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| This was a tough one; Not only is her head tilted to the side, but back as well, so I am looking up at her. She really would make an excellent artists' model, but she's studying geology and has an interest in the Peace Corp. |
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| Taylor's smile straight on with no messing around. |
I forgot to tell the grandkids, that birthday checks end after eighteen, so Taylor didn't get one this year and is probably wondering why. Instead I asked her to tell me what she needed for her new apartment? Her answer was, "The walls are very bare." I promised to remedy that situation by Thanksgiving.
At first I thought some wild, colorful abstract, but given my total fascination with portraiture, I decided not. I'll paint her alla Andy Warhol only four, 18 x 18" portraits on one 36 x 36" canvas. I love her looks--actually admire her playful self expression via different get ups. I am a mood dresser myself, so I know where that comes from. Finally back in the studio, (it took forever for those carpets to dry), I finished what I started to do before the carpet cleaners got here: I made three other sketches of her head in charcoal/black pastel, each with a different look--just to get acquainted. If I can knock her down to just shapes and stay away from shading, acrylic would be the best medium. If half tones are a must, than oils it will be. Those decisions are still to be made. I am drawing freehand. That's for my benefit. The more I train my eye drawing free-hand and make mistakes,the better my drawing skills/judgement will be . On this "commission," I get that luxury.
I am seeing her in black and white, but in the featured drawing, and the previous drawing I posted of her,her lips are screaming paint me red--that can be decided last. Right now, I need a fourth for bridge. I'm going to have to comb through her FB page. I want a totally different character.
*CORRECTION: Thanks to those of you who subtly pointed out my (not Taylor's) mindless misspelling of bare. For you The Barely There Bear.
I barely saw the bear coming out of the woods. it was lucky for me that the dog started to bark and I heard his ferocious growl. We barely made it back to the cabin with its depressingly bare walls, which had pushed me out the door that morning. There would be no plein air painting till the next supply plane from Anchorage.
The bear barely left any paints unmauled and the easel was kindling by the time he sauntered back into the woods. Brutus and I sighed relief. We would see him coming the next time. Streaks and smears of Cad yellow made his black coat quit visible in the dark shadows of the trees. He was no longer the black bear that was barely there. 8/31/2012
You softened her features! Frankly, I like both!.BTW have u seen the email I sent u about my friend??
ReplyDeleteNo when did you send it? I'll check my e-mail.
DeleteThese are two new drawings I did today. The one you're talking about was a couple of days ago. that stands the way it stands. I think I'm using all three in a large collage of portraits of her--the faces of Taylor is my working title. I need to find one more that faces left to make four. Not easy.
Lovely graphic quality to these. A fascinating labour of love that you have embarked upon. Can't wait to see the final collection.
ReplyDeleteThe graphic approach seems right for a college apartment. and these will make it her own home away from home.
DeleteWhat a fun blog. I love seeing people original artwork. Your granddaughter is very lucky.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Margaret. I did like your advice to your daughter upon entering high school; I hope my rewrite of number seven was okay with you? But I do remember those cliquish bitches who hogged the mirror in the girls lav with their made up insecurities and thought no way would you want your daughter to be a part of that group. I'm looking forward to more stories of her HS experience--and yours.
DeleteVery nice! I love the first one. Taylor is so enticing to draw - I saw the photo in the last post and wanted to draw it myself! (Didn't though).
ReplyDeleteWhen Taylor said the walls are very bear, maybe she meant hairy and smelly.
Your last post was astounding. I love the portrait of Ellis standing - no rank beginner you! I think this may be fairly close to the kind of work that I'd like to do. I'm a big fan of Alice Neel and this is similar in how she would utilize the figure (though very different in style of course).
Thanks for the heads up on my misspelling, not Taylor's, Dan. I wrote my correction, The Barely There Bear, for you this morning.
DeleteEllis loves the second one. I love all of them. Now I need to find a forth to balance the lot.
Thank you. Ellis hates that one, so instead of it hanging in the great room where I wanted it, it's in my office. I'll look up Alice. Now that my genre has hit me on the head, I'm looking at a lot of portraiture weighing styles.
well, dark haired red lipped women are all the rage in oil painting (Thank you Malcom Liepke) and I'm certain your granddaughter will prove to be a perfect and exciting subject. These drawings are great. Here's a link to Malcom(in case you are one of the 3 people who haven't heard of him): http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=malcolm+liepke&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=US5AUJ2cGqOWiAL-pIG4Dg&biw=1048&bih=768&sei=Vy5AUKCjOc_figLqsYHICw
ReplyDeleteI am one of the three people who haven't a clue who any contemporary artists are. I'm stuck back in the late eighteen hundreds--and Norman Rockwell--and Chuck Close. Thanks. NOW the hard part to translate them to paint. Strong on drawing. Weak on painting. I don't know why I insist on making the push.
DeleteLucky Taylor having bare walls... She is surely happy and proud to have such portraits freezing her youth forever.
ReplyDeleteDear - there are back yards in all towns, even we have back yards in our souls. I like to see things like they are - even I know that people trapped in ugly backyards are never coming out of them. Not only here, in Poland - but all over the world. I just like all angles of humanity (please, forgive me my English, for Gods sake)
I know Dear. Come drive with me through Detroit. Then we can go to Flint. There is historic blight all around us we'd rather we didn't see and wasn't there, yet we manage to keep our sanity laughing while dancing the Samba (or my preference, Texas line dancing) and are entertained when we attend the theater. We find ways to balance out good and evil. Your play of the two against each other was brilliant. You're a very sensitive photographer.
DeleteThere's a wonderful photograph to be taken here if you ever pass this way. If you set up your tripod on just the right spot on Lahser Road, you can shoot the front door of the Happy Acres Nursing Home through the headstones and trees of an old cemetery. I used to drive by that way all the time and the macabre scene always made me smile--my black humor I guess? Who would build a nursing home next to a cemetary but an idiot. But life is a comedic drama, a play of funny against the horrific.
What a wonderful gift for Taylor! I like the sketches!
ReplyDeleteI hope she'll like it. I should probably clear it with her before I hit the canvas. I need a fourth drawing before I can do that,
DeleteI really enjoy reading your thought processes here. Thanks for sharing how you go about making decisions for your portraits. These are all wonderful drawings! You are inspiring me this morning!
ReplyDeleteAs you have inspired me Katherine. Thank you for reading my thoughts on making paintings. he Why we pick up our brushes explains the results as much as how we use them. All art is self portraiture.
DeleteFabulous drawings, Linda, and I envy how you plan and think things through. It's very likely how you achieve such awesome results. Inspiring indeed!
ReplyDeleteThat's the designer me Sharon. This painting will be as much design as it is FA painting--but then all paintings are designs. Or else we wouldn't give so much consideration to their composition.
DeleteTaylor is a very lucky girl to have some wonderful paintings for her wall, Linda!!! Beautiful girl!!
ReplyDeleteAs The Official Portrait Master of The House of Roth, it's my duty to leave no walls bare, for living like that would be a bear:-) Thanks Hilda.
DeleteI love them both!!!! The second one is so vivid, intense... your granddaughter must be a lively young woman.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, reading your post made my day :)
She is. She is a marvel to me who grew up in the fifties. Full of life and excitement and gifted with parents who have allowed her to explore. I'm anxious to see what paths she chooses. Ellis likes the second one too. It's the most natural.
DeleteThese are both so full of life and Taylor! I can hardly wait to see what you create for her bare walls. What bear??? What did I miss?
ReplyDeleteIn my opening paragraph, I wrote bear instead of bare when describing Taylor's walls. Dan caught it as did Marias. I hate that I don't have an editor and occasionally screw up. So I corrected my error and wrote a one paragraph story about the bear that was barely there. I hope Dan reads it. But just in case, I'll add it to his site when I offer him the job of proof reader.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I'm just taking a break from drawing two of the day as I look for the forth head shot to use in the composition. The girl really has some looks. I posted my the top drawing on her FB page. Maybe I'll get some feedback on what kind of painting she would like in her place. Right now, the designer in me figured a quad portrait might be striking and would definitely be of value past college.
Boy. Charcoal and pastels are very dirty. I'm looking at my nails; and they look like hell. I got a manicure last week (in honor of going out with friends who don't play in the dirt), and it's gone with the wind. No regrets. I like playing in the dirt.
Dear Linda, you're doing portraits of Taylor very lovely!
ReplyDeleteAlready these works are able to dress empty walls!
I also often nails a bit 'strange! When I use colors such blue or red or green winsor ...
stain a lot and it's hard to remove stains .. maybe.. Leonardo had the same problem!??LOL!
The continuity between artists from us all the way back to Leonardo. I'm hoping to meet Michelangelo is my next life:-)
DeleteYes, she'll probably want the drawings too, but they are mine.
BRAVO! Great story. Yellow should be the hero of every story, that cad! Btw, how much does the job of proofreader pay anyway?
ReplyDeleteA buck a word:-) I hear typos and misspellings are allowed--actually expected--when blogging. It's what keeps posts down to earth and among the folks. But that was a funny one. I wonder what I was thinking? I did feel I had to pay for my error thus my little story.
ReplyDeleteThese portraits of Taylor are excellent, Linda. Really enjoying things developing.
ReplyDeleteI spell words incorrectly all the time ... and don't really care ... as long as the message gets through, I call it 'Lexicographical Impressionism' ... kinda like painting with words! :0))
Have a good weekend. m'dear!