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.