need some works to show people what I can do. Almost all of the works that I make are commissions so there is never an actual work to show people who are interested- just my online photos and that isn't the same. If you are interested in posing, contact me and we could discuss compensation and arrangements.

James at Twenty

This is my son, once again, being the model for my work. I wanted a casual portrait of him as he is, pensive and in his hooded sweatshirt. I still have to thank Rick Casali from Maryland Hall for being such a great teacher in the Charcoal Portrait class that I took and to Andree Tullier for the Charcoal Drawing class. They both taught me the basics of using charcoal. Now I find it is the first thing that I want to do when I wake up in the morning. No kidding, I like it that much!

James

Soft pencil sketch of my son, while not a painting is all that I created today.

Liz Taking South Park Nap

While James and Liz watched an episode of South Park, I took the chance to paint them. James said that the south Park episode was about 20 minutes long which means that I painted both in this time. I am guessing that I spent not more than 5 on James and the rest on Liz. It was very fast work. It had to be. It is a cloudy day and at 7:30 in the evening we already are loosing the light. Liz took a nap and James of course was drawing through it! They had both seen the episode before. Only four days until the new episodes! Yeah!

James in Newport

SOLD

Today's painting is of my son, James. We took a couple of days off together and we went to Newport. I think that this is the first time, other than visiting him up in Boston, that we vacationed together without his sister. We saw a mystery play, went window shopping, he got fudge and we had a very nice time. He is twenty now and no longer my little boy. I am very proud of him. (Does it show in the painting?)

James

I came home from work at 9:00PM and then had dinner and cleaned up. At 10PM I didn't think that I would have time to make and post a paintng but James volunteered to sit for me and I couldn't pass that up! This quick study took me only one hour to sketch and paint. I started at a little past 10 and was done by 11:15. I was able to take a picture, upload it to my computer and post it just under the midnight bell! Thanks, James, I couldn't have done it without you! (BTW he was watching Mystery Science Theater 3000 Earth vs the Spider, during his sitting.)