Category: People and portraits

  • Pianist, Singer, Ballerina

    Pianist, Dance, SInger dones picanya final
    Pianist, Singer, Ballerina, acrylics on canvas, 1.5 x 1.3m/5′ x 4′

    This expressionistic piece combines imaginative and realistic elements such as we see in the dancer, from the performer’s point of view. The stained glass look continues, muted in the dark theater as is the audience. It’s about the challenges of cooperative performance. Without an audience there is no performance.

    Light and dark interplay. Shafts of light downpour, adding to the pressure. The spotlight’s on you. Do it. There is one escape: that open door. But to get there you are judged more harshly.

    Last year’s event here Dones de Picanya 2023 and 2022 here Dones de Picanya 2022

  • Portrait of Dame Judi Dench

    Judy final
    Dame Judi Dench, actress (b 1934), conte pencil drawing 30 x 50 cm/ 12 x 19.5″ on pastel paper

    I’ve watched Judi Dench perform since the 1990’s in the BBC comedy ‘As Time Goes By.” She’s a natural on the stage. I am not alone in singing her praises. She has been awarded an Academy Award, a Tony Award, two Golden Globe Awards, four British Academy Television Awards, six British Academy Film Awards and seven Olivier Awards. She appeared in eight James Bond films. Starting in 1968 she had a long run as Sally Bowles in ‘Cabaret.’ Her accomplishments are almost too long to list.

  • Portraits: On the occasion of the 40th wedding anniversary

    Peg and Gary on our 40th anniversary
    Peg and I on our 40th anniversary, on the way back from Scotland Conte pencil

  • Mona + X

    My take on two famous portraits. I gave Mona a gaunt look with a square jaw. I interpreted the profile of Sargeant’s fabulous Madam X.

    Mona + X
    Mona + X, acrylics on Canson 300# paper, 70 x 50 cm, 28 x 20″

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  • Woman with a Pearl Earring

    Woman with Pearl Earring
    Woman With Pearl Earring, acrylics on Canson 300# paper, 70 x 50 cm, 28 x 20″

    Vermeer’s Girl With A Pearl Earring inspired this painting. My reference reminded me of his fabulous and famous piece. However there are major differences. He bathed her face in light, but here it is gently swathed in shadow with highlights produced by the light coming from the side. The background is lighter and more varied than Vermeer’s traditionally dark surface.

    Purchase from https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Woman-with-Pearl-Earring/664581/13533551/view

    The description on Saatachi

    This captivating painting offers a fresh perspective on Vermeer’s iconic Girl With A Pearl Earring. This piece takes a different approach to light and shadow. Instead of a brightly lit face, the woman’s features are softly veiled in shadow, with delicate highlights that accentuate her beauty.

    The artist skillfully employs acrylic on canvas to create a rich and textured surface. The background, lighter and more varied than Vermeer’s traditional dark backdrop, adds depth and dimension to the composition. The woman’s hair is depicted with luxurious detail, showcasing dramatic highlights that catch the eye. She faces opposite, inviting the viewer to contemplate her gaze and inner world.

    This striking statement piece will add a touch of elegance and intrigue to any room. Its timeless quality and unique interpretation make it a conversation starter and a cherished addition to your art collection. Bring this compelling artwork into your space and let its beauty captivate you every day.

  • Young Woman Glowing Smile

    Young woman pen ink sm
    Young Woman, pen and ink

    This young woman’s radiant smile comes from within. I sought to express it. In previous epochs a smile was impossible to capture as sitters can not smile for hours at a time. Look at Leonardo’s famous smile- captivating but hardly expansive. But with photography, art changed in many ways and the ability to study the smile is one such change.

    This is a study for a painting.

  • Ukraine: Reunited

    mother and child sm
    Reunited , acrylics on paper, 58 x 76 cm, 23 x 30″

    Acrylic painting of a Ukrainian mother and child. So many victims of Putin’s depravity.

  • Messing around with watercolors– Caravaggio by Ottavio Leoni, 1621

    Caravaggio by Ottavio Leoni, 1621
    Caravaggio by Ottavio Leoni, 1601 Watercolor

    I painted this using Leoni’s portrait of Carravaggio. He was 31 at the time. He died 9 years later, a victim of his propensity for violence. Her revolutionized painting with his observation of the subject together with a dramatic use of chiaroscuro, intense contrasts of light and dark. This came to be known as tenebrism, where the darks are a dominant feature of the piece. 

  • Skater Spins, conte drawing

    skater spins
    Conte crayon

  • Two Faces in Conte

    Messing around on a Sunday afternoon

    messing around on a sunday- two faces in conte
    Big drawing on Fabriano sketch paper 42 x 60 cm

    While just about recovering from a mild round of Covid 19. I think the vaxes and booster did some good. Docs gave me some antibiotics and an anti-inflammatory. Back to normal in two days.