Fun on Wednesday
 

Hi everyone

I have been teaching a lot lately and find it very inspirational. I have been telling my students to find the form before they draw the features. I have been applying this to my own painting from models that I do on Wednesday's and am happy with the results. The woman in the orange shirt was painted in 2 1/2 hours Wed morning and the smiling model (yes, she did hold that smile the whole time) was painted in 2 two hour sessions Wed night. Her hat kept changing which was a challenge. Anyways, I think by teaching I have learned a tremendous amount and am really looking forward to teaching oils in the fall. Who knows maybe I'll finally learn how to paint!
Vianna Szabo

Vianna,

These portraits are both great! You have most certainly expressed form - not only are the lush and apinterly, they have a very strong scuptural quality.

I'd also like to comment on how well you placed both models on the canvas. So often in the rush of Open Studios, I find that people plunge right in, without thinking through where the head/figure should go. As result, you see a ton of open studio painting with crowded heads, strange negative spaces, etc.

Yes, fun is the operative word!

I really like these, Vianna, especially the first. The orange shirt is lovely, but what I especially like is the use of what looks like toned down blue-purples and oranges in the face. Nice color scheme. Nice drawing. Nice and fresh. Nice overall!

Thank you for the kind words Julie and Chris.

Vianna