Saturday

"The Art Center, Snow," wc/ink on paper, about 5x15

Despite bitter cold my sketch group again assembled last Saturday for a couple of hours. Most of us opted for a snug and warm indoor venue, but I decided to stay outside. I drove to the Des Moines Art Center and found a place to park near the main entrance. Snow was blowing in a sharp wind and the temperatures were around 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of where I was parked I needed to get out, observe the subject and sketch quickly. When the cold seeped in I would jump back in my warm car for a while, then go back out and resume. In a way it was good practice--observe closely, remember as well as possible, draw (or paint) and then repeat. 

 

Breezing Up

"Breezing Up," acrylic on paper on board, 4x8

Although acrylic is perhaps my least favorite medium, I've done a few works using acrylic paint. A long while ago I knew an artist who painted images of sailboats and power yachts on nautical charts. A neat idea but in the end it was a limited one. Still, I gave it a try with a few things, including the small painting above. For these I fitted a snippet of nautical chart, glued it to a piece of hardboard, then painted a monochromatic sailing image. This one was probably the best of the bunch. 

Saturday

"Lamp, West End Salvage," wc/ink

The stalwarts of the Saturday sketch group gathered at a local architectural salvage concern and sketched indoors, owing to the weather. Snow was blowing and the temps were low, so we opted for a snug harbor. 

This lamp was shining just near where I sat so I sipped my latte and tried to imply the illumination behind the stained glass. As is always the case, this watercolor is considerably more dull than the original subject. 
 

Diego

"Velazquez Self Portrait (copy)," oil on board, 8x6, 2008

An important influence in my work as a painter has been the immortal Diego Velazquez (1599-1660), the Spanish artist who served as court painter to King Felipe III. His masterpieces are the core of the Museo del Prado, in Madrid. Many years ago while in the military I had several occasions to visit that museum and spent many hours studying not only Velazquez but Goya and other Spanish masters. 

This small painting is an exceptionally rapid sketch of an oil attributed to Velazquez as a self portrait done nearly twenty years ago. I was interested in capturing the expression and main shapes of the figure. It was also interesting to use a very limited palette--basically cad red, yellow ochre, flake white and ivory black. Although the limitation of colors is severe, it is possible to achieve a wide range of colors and values with only those four. 

Sketch

This watercolor and ink sketch is from last Saturday's outing with the group. The brick building in the background is Brown Camp Lofts, one of the first industrial buildings converted to condominiums in Des Moines. The yellow building to the right is a minor league baseball stadium. As usual I began this with a graphite lay-in to establish the composition, then used watercolor and ink to complete the painting. 
 

Lily

"Lily at Eight," oil on panel

This is a portrait from nearly two decades ago. The girl is Lillian, who was eight years old at the time. She was a typical child of that age, unwilling to sit still for long, so most or all of this was done from references. 

This particular painting has never been exhibited and remains in a private collection. In the meantime Lillian has grown into a mature young woman.