Bolivian Woman

This weeks post is about a portrait sketch I made a week and a half ago at a drawing session. The woman who modeled for us is from Bolivia, and fits well in our tradition of drawing or painting people from all over the world. This was the first time she's modeled for our little drawing group and I hope she models for us again. The sketch is in charcoal and "charcoal white" on 14" x 11" toned paper.

For more about drawing sessions, go to "Labels" on the side bar and click on "sketching" or "drawing."

Convoluted Trees

12" x 16" Oil on Panel

Trees are some of my most favorite things to paint. They provide an endless variety of patterns and shapes to explore. In the painting shown above, a group of old trees along a property line seem to form a procession of dancing green and bared limbs in front of snow-capped mountains.

8" x 10" Oil on Panel

The second painting shown here is of a tree that looks like it's exploding. It's with other groups of trees near where a creek flows into a large lake. Despite it's proximity to larger stands of trees, this tree seems to stand apart from the others, doing it's own thing. I enjoyed studying the intricate shape and patterns of this tree against the background of mountains and scattered clouds.

A Charcoal Sketch and a Video

14" x 11" Charcoal on Tinted Paper

It's about time for another portrait sketch blog post, I think. This sketch is the beginning of a larger project I have planned. It's a project that'll involve more people and things than I've worked with before, and I'm excited to finally get it started. I'll write more about that project once I get a better handle on it and it begins to take shape. In the mean time, I thought you might enjoy seeing this sketch.

The sketch is of film producer and actor Paul D. Hunt, of Mainstay Productions. He was kind enough to sit in as one of the models for my project. Here's a sample of one of the many films he's worked on or been in, "Finnick and Annie":

For those whose operating systems won't open the video, you can try this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_MNmhZvYeg

Wasatch Plein Air Paradise 2014

This is where it's happening!

Midway's plein air competition is underway. Tonight was the opening for the show. Painting for the main competition opened last Friday. I managed to finish four paintings by Monday night and get three of them (three is the maximum number allowed for the main competition) entered by the 2:00 PM deadline this afternoon. 

11" x 14" Oil on Panel

Friday the weather was unsettled and I was rained on a couple times. The painting shown above was made at the Soldier Hollow train station that day. I like the painting, but I decided to put the other three paintings into the show instead because those three paintings go with each other the best.

The rain wasn't the only challenge that day. I had to take a break from painting when a train pulled into the station and blocked my view. I was, however, entertained as an old west style train robbery was staged at the station for the entertainment of tourists riding the train. The train didn't stay very long, and I was able to get back to painting in good time.

11" x 14" Oil on Panel

Saturday the weather was great, and I went to the North Fields to do the second painting shown in this post.

Heber Valley is one of my favorite places to paint. Not only is it a very scenic place with endless opportunities for plein air painters, but there are lots of opportunities to view wildlife, too. I was able to get photos of a couple of the local wild residents:

Marmot

Mule Deer

Monday was a perfectly cloudless day. I was able to get a couple more paintings finished that day:

11" x 14" Oil on Panel

9" x 12" Oil on Panel

The show continues through early Saturday, but if you want to see the paintings you should visit sooner rather than later. Paintings begin to disappear as the show gets older and more and more buyers walk out the exhibition's doors with their new acquisitions. 

There are a few more smaller events in conjunction with the main show - paint outs and a "quick paint" - throughout the week. For more information you can go here.