Landscape by a River

10" x 12", Oil Monotype on Paper SOLD

This was really fun. I used Yupo paper as the plate for my

monotype, and watersoluble oils for my paints. You can

lay down a thin layer of slow-drying medium (it has to me

the kind made for watersoluble oils) with a credit card and

work into that. I roll the paint on, different colors in

different areas, and then manipulate it with old brushes,

sponges, sticks, my fingers, whatever..........it's really fun.

Thanks for visiting today.

Blue Harmony

Go Here to Bid                                                        1 SOLD

6" x 8", Oil over Grisaille on Board, NFS, >BUT:

Offering 5 Giclee Prints for sale, each archivally

printed on Hahnemuhle rag art paper, sized at 8" x 9",

with image at 6" x 8" as depicted// For sale> Email:

priscillacalhoun317@hotmail.com to purchase @ $50.00.

There are three copies of this giclee print left.

This is a painting of my daughter, wearing an

Indian wedding shawl. Her hair is not really this

red! However, I thought that it harmonized so

beautifully witht the colors in the shawl, and the

reflected color on her skin, that I would pretend

it was. She actually does have a lot of natural red

in her hair, that really comes out in the sunlight,

and has increased as she's gotten older. This is

one of my favorite paintings I have ever done of

her.

Thank you for visiting.

Demo Essence Sketch of Figure Model

NFS
7.5" x 11.5", Essence on Canson Paper

This is a demonstration that I did in my

workshop at The Art League School. This

is why it is not finished. The focus of the

class was gestural painting. We were deli-

berately trying to keep things loose.

Academic realism was not our goal.

We had a great time! For and explanation

of essence, look at previous posts.

Thanks for visiting.

Man from the Back in Essence

NFS
5" x 9", Essence on Canson Paper

Another example of the technique

I will be teaching in my workshop.

It looks rather like pastel or gouache

when it is dry, because of the lack

of oil in the paint. I really like this

way of painting.

Did I mention that you can paint an

entire grisaille and then paint an entire

picture in color over that? So much

fun....

Lesli Modeling in Class

24" x 14", Essence on Canson, SOLD

I really was pleased with the colors in this
piece, particularly considering that I did
it from a black and white photo that I had
taken of the model after class. I find that
that is a good exercise. It frees you to be
more imaginative with "skin color".

Now, how about Bonnard......see any

"skin color" there? Then again, perhaps

he thought he was painting skin colors.

We'll never know, but whatever it was,

it certainly was sublime, and we are

luckier for it.

Seated Model & Monochromatic Sketch of Walking Nude

Upper- Essence on Canson Paper,

Lower - Oil on Vellum Tracing Paper

Because this vellum paper has a treated surface,

and is impervious to oils, it is possible to

paint on it with paint right out of the tube.

The upper study was done from life,
however, the lower drawing was

actually done not from life, but from

a tiny figure in Eadward Muybridge's

classic text The Human Figure in Motion,

which is full of hundreds of photos of nudes,

all of which were taken using stop-action

photography in the late 19th, and early 2oth

centuries, against gridded walls.

He also took photographs of horses running (one

of which Degas used as a model for one of his sculptures),

and of birds flying.

Essence, and also painting on vellum, are two

of the techniques I will be teaching

next week in my Gesturing the Figure in Oils

workshop at the Art League School in

Alexandria, Virginia. - We will be working from

live models however.

Thanks for visiting today.

Incomplete Flower Study

Go Here to Bid
3.5" x 6", Gouche on WC Paper

I'm not sure what this flower is. I did it

from a photo in a flower catalogue online,

but a just love the colors, and actually

love the unfinished quality of it. I don't think

I am meant to paint big, histrionic paintings.

I think I was probably a monk in a former

lifetime illuminating manuscripts in a

monastery, full of flowers and gold leaf

ornamentation. Things like that make

me happy.

Thanks for visiting today.

Tomorrow I am going to get back to

oil painting, and also I need to get back

to the figure.

Blue Breakers

4" x 5", Gouache on Plate Bristol Board

I did not find this picture easy to do. At one point I actually
rinsed it off under the tap. That was a good thing, as it revealed
(as it can do), some subtle tones and textures I wouldn't have
seen had I not done that. I really wanted it to be semi-abstract,
as I love a balance of realism and abstract. I find that very
intriguing.

As it is, I am fairly satisfied with this effort, as I absolutely love
the colors. If you haven't tried gouache (opaque watercolor) yet,
you ought to give it a try. You don't actually have to run out and
buy a "set" of gouache if you have a set of watercolors. All you need
is a tube of Chinese White, which I learned today was invented in
1834 (and certainly made good use of by Turner, who left no less
than 20,000 works of art at his death!).

You can mix the Chinese White with the watercolor. This is actually
how gouache (then known as "bodycolour" ) was originally done in
the 18th century. Hmm.....interesting. Anyway, it is really fun to
work with, because you can use it transparently or opaquely, and
any "mistake" can be covered up. It is kind of like oils, really, except
that you really can't "blend" it so much, and it does tend to dry a bit
lighter than it is when it is wet.

Thanks for visiting today.