Zoë

This is my friend Wendy's daughter, Zoë.

What an absolute delight to paint this picture of her.  She was so unaware of the camera, concentrating on what someone else was saying - I always think that these are the best photos to paint. 

Zoë is about 6 months younger than my grandson and an absolute delight.  Highly intelligent and so quick - a typical Leo!  This painting of her is a gift to her Mom.

 

It's been so hot here that my art room has turned into a sauna!  Hence the week gap between posts.

In one of my previous posts, I put up a charcoal sketch of a horse skull.  Wonderful artist Carol Horzempa left a lovely comment on my blog saying that it reminded her of Georgia O'Keeffe.  Strange, I thought.  Then the next Friday, the skull's owner, Barbara, brought in a photostat copy of the Georgia O'Keeffe painting and it was almost exactly the same!  It was the first time I'd seen the painting - luckily Barbara's skull was a bit battered and bent so you can see the differences.  Just to prove that there was no copyright infringement, here is another sketch, done from a different angle, of the skull.

Air Travel aka Business Class

Karen Jurick posts the most incredible pictures for us to paint on her challenge blog.  The last one was of the airport travellers, which I did, and completed in time!  I even put it up at a local competition and was placed 13th (out of 65) for it!

BUT, and it is a huge but, no matter where I stood, no matter how hard I tried, I just could not get the glare out of the darks on the photograph.  Even with Dean's tips of indoors with a shield - nothing!

Ja,well,no,fine! as we say in this part of the world.  This problem had to be solved somehow, because I really loved the pic.

So here it is, in charcoal!  Black and white, no glary oil paint - maybe I'll try it in watercolour next!

A Life Drawing Experience!

This is one time that I really envy my counterparts in Europe, England and America - the fact that you seem to have so many art teachers and art opportunities that we don't have in our little corner of Africa. But every now and then there is a little glimmer and we need to grab it with both hands.

Over the past four weeks we have had life drawing classes (I couldn't make the first two), but while America was enjoying a July 4th holiday and Europe and the UK were basking in Summer sunshine, we were bundled up, heaters going full blast trying to keep the model, Christina, warm.

The opportunities for classes such as life drawing are limited here and I only know of one or two (private) groups that have models regularly for classes. So for me it was a totally new and wonderful experience, something that I hopefully will repeat in the very near future.

These are sketches from the first Saturday - I haven't yet taken photos of yesterday's class.

25 minute sketch, 5 minute sketch and (lower) 15 minute sketch

55 minute sketch