Next Metro Card Painting -- World Trade Center - No. 3

On a sunny day, with a clear blue sky.................

Sold matted and mounted  --

Only $48 plus shipping. All purchase info is here.

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I'm in Soul Pancake

 

I'm pleased to announce that one of my drawings was selected to illustrate one of "life's big questions" in the recently-published  book, Soul Pancake, edited by the actor Rainn Wilson. You can read more about  the Soul Pancake community on their website.

The editors found my work on Etsy and contacted me about being included. They chose my piece "Agony" to be used as full page illustration.

You can purchase a copy of this engrossing book on their website OR on Amazon.

My work is on page 49 or simply check the index:

 

 

 

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Metro Cards are now up!

Hello, my dear readers, the latest batch of Metro Card tiny paintings are now all up on my Etsy shop and ready for purchase. 

Thanks so much for all the positive feedback and your patience -- the oils take so long to dry. Some were still a bit smudgy when I tried to scan them but they are finally ready to go. 

 

Metro Card Empire State Building No. 1 

 

Metro Card World Trade Center No. 1

  

Metro Card World Trade Center Through the Clouds

Please click on the title of each painting for purchase info. This does not commit you to buy but just gives the pricing, payment  and shipping info in the event that you are interested indoing so. 

The response to these paintings has been so positive, I'm excited to finally offer these up to you. Many more to come..........

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Stand Clear the Closing Doors

Metro Card Empire State Building No. 1

I've been a virtual Metro Card painting factory lately. I've been scavenging discarded cards, cleaning them up and then prepping them for painting.

 

I lay them all out on sheets of cardboard, face up. Next, I haul down my giant tub of acrylic gesso. Slathering the card with a layer of gesso provides a more stable surface for the oil paint. The gesso is a thick, milky white, much like marshmallow frosting.

I affix piece of masking tape along each card, using the magnetic strip as a guide, so as to just apply the gesso on the area to be painted.

Looks pretty messy, doesn't it?

Then they've got to sit and dry, overnight at least.

 

Grrrrr. The waiting is the hardest part, no?

But once dry, I'm ready to go! Some of the cards require a little gentle sanding to smooth out the surface. Then again, the streaky, rough surface can work to create an interesting texture in the painting. 

Here are two more that I've finished........ 

 

Metro Card World Trade Center No. 1

Metro Card World Trade Center Above the Clouds

Finally, here are a few more that are still in progress......

The completed cards are going up on my Etsy shop as soon as they dry -- will keep you posted!

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This side facing you.......

Now mounted and matted, these miniature landscapes are elevated to

masterpiece status, no? 

 

Water Tower No. 5 

I won't repost all of the images again, but here's another with the mat, which measures 5" x 7":

Water Tower No. 4

These are available for only $48 each, plus $2 shipping. See them all here.

 

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Insert This Way

At last -  I've finally managed to get these tiny lovelies online: a series of New York City water towers painted in oils, but on the front side of the ubiquitous, yet lowly , New York City Metro Card.

 

They each measure 3.5" x 2". Here's what the cards looked like before:

I applied a layer of gesso on each card, just as you would a canvas and allowed it to dry before painting with oil paints.

And here's a closer look at each  tiny painting...

Metro Water Tower No. 1

 

 Metro Water Tower No. 2

 

 

 Metro Water Tower No. 3

 

 Metro Water Tower No. 4

  Metro Water Tower No.5

I was inspired by this event.

I've been hoarding discarded Metro Cards and have ideas for several NYC-themed series to come. I'll be offering them up for sale shortly -- look for it!

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Intermezzo

Dear readers, I'm afraid I've been experiencing a technical glitch this week and thus a slight delay in putting up my newest work: my printer/scanner is kaput.

Furious.

I have a handful of lovely new pieces to share but no way to get them to you until my replacement printer/scanner arrives. I expect it in a few days or, at the latest, before the end of this week. Grrrr.

Until then, I will share some charcoal drawings from a while back that I've never posted -- an intermission if you will -- until the show resumes. 

 18" x 24" charcoal on paper

18" x 24" charcoal on paper

18" x 24" charcoal on paper

These were all shot with a camera under rather uneven lighting. Looking forward to getting a scanner up and running again - don't go away!

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She Was Blue Velvet

She Was Blue Velvet,  8" x 11" charcoal and watercolor on paper

No, she didn't wear it. She WAS it.

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Three Penny Opera

Three Penny Opera,  9" x 12" charcoal and watercolor on paper

Purchase this drawing  here.

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Hazel

 

Hazel, 10" x 14", charcoal and watercolor on paper

The eyes have it. The hazel eyes..........

I've been assembling a reference cache of vintage black and white photos of women from nearly a century ago. They are typically unsmiling and serious. None of the "cheese" smiles we're all so used to flashing these days when we have our picture taken. Capturing one's likeness on film used to be a serious business.

I guess that is why I'm drawn to them.

And want to draw them.

You can buy this original drawing here.

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I've Just Seen a Face

I've Just Seen a Face, 10" x 14" ink and watercolor on paper

You may purchase this original drawing here.

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Go Ask Alice

Alice, 10" x 14" ink and watercolor on paper

This is Alice, a friend of one of my daughters. I'd planned to really layer on the color after the initial ink drawing ---

But after the first pale washes of color, I thought it looked just perfect as it was.  She has an angelic, beatific face with a lovely Roman nose, a face of another century.

What do you think, shall I stop or add more color?

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Three Faces of Eve

 

Version 1
Untitled, 10" x 14" ink on paper

Using the same reference, I came up with three very different versions of a face.  Same technique, lots of water on the paper, and the results got looser and looser each time.

I was only going to post one of these but I think it's interesting to see the progression from first to last. I'm kind of partial to the third and last one ---

Version 2

Untitled, 10" x 14" ink on paper


 

Version 3

Untitled, 10" x 14" ink on paper

I've been poring over the work of Marlene Dumas lately which inspired me to experiment. Her portraiture can be quite disturbing and off-putting. 

Which is why I like her, of course.

You can see some of her work here.  

I was particularly interested her different portraiture series, such as the 95 portraits in Models  and the 21 images in Jesus Serene.

She used the same technique of working wet-into-wet but I've come to realize now that she worked up a lot of the crisp detail in the weird portraits with pencil or graphite. The result -  her soupy faces would have the occasional sharp piercing eyes or teeth, making them even more strange.

I love her work, I love the strange.

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Face It - Part 3

Untitled, 10" x 12",  ink on paper

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Face to Face No. 1

Untitled, 10" x 14",  ink on paper

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Face It - Part Two

Untitled, 10" x 14",  ink on paper

This drawing is available for sale here.

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Face It

 

I always come back to faces........

 Even when they are not so pretty to look at...........or, better said, particularly when they are not so pretty to look at.

Not every successful painting is necessarily a pretty picture.

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Number One Dread?

Ahhh, no.....Just "Dread No. 1."

I've sold the original painting but an archival print is available here.

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Night Leaves

Spring ahead, fall back. Night arrives early. 

But night leaves early, too.........

"Night Leaves" 16"x12" watercolor on paper.A print of this painting is available here.

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Mini Prints inna box

I've had several requests for my new mini-prints, most to be given as gifts to others.

When your purchase a collection of prints, whether it be a 5,6 or 12-piece collection, they will be mailed to you in a gift box, as shown in the photo above.

The kraft two-piece box is also filled with non-tarnishing ultra white synthetic cotton. The box measures 5.5" x 3.75" and contains 100% recycled boxboard,the largest component of the box by weight. The overall recycled content of the box is approximately 80% including coverings. The ribbon is synthetic Wraphia in a deep navy blue.

See the current available collections  - Subway Portraits , Tropical Foliage ,  Palm Trees & Coconuts , Caribbean Shops ,  Dreadlock Portraits  and Caribbean Portraits.

They make a lovely and affordable gift...........

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