Happy Birthday Sheila!

In honor of my wife's birthday, I post this photograph of her, 

taken (by someone else) before we met.

Garden Wall #8

Mixed Media on Paper, 15"H x 11"W

Several others in this series are now in the exhibition Artists of Woodley Park at the Stanford Gallery in Washington DC.

Door with Flag

Baltimore, Maryland

Garden Wall #2

Mixed Media on Paper, 15"H x 11"W
Several others in this series are now in the exhibition Artists of Woodley Park at the Stanford Gallery in Washington DC.

Anne

From a sketchbook.

Window with TV

Ennistymon, Ireland

Devin

Oil on Panel, 12"H X 9"W 

Mt Fuji-Four Views

Japan

Photographs of Mt Fuji taken from a train.

Lucky

Montana

George Twice

 Color Pencil, 15"H x 22"W

Sometimes, at the Open Drawing sessions, I find the model's face more interesting than the whole figure. When this is the case I focus on the head. The fact that I don't have any control over the pose or the lighting adds to the challenge. In this drawing I really pushed the intensity of the colors and values.

Red Moped

Gubbio, Italy

René -Two Minute Poses

Pen & Ink with Wash, 15"H x 22"W 

At the Open Drawing sessions (see previous post), I usually use a pen and ink with wash for the shorter poses, and I make a number of sketches on a single sheet of paper. Each of the figure studies in this drawing was done in two minutes. 

Paula 2 Poses

Color Pencil, 15"H x 22"W 

Whenever I feel the need to get back to basics I try to draw using a model. Drawing or painting the figure from life is definitely a challenging visual exercise. There are several schools and groups in the area that provide the opportunity to work from the model. This drawing was done at one of the Washington Studio School Open Drawing sessions. They hold evening sessions twice a week with short and/or long poses. There isn't instruction, but there is a monitor who sets up and times the poses. 

Eileen

 A drawing of my daughter from a sketchbook.

Chuck

Terra-cotta, 20"H x 11"W x 10"D 

At one time I taught portrait and figure sculpture. I would hire a model and demonstrate a basic method of construction using clay on an armature. Working from the model, and with numerous critiques from me, the students developed their own sculptures. Sometimes I would complete the demonstration piece, fire it, and apply a patina. Chuck is one of these.

Mom's Landscape

One of my early memories of my mother is of her painting in our kitchen. I sat there entranced as she performed magic, washing across the paper pools of color that resolved into flowers, trees, houses, skies, still lifes, and landscapes. This is one of only a few watercolors that remain. There are also oil paintings created around the same time, and others painted later, after her stroke— valiantly, with her left hand. Happy Mother's Day, Mom.

Textures DC-Adams Morgan #1

This is one of a series of photographs based on Washington DC neighborhoods titled Textures DC. I begin by first exploring a neighborhood on foot, taking photographs of architectural details and surfaces, paving, plants and trees, storefronts, signs, vehicles, and other significant features of a particular area. After a number of photographic forays through a neighborhood, I return to my studio, where I select from among these photos to compose neighborhood-specific montages.

Tour Eiffel

When we lived in Paris, the Eiffel Tower was not very far from our apartment, so I would jog around the Champ de Mars in the early morning, scattering pigeons and inhaling the fragrance of fresh baked baguettes emanating from the nearby boulangeries. Our favorite was Poilâne on Boulevard de Grenelle, especially noted for their miche, the best (and most romantic) bread I have ever eaten. Not to mention their tarte aux pommes, which alone is worth a trip to Paris.  

Domino Effect

New York City

Cover Art

Some manhole covers in Japan are works of art.

Waiting for the Train

If you and a friend (or lover) are waiting for a train at the station in Montpelier, Vermont, you could sit here.

Diamonds in the Rough, Paris

Strong light, peeling paint, closed shutters, monochrome, how could I not take this photo? This is from the "We'll always have Paris" time in our life together.

Blackwater Reflection

On a family trip to Blackwater Wildlife Refuge we encountered the calmest body of water I have ever seen. This large bay really was like the proverbial mirror. That is an Osprey's nest on top of the pole.

Wall #7

Mixed media on paper, 11-3/4"H x 8"W 

Several others in this series are now in the exhibition Artists of Woodley Park at the Stanford Gallery in Washington DC.

Parisian Hearts

Photo taken in Paris while on our honeymoon.

White Chair

Of the many things I like to photograph, chairs are among my favorites. They seem to have a antitisapative presence, waiting to be filled: sat on. I photograph them where and as I found them. This limited palette image is really full color, not just black and white. It was the relationship of the chair to the floor that I found particularly interesting.

Lincoln in the Library

When my daughter was younger, well, much younger, we spent many happy hours in the children's section of our local public library. We attended the story time run by the truly wonderful children's librarian (Hillary, we still miss you), read many books while sprawled on the foam cushions on the floor, and drew pictures. There was a large low table covered with a huge piece of paper, usually red or blue, a bin of crayons, and a bunch of small chairs. We would sit side by side drawing whatever came to mind. (This is my idea of heaven: a place with many books to read, drawing materials, and a lovely companion!) I usually left my drawing at the library, but sometimes photographed it with my pocket digital camera. The sketch above of Lincoln was done in honor of his birthday.