CHARCOAL PORTRAITS - A LASTING LEGACY

I have shown you some of my charcoal portraits before, and talked about how they are what I term "heritage" drawings. By that, I mean the portrait can be handed down from generation to generation. 

This portrait just arrived at its home in Calgary. I have done her two older sisters at about the same age, so all 3 are hanging in this clients' home. One day, each girl will receive these portraits from her parents, and be able to show her own family what she looked like at this age. And, of course, one day, many generations down the road, someone will be able to show her family what "great-grandma" looked like back in 2014 (the year the photo was taken from which I worked). I love the idea of art traveling down the years, and being treasured through all those generations!

9" X 12"
charcoal/pastel portrait

CHARCOAL PORTRAIT

A week ago, the couple from Calgary who commissioned me to do portraits of each of their grandchildren visited us here in our new home! They and a couple they brought with them (sister and BIL) stayed for lunch and the afternoon. It was wonderful to see them again. But what was extra special was that their son, DIL and granddaughters were vacationing close by, and they came later in the afternoon to meet us! I actually got to see, in person, two of the children whose faces I "knew" quite well! One of the girls wants to pursue an art career when she is older (she's in grade 3), so it was fun to show her my studio and the piece I am currently working on. :-)

Here is the process and completed 3rd portrait in the series of 5 that I did for that couple. You will notice that some of the photos look more "warm" than others. That is because some of the pictures of the process were taken at night, under different lighting than the daytime photos.

9" x 12" charcoal portrait

PORTRAIT PROCESS

The second portrait I did for the couple I mentioned in the last post is below. One of the "extras" I did for them was to take photos of the portrait process, and put them onto a disc so that they could see how I do portraits in charcoal. It was fun to view the photos with them when they received the framed pieces.

9" x 12" charcoal on Canford paper

CHARCOAL PORTRAIT ON CANVAS

So this 16" x 16" charcoal portrait on canvas is pretty much done. I have a couple of touches to add, but I decided to post him today rather than waiting. There is a little bit of the hat and shirt cut off in this picture, but it's good enough to show the face and hat. For detail, just enlarge by clicking on the picture.

I did this piece from a photo that I took around 8 years ago, when my daughter and her family were here with us, visiting from Mexico where they lived at the time. This is my grandson who was around a year of age, maybe a bit older. "Mats" as we call him, always loved his grandfather's hats, and when there was one similar to Grandpa's for sale at a mall nearby, my daughter bought it even though it was rather large for Mats. He wore it all the time, and eventually grew into it. (The hat was a deep blue corduroy.) Don't you love how very young children's proportions are so different from adult's? The big ears, the huge eyes, the chubby cheeks...all gone now as he grew into those features and beyond. Time flies, but I am grateful that we have memories both in pictures and now in painting.

PORTRAIT IN PROGRESS - MEXICAN GIRL

I have mentioned before that I have several friends who allow me to use their photos as reference for paintings. This painting is from a reference photo from one of my friend's uncles! His name is Bill Bell, and he lives in Mexico. As he goes about his daily life, and during his many travels, he takes amazing photos. He has become my "friend" on Facebook.


I "fell in love" with one of his pictures of a little Mexican girl, sitting on her father's lap, and Bill graciously agreed to allow me to paint his photo of her. Bill told me that her father is Huichole Indian and her mother is Cora. The outfit she is wearing is Cora of Nayarit.

I decided to try a new technique for this portrait. I have done many portraits on paper, but this time, I worked on canvas! I was able to prep the canvas to accept charcoal, and after several days of working on preparing the canvas surface, I was able to begin.

I worked in the background first, grinding the charcoal into the texture of the canvas. Then I began with the whitest whites of the portrait - those areas which have direct sunlight or reflected light.

I then worked on the eyes. For me, I have to make sure that I get the eyes correct first, or there is no point in going on. Other artists do things in different order, but for me it is eyes first.

Once I have established the eyes (there is more work to be done on them, but I am satisfied at this point that they are working for me), I began laying in the first layers of value. And voila! The face begins to take shape.

This portrait will take many, many layers of charcoal to build up the depth necessary for a realistic effect. The canvas does not take the charcoal in the same way paper does, so it is much more work. But I am enjoying the process, and loving how sweet her little face is! I will post the next steps the end of this week - and maybe even the finished portrait!

PRIDE ON THE BIG ISLAND

You may have heard the saying that "pride goes before a fall", but I think there are times when that old saying just isn't true. Samuel is the example that comes to mind. I have probably never met a person with pride like Samuel before, and I may never meet another like him again.

Almost a year ago now, in November, Syd and I visited the big island of Hawaii for the first time ever. It was the experience of a lifetime, and we made the trip with dear friends  we've known for over 40 years, Donna and Gerry. D & G had been to Hawaii many times, and so planned most of our itinerary, which was awesome - lots of sightseeing, with plenty of rest and relaxation, good food, and wonderful places to stay and visit. Toward the end of our time there, we were wandering in the Kailua-Kona area. It is a beautiful place right on the ocean, with a bustling waterfront street full of shops and people, and a beautiful sea wall. After walking out of the core area of activity, we came across an ancient restoration site which had been closed to the public with yellow tape strung between posts pounded into the soft grass, and a closed metal gate where you would usually go through to view the grounds. We walked around a bit, and watched as others peered through the bars of the locked gate. As we were standing on the pathway, a person came from the site area and invited us to enter - to step over the tape and come to see what was on the other side. This person was Samuel, the only one who could give us permission to enter. Samuel is the honored restoration master of one of the holiest places in all of Hawaii: Ahuena Heiau.

Samuel - portrait
9" x 12" charcoal on grey paper 

Heiau is the word for ancient Hawaiian temples where worship took place. The priest of the temple would communicate with the gods, and advise the chief what was revealed to him. Sacrifices, rituals and prayer also took place at the heiau. Ahuena Heiau was built in 800 A.D., and now sits directly behind the King Kamehamha Hotel. The thatched structure was the king's retreat, with its doorway concealed by a smaller guardhouse. This platform allowed one to see any threat coming in Kailua Bay. Apparently, King Kamehamha died on this site on May 8th, 1819. 

 Ahuena Heiau is such holy site that only Samuel is allowed to go across the little breakwater that connects the rock platform which juts into the bay to the mainland. He alone is allowed to enter the buildings and work on their restoration, which he has been in the process of for over 11 years now.
Samuel is a person of average height, but he is lean, sinewy and muscular. His age is hard to determine as he looks both old and not-so-old at the same time. His face is wrinkled, and his long hair is shockingly white, but he has the strength and physique of a younger man. Under his thick black eyebrows he has very dark eyes...eyes which his smile did not quite reach most of the time. Every inch of Samuel sang with pride. He was a master in his craft, was honored above others, and had a position of religious significance. He has a small living space in a hut on the beach area, and when he was not working, he either sat in his chair or cooked and relaxed in his little building. 

Although you will find that visitor guides say the site is fully restored, that is no longer accurate. A recent flood from a tsunami destroyed much of Samuel's hard work, which he had to begin over again once the waters receded. He has once again repaired the main building, and is working on the other structures you see here. It is amazing that these buildings last so long when they are made with such elementary materials. It takes a craftsman to do this work all by himself.

After Samuel had invited us to step over the tape, I asked if I could take his picture as I was an artist who would enjoy doing his portrait. Samuel was suspicious, but agreed to having some photos taken. He would not accept any money when offered. Instead, Samuel gave us a history lesson in who he was, and what his purpose in life is. It was such an interesting experience, meeting Samuel. He is a person who knows his value, knows his craft, and is filled with pride in doing the work he feels his gods have called him to, and blessed him with. Samuel's pride is not so much in himself, but in the service he is able to give to his people, and to each person who visits this site. Oh that each of us would be able to say that about our attitude and work!