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.