Portrait of Vladimir Vladimirovich Kara-Murza, Russian journalist

Vladimir Kara-Murza

Twice poisoned journalist and opposition leader Vladimir Vladimirovich Kara-Murza.  Story below.

Vladimir Kara-Murza
Vladimir Kara-Murza activist journalist poisoned, acrylics on acrylic paper, 21 x 29.7 cm, 8.3″ x 11.7″

 

Vladimir Kara-Murza detail
Vladimir Kara-Murza detail
Vladimir Kara-Murza
Vladimir Kara-Murza
Vladimir Kara-Murza
Vladimir Kara-Murza

 

 

He is a well known opposition activist who has faced life threatening conditions twice over the past several years resulting from apparent attempts to assassinate him by poisoning.  Close friend Boris Nemtsov, also an opposition leader, was shot and killed near the Kremlin in 2015.

 

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., called on the Trump administration and new U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to “make Kara-Murza’s cause America’s cause,” to question Russian authorities on the incident and to “ultimately hold Putin accountable if he was targeted by the regime.”   Trump has not announced any action and given his unwilling to criticize Putin for anything at all he probably won’t do anything in response.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/02/03/russian-activist-felled-2015-suspected-poisoning-hospitalized-similar-symptoms/97437612/

Robert Mueller — The Look

Robert Mueller's scrutinizing eyes

Robert Mueller is the Special Prosecutor in charge of investigating the Russian interference in the 2016 election.  He’s pursuing Flint, Manafort, probably going after Trump and others close to Trump.  I ran across the photo I used for this graphite drawing and was intrigued by Mueller’s expression.  I would not want to be on the other end of that gaze.  It’s analytical, piercing, no hatred but if he figures out you’ve violated the law and he can meet the relevant standards of proof, you are dead meat.  

 

Robert Mueller
Robert Mueller, A4, 8.25 x 11.5″, graphite on paper

 

Robert Mueller's scrutinizing eyes
Robert Mueller’s scrutinizing eyes

Women, with Towel

Women, with Towel, cataracts (acrylics), A3/8.3 x 11.5" on high quality paper
Women, with Towel, cataracts (acrylics), A3/8.3 x 11.5″

Women, with Towel shows another in the mirror.  A third appears in outline, derived from the Portrait of a Young Woman, recently attributed to Leonardo.  Her outline is done with a water color pencil, otherwise the work is acrylics.  The background is applied with a knife.  Original and prints. 

Panamanian Woman as Goth

Panamania Woman as Goth, detail

Panamanian Woman as Goth

This is another version of my Panamanian friend.  She was one of our Spanish teachers – they called them facilitators as they did not do formal teaching as much as immersion.  Always friendly and in a great mood.  It was only in the past year I learned she had trained as a model and was so good in front of a camera.

Panamania Woman as Goth, acrylics, 30 x 42 cm, 11.5 x 16.5"
Panamanian Woman as Goth, acrylics, A3, 29/7 cm x 42 m, 11.7 x 16.5″

 

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Panamania Woman as Goth
Panamanian Woman as Goth, detail

 

 

 

 

Panamanian Women in Multi Color

Panamanian Women in Multi Color

This is another version of my Panamanian friend.   The background is inspired by František Kupka’s Mme Kupka (1910).  He was a Czech artist and she his wife.  I saw the painting at the Nieu Gallery in NYC, at a special exhibit that included some of Klimt’s famous paintings.

 

Panamanian Women in Multi Color, 33 x 48 cm, 13 x 20" acrylics
Panamanian Women in Multi Color, A3, 29.7 x 42 cm, 11.5″ x 16.5″