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

DOWN IN THE DUMPS

Photo Credit: vincentm1 via Compfight cc

I have been "down in the dumps" lately...but not in the way you think. When you think of what that term means, do you ever wonder where it came from and what it actually means? For many years, we took our own trash to the dump when we lived outside the city where there was no garbage pickup. It is a smelly, dirty, foul place where creatures I don't want to think about thrive. But our garbage dumps are sanitary places compared to third world countries, and that is the kind of trash heap I have been in for a few months...

Last year, I received a commission from a friend to do a painting of a little boy, around 8 years old, who lived in a garbage dump in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. She told me the story behind the photo she sent me, and as I painted this little guy, I could not help but reflect on how tragic it is that first world nations are so wrapped up in sports, fashion, luxury vacations and so on that we ignore the millions of children/people who live this life daily - both in third world countries, and in some cases, in our own cities here in Canada. Often, these "dump children" are being raised by a single parent, usually the mother. Their food comes from what they can find in the dump...mostly mouldy, rotten scraps which provide only the lowest amount of nutrition, which keeps starvation just at bay. The children have skin sores, and lesions. You can see the ringworm just under the skin...the conditions are horrible. Their homes are made out of any scraps of cardboard, metal, and wood that they find amongst the garbage, and the way they earn money is to find the few things of value that can be sold, by working the dump. As far as I know, these kids do not get a chance to have any kind of an education. They are doomed to remain in this hopeless life unless someone helps them...

Here is the portrait, and the story of this little guy (who would now be about 18 years old) as written by my client. I hope your heart is touched by his story as was mine.

" I was in Honduras with Compassion Canada about 10 years ago. We had visited a church project in San Pedro Sula. The Pastor was very active in the community. His life was threatened many times as he ministered to the children and had a heart for the people who lived at the dump site. He asked if we would like to see the dump and told us how he came out often to talk to the families and see if they would allow their children to come to church and hopefully at some point get off working the dump. Our bus went out there and we stopped and saw these kids working. There were a couple of rough made homes nearby. We asked the Pastor if it would be okay to stop and get out and maybe meet one of these families. No one meets these families as they are the lowest of lows in society and here these Canadians are asking if we can meet a family. The Pastor got off and went to one of the homes and got permission for us to meet the woman and see her home. The children came running. One little boy ran ahead and pushed open the door and stood there ever so thrilled and proud that these Canadians graced their home. This is the picture of this little boy. When I saw him and how his expression went from wonder to humble pride it reminded me of the verse in Rev 3:20. This little boy represented Jesus and he opened the door for us to enter in. It was amazing how people saw the parallel in what this little boy did, at least the few that saw it. I managed to snap the picture before he ran to his Mother. Today the dump is closed and the Pastor found places for many of the families."

Honduras Boy
transparent watercolor
15.5" x 22"

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!

BITS AND PIECES

This will be the last posting of this portrait painting until after it is completed and the collector has it in her home. I am closing in on the final details and I want it to be seen in person by the client, rather than in a photo which usually doesn't do the painting justice. :-)

So... what I am showing you today are bits and pieces of the painting - parts which are mostly done and drying. 

I love how there is a glow on the underside of her arm...and against that lovely shirt, it really shows up.

There is more work to be done on this long blonde hair - but I love the facial hair and chin!

This hair just has the undercoat done - so much more to be done on it. I love the necklace, and the shadow from the sweater against the skin - so subtle!


So there you have it - as much as you are going to see until it is completed! :-) I am really looking forward to presenting this to its owner. I might even do a bit of a happy dance.

BLACK IS NOT ALWAYS BLACK

 

What many people think is "black" in a painting may not be black at all! When the photo for this portrait was taken, instructions were given to wear black and white. As you can already tell, it made for a fantastic photo! In the clothing, I indeed used a pure black paint - Ivory Black. And it worked well. But for the background, I really wanted something that was not flat and that had some color and warmth to it. So I created my own "black" recipe from a combination of paint colors, and it really "pops" the people. What I mean is that it moves them forward off of the background and makes them look even more 3-dimensional.

I have been working on completing the face and hair of this guy (David). He is now completed to the stage that only final detailing is left. That means eyes, teeth and a few other minor adjustments. I ordered some very fine brushes to do that detailing with, but the order was held up because of one item being on backorder. I just received notice that it should be shipped this week, and then I can complete him. In the meantime, it is on to the brother next to him...

BIRTHING A PORTRAIT

Recently, I received a commission to do an oil portrait of three young adults from the same family. The collector requested a 20" x 20" canvas, and gave me permission to post the portrait from beginning to end.

I must first warn everyone...I paint in layers and so what you see in these first few posts will not be what you see in the finished piece. Colors shift and change as hair color and clothing, background and detailing are done, and as the light in the studio changes. Sometimes I can get good photos that accurately reflect what is on the canvas and other times it looks too dark or too light compared to the actual work.

So, having given that warning, here are the first few photos of the beginning stages of this very fun-to-do painting. 

The first step is to draw what will be the portrait onto the canvas. The photo reference is a rectangular picture, but the collector and I decided to go for a square format, which we find a more interesting shape for this portrait. It also allows me to show more of the 3 figures, and cut down on the amount of background that surrounds them.

The first thing I did was block in the eyes in each of the figures. Here I have begun to put in the first layer of flesh tones in the female's face. She's going to look strange for quite a while as I do some parts of the face and leave others...

Here you can see how the face is being developed, slowly creating the planes of the face in the underpainting.  

A bit more is done here. As the work progresses, more layers are done, adding dimension to the face. Eye color will be adjusted toward the end of the painting, and hair will also be one of the final things to be done. 

So here is the beginning of this work that I will be enjoying for the next several weeks. I hope you will come back to see what the next steps look like! :-)

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!

PRINCESS MIKAYLA

Princess Mikayla
9" x 12" oil

My friend's little girl is a princess indeed! She is all over posing for the camera, and getting prettied up for me to take her picture.
I am happy to have completed this portrait ...painting always gives me a feeling of peace and joy. 

Sydney's Orange Hat

A few years ago, I began my watercolor painting with portraits. This sweet one is among the first that I tried. I had received a Jan Kunz book on watercolors, and in particular portraits, from my husband for my birthday.  I read that book voraciously and tackled this painting. There is much that I really didn't understand well about light, shadow, skin tones and so on, but I did the best I could with the information I had.
 I still have this painting hanging on my great room wall. It is a great reminder of being brave in "just doing it", even if you don't have all the pieces in place. I kind of feel that way again in something that I am going to do this fall. You might have wondered why I am doing so many portraits. I am practicing. You see, my daughter (who is a FANTASTIC artist -Kim Peters) and I have booked a trip in early September to study with some of the most currently noted master portrait artists in the world. We will be in instructional classes of only 20 people and I want to be ready with my skills as sharply honed as is possible.
 I think of this as the trip of a lifetime, and am excited that it will be with my daughter. We have never done anything like this together before. It will be kind of like our own Amazing Race, as we will be in totally unfamiliar territory - traveling to California on our own, and then renting a car, driving, navigating, locating, and so on... yes, I think it is an adventure. And it is exciting. And it will be here before I know it. So I had better get back to my painting and drawing so that I am "in practice".