Show piece Number One

 This is the largest piece for the show (30x40").  There came a time about 5 years ago when Mr. Glaisek told me it was time to paint a larger work.  This self-portrait is the result.  It hangs in the stairwell going up to my attic office/studio.  I worked out several versions of this, including selected sections on preliminary canvases, mostly out of fear for ruining the larger work in progress and may show some of these, space permitting, in the show.  The setting is Mr. Glaisek's studio in Nyack, NY.  The works on the table and floor are from other students; we were allowed to leave in progress works in his large workspace.  I like the relaxed pose and the fact that I do not look so fat!

1999 Jesse - I learn to love beards!

This is one of my first portraits painted at The Art School at Old Church, Demarest, NJ.

Jesse was a gentle and tall man.  Maybe I got his arm too long, but it does remind me how impressive his body was.  Oh the beard - here is where I learned that an accurate sketch can be more readily drawn if one has reference points and angles to work with.  Here the beard helped me to get the head shape and position of the nose, chin, ear and eyes.  Without the beard and mustache one must rely on the rounded features of the chin and cheeks where there are few reference edges to aid.  I also got a lesson on negative space while painting this.  Look at the grey triangle under his left arm - by getting the shape right I had help in setting the arm and left leg.  A lot of time was spend on the hand - I know why some artists like to hide the hand under or behind some object!

2004 Portraits in Watercolor

An instructor once told me that drawing in charcoal is the best media for a beginner who would like to learn to paint.  One needs to learn to draw and how to use light and dark values in a composition before adding the color.  Monochrome painting, whether in acrylic, oil, pen and ink, or watercolor adds the complication of the paintbrush and media as a challenge.  This is an early monochrome watercolor.  Really by accident I believe that the beauty and charm of this model was captured in this work.  I saved it because it reminds me of an early victory along the way and because it helps me to remember how powerful it is to see shapes and value.  At the time I did not concentrate on painting a likeness of this model; I just was looking at and painting the light and dark shapes and the transition between them.

Visible Brushstrokes - Yes or No?

One instructor says "be painterly", the other says "blend for smooth transition."  What will I do?  During the past 10 years I have tried both and have not made any specific decision on how I will paint.  Today I really thought about it and looked over some of my works to see what it is that I really do.  I tried to find examples of 'painterly' and 'blended' and had some difficulty.  Which do you prefer? - or have you never noticed technique - just observed the work and decided whether you like it, or not.  I think my work leans toward the painterly approach and I worry whether I will ever be able to paint formal portraits where the strokes are usually hidden by blending.  So be it.  Variety is good - hard edges and soft,  nearby values and contrasting values, large and small, even or odd, see the stroke and hide it.  I needed to learn the 'tools' and now I will use all of them.

2009 Archbishop of Canterbury

Here is the Archbishop of Canterbury, painted from a downloaded photo on the Portrait Challenge of wetcanvas.com.  I enjoyed the challenge of painting the face, hands and even the buttons.  You can see my work in progress and that of others by searching for the portrait challenge Feb09 on wetcanvas.com.  I have some good images of this work in progress that I plan to put in my solo show, using a digital picture frame to display and 'morph' each stage, one into the next.

2008 Unintentional Jesus

Per was a model that provided an unexpected challenge along the way to a finished work.  At the time I had just prepared a talk called "The Face of Jesus in Art in Life".  The talk went fine and was not really on my mind when I began Per's portrait in 3 sessions at the Artists Guild.  However at the end of the first session, while I was cleaning up, someone said - Oh, that looks like Jesus! (Unintentional Jesus).  In the talk I spoke of one of the most reproduced and recognizable images - that painted by Warner Sallman.  Now I am not a painter at the level of Mr. Sallman, but on reflection I had to laugh at the thought that Sallman's image was painted on my mind as I tried to get Per's image on my canvas.  I saved that work and began again and I use the first work in my speech on occasion.  This work was a satisfying result for me, thank God.

2009 Susan 100% live!

Susan posed for this portrait in a workshop at Brookdale CC.  Scott Nickerson guided me through about 7 hours of painting from this 'live' model.  Usually I take a reference photo at the workshop and use that to analyze the proportion of my drawing in my studio between sessions.  Susan did not allow photos, so this is one of a few of my works that was done 100% from live painting sessions with the model.  I see more blue in her hair in this photo than appears when I look at the painting.  I really need to learn a little more about photographing works of art.

2008 Lisa and the composition

 In Scott Nickerson's portrait class I took another improvement step on my journey.  Lisa, our beautiful model is an American who has a passion for India and visits there often.  After the first 45min of painting an initial image of Lisa, Scott visited my easel and asked me why I placed her head in the middle of the canvas.   Having no good reason I just offered a dumb look while remembering earlier lessons with Bob Glaisek where we had the same conversation.  So I wiped the initial image and placed the head at about 1/3 of the height and width of the canvas - the classic positioning for the object of interest.

 Now the painting moved along over the next few weeks and I was pleased with the image - but what to do with the background shape?  And why are her hands in this position?  This is one of my first paintings where I even considered the 'story' of the painting.  At my show I will display all the alternatives that I considered and as you can see I left the background blank after all.  This was a milestone in my thinking (planning) about composition in an additional dimension - beyond shapes and including a story.

2009 First 'demo'

I have always admired teaching artists who can demonstrate their work by painting from a live model and completing a work in one session.  And those who can avoid going into the 'painting zone' and actually talk while painting are exceptional.  As I sit and watch the work progress I want to ask questions and make comments on the work in progress, but I respect the teacher and do my best to hold my questions until later.
Earlier this year I missed a few classes and arrived at the last of 3 posing sessions by Barbara (shown).  So I was challenged to do my own 'demo' - that is I only had this one 3 hr session to complete the work.  I usually use a photo reference as a studio follow-up to a live session, but I did not bring my camera this time.  I am pleased with the resulting work and now wonder if this 'success' was a fluke.  I look forward to another opportunity and inspiration to try again.  This work is 16x20, oil on canvas paper.

2009 wetcanvas.com portrait challenge

A favorite online place for me is wetcanvas.com; a great source of inspiration.  Each month there is a portrait challenge - one or a few images to download and paint.  Participants upload work-in-progress images and exchange comments on them.  Here is the Feb09 challenge - the downloaded image is attached to my easel, upper left.  There is much to learn from painting the work of master painters -- these lessons are learned by observation, but enhanced by the painting process where the decisions are experienced.

2004 Looking glass

In 2004 I was working 4 days a week in New York State and renting an apartment; returning on Thursday night for a weekends at home.  I took private lessons with Robert Glaisek in Nyack during this period.  Bob suggested that I do a self portrait and I did this work at the apartment, using a mirror to see myself (no photo reference).  So this was how I saw myself as I painted - of course it is not how others saw me since this is a mirror image.  And my expression seems a little stern - is that really how I look?  Mirror mirror on the wall who's the sternest of them all!

2007 Something entirely different

First class with Scott Nickerson - figure painting in oils.  This is my first work painted in class with Scott at the Guild.  I admired Scott's work and wanted to learn about his technique that includes the extensive use of painting medium and glazing.  I remember this to be a work that was painted in 3 classes, exclusively with a live model.  Scott's work is done in a classic style that was new to me - no brush strokes showing?  Glazing like watercolor?  Using color to bring forth the shape of an object?  A 'new' pallet?  Transparent colors?  Wow - a lot of new things to absorb.  I really like the way I paint, using a limited set of primaries for my pallet and showing loose brush strokes.  As I worked with Scott I wondered how these new techniques would combine with what I liked about my existing style.  I am not certain that, even now, this has settle down.

1999 Feather Painting

Nicki Orbach taught me some anatomy for artists and many lessons in creativity and artistic perception.  In this class we were told to put away our brushes and we were given a small feather to use as our painting tool.  For preparation we made some 'random' marks and splashes of colored ink on watercolor paper.  Then the feather was dipped into india ink (a little diluted with water) and we were rushed thru a series of 10-20 quick works as the model posed for 30sec to 1 min poses with a great variety of music playing in the background.  We laughed and complained about the fast pace and learned what we each could do with quick gestures.  I saved the works and still enjoy looking at them and remembering the experience.  Now I wonder why I have never tried it again!

2005 Learning by Imitation

Took a class with Nancy Voitka at OCAG - portrait drawing.  We learned the basics of drawing a face by careful measurement of proportion and angles.  The class included a weekly assignment to copy a master's work - this had great value since it is one thing to look and admire a great work and an additional education to work at the recreation of the work and to deal with the issues involved - in fact share the process with the master.  One example is the sample on the left.  We also drew from models - here is my drawing of Charlotte.

2000 The Best Lesson

Here is a handout from a class by Robert Glaisek -- it illustrates the task of reducing or simplifying a face so that only three values (white, gray, black) are used.  Nine years ago I struggled with the execution of this idea and today it is the starting point for all my oil portraits.  This face is lit from a source from above the model.  There is enough information here to allow someone to identify the model - no need to worry about eyelashes, mouth form or any other feature at this point.  Later comes the refinement of the values within these three and the addition of color.  Thanks Bob.

2001 Hopper House

 Hopper House is located at Nyack NY - its the former home of Edward Hopper and is now a thriving art center.  I frequented its Tuesday night open studio for several years and there I met Dan Dugan.  Dan is an teriffic artist, teacher and moderator of these sessions.  This sketch was done in 20min at one of Dan's classes at Hopper House.  I like the hair in this one and the look of boredom and fatique that a model sometimes shows during a 2-3 hour posing session.  My thanks to all the models I have worked with over the years and my appologies to them for not properly recording their names on the back of my work.

2000 Model Did Not Show

Tuesday nights at The Art School at Old Church, Understanding Figure Forms (Robert Glaisek).  On this rare occasion we had a model no-show.  Fellow student, Ben, and several others posed for our group.  I saved this one because I liked the gesture and the light and shadow on the face.  I consider this both a figure drawing and a portrait - what do you think?

2004 Mike

Mike Iskowitz was a fellow student of mine at the Nyack studio of Robert Glaisek.  We often met there as our sessions with Bob overlapped.  Each week I would see his work-in-progress and note as we both absorbed Bob's instructions - Mike was ahead of me and I liked to observe his progress.  We also met at The Art School at Old Church.  One day I had my camera and took a picture of Mike with one of his WIPs.  Sometime later I painted this quick portrait of him.  Mike is still ahead of me -- exhibiting, selling and publishing his works.  I wish him the best of success.

2002 Mannequins and Reign

 

The class painting of the two heads was an exercise in oil painting in monochrome with emphasis on volumetric technique to make the head look round and not like a paper doll head.  The model was a mannequin with wig with strong side lighting.  These were done in one session of about 3 hours.  Here my many hours of charcoal drawing really paid off.

As my work with the minimal pallet progressed I worked on a series of studies of Reign.  She is an aspiring dancer and our small group was able to work with her for a few sessions.  I was able to take a few photo references, although most of my teachers strongly encouraged me to draw and paint from life.  At that time I was reading a book about Sargent and the scandal of his painting of a woman including a gown shoulder strap that had fallen off the shoulder.  Although Reign did not pose as such I added the fallen strap as a whimsey.  (The hair on this one is not blue)

1999 Chico Girl

While taking oil painting classes in Nyack I was able to observe my instructor's progress on a commisioned oil portrait of a female teacher in her library.  This painting was a large 6x8 standing portrait of the teacher standing behind her desk with a wall of  bookshelves behind her and a window to her right.  Many preliminary works were done, in smaller sizes and media, using various color 'keys' and presented to the client.  I saw all of this and learned.  At one point Bob was preparing small gouache paintings of the face.  He did a demonstration for me on a 4x6" pad of mine and I tried, many times, to reproduce the style and skill.  Here is my best effort of that set of miniatures.  I call it Chico girl because the 'model' was from a women's clothing catalog that has excellent photography.

1998 Learning Oils

Blue hair?  Well, yes.  I began taking adult classes in oil painting with Robert Glaisek, at the Art School at Old Church.  We began with simple still life paintings and one day, Robert told me that he would pose for a portrait.  At that time I was learning to use a simple pallet of blue/red/yellow and white.  Bob showed me how to mix a red-violet and blue-violet from red and blue; a blue-green and yellow-green from blue and yellow; red-orange and yellow-orange.  The photo of this work exaggerates the blue/red mix a bit.  I will put this work in my show in honor or a gentle man and great teacher.

2003 Football disappointment

I found this sketch done in 2003 (from a newspaper clipping).  This is the face of a football coach after a heartbreaking loss that derailed Superbowl hopes. Giants fans will remember the feeling. 

1997 Anatomy class

In 1997 I attended an art anatomy class at the Art School at Old Church.  This is one of the excercises from about midway thru the class (lesson 4).  First draw a skull from an actual skull bone placed at the same position of the model.  Second use tracing paper or velum taped over the skull drawing and populate the skull bone with flesh and hair.  After completing that excercise I removed the velum image and taped it alongside the skull drawing.  I remember that at the end of this class I was totally exhaused! I am glad I saved this one.

Arts Horizons Exhibition

 Linda and I went into New York City this week to celebrate our wedding anniversary with lunch at the famous Oyster Bar in Grand Central Terminal.  The setting reminded me of the Superman movie!  

We also dropped by to view an art exhibition that was displaying a few of my works done this summer at a workshop run by the Artist/Teacher Institute.  Here is a portrait of one of the interns at the program - a quick work done in just a few hours.

Placing the first painting

 

This is a 30x40 oil, self portrait done 4 years ago.  I am working on my first draft of selecting and placing my portraits in the Guild's Gallery II.  This is my largest work, so far.  I just don't see how I can store many works of this size, so I limit myself to 16x20 and 16x24 sizes.  This work started as a monochrome underpainting, done in cobalt blue.  This work has hung at the Ridgewood Art Institute and at the Art Alliance in Red Bank - in both cases a significant first for me - one that gave me a needed boost of encouragement.

I have several smaller preliminary works that may be of interest - still seeking a way to share these in the show to chart my journey over the past 10 years.

Victorian Grandma

Victorian Grandma  1998
At the Art School at Old Church, Demarest, NJ I took several classes with Micki Orbach - anatomy and painting.  She introduced me to blind contour drawing, a technique where one draws an object while looking only at the model.  The result often lacks in object alignment and proportion but sometimes boasts of the reflection of an inner essence of the subject.

This work was done with a black marker.  Later, at home, I took out my pastels and shaded within the outlines to create this final work.  From across the room it looks kind of normal.  Up close, well you draw your own conclusion about this woman.

My first portrait

1998
Ran across a photo my wife Linda took many years ago  (1979?) - my son Todd was splashing in a curb puddle at our home in Waldwick, NJ.  She captured the joy and freedom of the splash. 
I was just getting into oil painting and tried to capture Todd's likeness and the great feeling of the photo.  To my eye today the red rain slicker is nice, but the face is flat.
This has sentimental (and historical) significance to us.  My plan is to seek some advice on the inclusion of this painting in the January show.

It's all about me

Here are about 8 years of self-portraits - for sure I will include a self-portrait in the show.  I have a 20x30 one done in 2006 - it has hung at the Art Alliance in Red Bank and the Ridgewood Art Institute in Ridgewood NJ.  I was encouraged to regularly do self-portraits because the model is inexpensive and because this series of works is a way to document progress and changing styles.

One consideration is to show these to demonstrate the evolution of my passion (not for myself, but for the appeal of the face and portraits.) 

The 12x16 completed painting in the bottom center became the preliminary for the larger work - it won an honorable mention at The Art School at Old Church, Demarest, NJ and appeared in their class catalog.

Based on the expressions on my face in these works I must be kind of a grump and find painting myself a taxing process.  Believe it or not these were fun to paint/draw!

Pictures of Gallery II

Here are the four walls of Gallery II.
This exhibit has 22 works - these are some of the accepted works from an annual members' juried show - nice works!

My portrait oils are 16x20 or larger.  Some portrait sketches and watercolors are smaller.

The plan is to group by media - ignoring the 10 year span of 'improvement' and style changes that has occurred.

The Gallery Layout

Here is Gallery II at the Ocean County Artists' Guild

The Guild has provided this layout of the gallery room that has been assigned.

I think I need photos of each wall in order to plan the placement.  I'll do that tomorrow.


With some large and some small works, I think I will be able to place about 20 works.

 

Beginning the Plan

Started to take inventory of completed works.
Here is a collage of oils, watercolors and sketches.

I also have some works in progress and with a little
luck there will be time for some surprises!

My Artist Statement and Biography

Here is my updated resume - I trust this meets the requirement for this document.

Artists statement and biography

Four Months unil the Opening

It seems like there is plenty of time to put this show together.  As I look around my attic studio I see fourteen completed portraits that will be candidates for inclusion in this show.

My first task, however, is to prepare an "artist statement" and "brief biography".  I already have my artist's resume prepared, and I update it several times a year.