When life gives you lemons, draw them, 11 x 14 inches dry pastels, graphite on paper

"When life gives you lemons, draw them." (Nikki)

"Color! What a deep and mysterious language." (Paul Gauguin)

portraits

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The Strawberry

Saturday, June 10th, 2023


 

The Strawberry, 24H x 18W inches graphite on paper

The Strawberry, 24H x 18W inches graphite on paper.

Tobias – Jia Xin

Thursday, April 6th, 2023


 

Tobias - Jia Xin, born March 9th, 2023 - 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper
Sweet Dreams,  18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper.

Mind, Body, Spirit

Thursday, September 1st, 2022


 
Renee at Dance Class, 11H x 14W inches graphite on paper, NFS - prints only
J Mane Gallery 3rd Place certificate for Renee at Dance ClassRenee at Dance Class, (2007) 11H x 14W inches graphite on paper, NFS – prints only. 3rd Place winner, J. Mane Gallery Mind, Body, Spirit 2022 exhibition showing through September.

Portrait exhibition

Sunday, July 17th, 2022


 
Adam, 11H x 14W inches graphite on paper - 2007
Artist Space Portraits Exhibition 2022 certificate for Adam graphiteAdam, (my youngest son at 3 years old, drawn in 2007) 11H x 14W inches graphite on paper.

Showing online now in the Artist Space Gallery ‘Portraits’ exhibition.

Paul-Marie

Tuesday, July 20th, 2021


 
Paul-Marie, 16H x 22W inches graphite on paper

Born in China on June 3rd, our 2nd grandson Paul-Marie – a name that honors his French-Canadian heritage, and Jiahua, his Chinese. He looks like a sweet little cherub! Jiahua is pronounced “ja (soft j) kwua (drag the k).

Brooke Isabelle

Wednesday, September 6th, 2017


 

Brooke Isabelle, born last week, 11 x 14 inches graphite on paper

Brooke Isabelle, my neice’s daughter born last week, 11 x 14 inches graphite on paper. She looks like a cherub in the photo used as reference, so I subtly impled wings in the background.

Hannah

Thursday, June 1st, 2017


 
Hannah, 11 x 14 inches graphite on paper

Hannah, 11 x 14 inches graphite on paper. This was a special commission for a good friend. I no longer offer to do portraits – pets, absolutely – but while I love drawing people, the work and long periods of in-between study I require take too long to warrant what I’d need to charge. There are other artists who specialize in only portraits and do nothing else.

Hannah portrait: scribbles outlined lightly. Some are erased but some are left, creating a bit of life in the drawing. Hannah portrait: scribbles outlined lightly. Some are erased but some are left, creating a bit of life in the drawing.

The photo was a very small file, only 500 pixels wide, plus the feet were not in the frame, so initially I thought it impossible to work from, but started anyway. All works on paper begin with taped edges, leaving an inch of border which helps when it comes to framing, especially if composition is off a bit. I scribble in the main shapes lightly, gradually building up areas with lines and then shading as confidence grows. As marks, once placed, are difficult to erase, the face details are drawn in more gradually than the rest of the composition.

As marks, once placed, are difficult to erase, the face details are drawn in more gradually than the rest of the composition.I remember that my friend used to call her grand-daughter Hannah Banana, so I snuck some banana shapes onto the blanket  – that will be a surprise for her when she sees this. I smudge the graphite and use erasers quite a bit, a good technique for subtler details like the background and blanket pattern.  Eraser sticks, 2 different sizes, are perfect because they are held and used like a pencil.

A Heart Filled to the Brim

Sunday, January 17th, 2010


 

Portrait of Alzheimer's: A Heart Filled to the Brim, 36 x 48 x 2 inches, water soluble graphite, acrylics on canvas

A Heart Filled to the Brim, 36H x 48W x 2D inches, water soluble graphite, acrylics on canvas. On exhibit along with Polypore Fungi February through May at the Oxide Gallery, Denton, Texas

Graphite painted with water, detail of hands, A Heart Filled to the Brim An excerpt from the song, I Don’t Believe by Paul Simon on the CD, Surprise:

I don’t believe a heart can be filled to the brim

then vanish like mist as though life were a whim.

Maybe the heart is part of the mist

And that’s all that there is and could ever exist.

A portrait of Alzheimer’s honoring my Grandmother, my Mother-in-law (whose portrait this is, and whose 80th birthday is in two days), and now recently my own Mother who is in the earliest stages; and with empathy for all those afflicted, including the families dealing with the awful emotional reverberations caused by this disease.

Portrait of Alzheimer's: A Heart Filled to the Brim, detail, water soluble graphite, acrylics on canvas, gallery wrapped

Here are a few websites providing information about Alzheimer’s Disease

http://www.alz.org/index.asp

http://www.alzheimersrxtreatment.com/learnaboutalz.html

http://www.alzheimers.org/

Portraits

Sunday, June 29th, 2008


 

Josee, 11 x 14 inches graphite on paper, gift

Josee, a portrait of one of my nieces. Gift, 11 x 14 inches graphite on paper. Drawing portraits is like brain surgery – one millimeter off, more or less, in any direction makes all the difference between success or failure!

Pet portrait

Friday, June 27th, 2008


Cloe, 16 x 20 inches acrylics on canvas

Cloe, 16 x 20 inches acrylics on canvas

I don’t know if I’ll be able to finish ‘The Fourth of July’ as planned in time for the American holiday. Leaving for Canada on Monday, and will be away for two weeks. I’ve been painting and drawing a few gifts for relatives, one of them this pet portrait. The fur is defined by scratches using my fingernail under a wet cloth.

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