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Saturday, October 23, 2010

Return to Oil and Hunting & Gathering Report



New Oil Painting: Waiting for a Title



I love acrylic, encaustic, mixed media, etc. I used to paint large and small pieces in oil but I haven't done so in a long time. Partly I've been having fun exploring other media, partly it's the mess, and partly I needed a break from the long drying time. Lately I have been missing oil a lot and have decided it's time to get back to this demanding and incomparable medium. The above is a new oil painting. Can't wait to do more.

Maybe "Waiting for a Title" is the title.


Last weekend I went to the "European Flea Market" across from Monticello Antique Marketplace on SE Stark St. This event was a benefit the Oregon Spay/Neuter Fund and The Oregon Rescue Fund. It was a great opportunity to give to good causes and to hunt/gather. One of my PSU students was very involved in the project. Good work, Kate!



Some of my Flea Market Booty



Had to get a grab bag. Wonder what all is in it. Let's see!



Yum--lots of old lace, an old playing card, ribbon, a vintage button, several white buttons and some dark ivory card stock. I can use this stuff for sure!


If you are near the Montavilla area of Portland, do stop by Monticello Antique Market. I'm fortunate that I can walk there from home and often do, especially when I need a visual pick me up, or to replenish supplies. You never know what you'll find...
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Thursday, October 21, 2010

What I Learned at Art and Soul




My "Santos" Doll
I took an Art and Soul Retreat class from Tory Brokenshire where we learned to make these incredible santos figures. Tory provided the base (which is also the torso) made of wood. We used porcelain dolls from thrift stores as armatures for our heads and used the arms from the original dolls as well.

Now I've always loved dolls and had a huge collection when I was a child. I loved them all and sometimes took them all to bed with me because I didn't want any one of them to feel left out. Given my sentimentality about dolls, I had to have my seatmate in class help me rip her head and wig off. I cut the arms off myself. Yooowch! I felt like a monster, but it was worth it.

We used Sculpey to create unique faces over the old dolls head. They each turned out fascinating and totally different from each other. After we had baked the Sculpey clad heads, we attached the arms and painted the heads. Then we proceeded to dress the dolls in the finery and fabric we'd brought with us.

My doll wears a variety of fabrics from velvet to coffee dyed cotton. She has ribbons and trim, a necklace made of fish vertebrae, lace, and a necklace that says "Abundance" (made by Diane Havnen Smith and given to me last year. The doll has a painted iridescent gold skullcap atop her head. I decided I like the look of the wires used to hold the doll lower arms on so I left them.

I didn't have much idea in advance who she would be, but she did surprise me. She is an elegant Native and Spanish descended woman from Mexico, back when it was called "New Spain."








Photo Tinting Class

I also took a class from Suzie Wolfer, who like me is a therapist and an artist. Suzie's class was a survey of photo tinting methods. She pulled out all the stops and allowed us to experiment with many varieties of materials and methods. This was great fun, and I've started experimenting in my studio with what I learned in class. Suzie let us use her rarely found Marshall's photo oils, which were some of my favorite tools. We experimented with highly tinted photos and subtle tints such as those found on old postcards and photos. We tried a variety of papers and Suzie provided each of us with a different old photograph.



I first tinted my photo with the Marshall tinting oils. Because this photo was printed on highly absorbent paper, the oils didn't do as much as I'd hoped. I then went over them with oil pastels which worked much better. This lady just had to brighten up. I thought she'd enjoy a halo--who wouldn't?
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Saturday, October 16, 2010

Student's portrait after da Vinci



The Forgiving Medium at Art and Soul


The students in this class at Art and Soul Portland produced wonderful still lifes and portraits in acrylic. They used pears, apples, and other fruit as models for the still lifes and the portraits were made after the work of master painters.

Apparently my camera malfunctioned and I'm missing several pictures. If you were in the class and don't see pictures of your work here, I'd love it if you'd email me photos of your pieces! I miss them!

Hope you enjoy the photos I do have. I had a great day with all the students who were delighted to find out they could do this excellent work.



Our post-class show





















After Picasso self portrait in progress



Portrait after Frida Kahlo begins




Student starts a portrait after Manet




Underpainting for a work after Artemisia Gentileschi




Student begins a portrait after Filippino Lippi




After Suzanne Valadon




After Sofonisba Anguissola (in progress)



After Serena Barton after Filippino Lippi



After Kahlo



After a Greco-Egyptian Mummy Portrait



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After another Mummy Portrait (in progress)



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After Mogdiliani


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After Matisse and a pear duo


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After Manet's portrait of Berthe Morisot



After Artemisia Gentileschi



After a Fayum Mummy Portrait
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