A Few Completed Paintings

"Lucky DeLuxe II"
Oil on Panel 14" x 11"

"Violet Vendetta"
Oil on Canvas 36" x 24"

"Jason Divad II"
Oil on Panel 14" x 11"

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Video of Human Faces and Skulls

Hi everyone! As usual, my blog is suffering, and I loathe this. I had an opening at Hilliard Gallery in June, and have since been focused on a private commission. Hopefully I will be able to share the process of this commission once it's completed, as it's a posthumous double portrait and therefore requires detective-like strategies.

I've also just returned from a visit to Mexico City. While I was there, I visited the Museo Nacional de Antropologia and was fascinated by the various skulls on display. I took a video of an exhibit there which has images of skulls that fade into images of human faces as you move across the room.




Often I have my students try to overlay a drawing of a skull on top of a photo of a person, so I found this display very intriguing and useful. I hope you find the portions I recorded enjoyable; I did my best to hold the camera steady.

Annie Cherry III and Lucky DeLuxe

This 3rd (really, 4th) painting of Annie Cherry is just about done. Meanwhile, I have a couple other paintings going in the studio, including this underpainting of Lucky DeLuxe below:

These will be on display at Hilliard Gallery for my June show with them, Identity/Duplicity.

Sketchy Painting Beginnings

I've started, yes, another painting of the lovely Annie Cherry. I started off by dividing the 20" x 16" panel into sections (divided it in half both vertically and horizontally, and then divided those sections in half as well) to help with placement. Then I used a reference photo similarly divided and started having at it with charcoal pencils, much in the same way I work when I draw from life. Once I had things laid out relatively well I hit the whole surface with a soft brush to lightly smear the drawing and get rid of any dust on the surface.

I spent a day laying in the whole composition with undiluted paint applied thinly, focusing on broad, flat areas of color. I do put in some indication of major hue changes but mostly I try and clearly divide the light and shadow halves. The background pattern was not drawn before painting. In retrospect it would've been easier had I made a stencil. After all was done I used a small soft brush to get rid of any hard edges.

I had an hour or so yesterday to work again, so I started laying in some of the hue-changes in her face. There's still much to do, and likely lots of corrections to make, but it's progress!

More Anatomy Studies

Before I moved, I started working on some anatomy studies of Dan. I'd scanned in the skeletal study, but I didn't get the musculature scanned in before I packed up. When I come across this while unpacking I will scan it in and post it as well.

A Few Drawings From Red Door

What's Up

I feel bad that my poor little blog is neglected. My productivity has gone down somewhat painting-wise because I bought a house, moved, and have had some private commissions that I haven't shared here. However, I've of course kept drawing every Saturday night at the Open Figure Sessions and have done some more anatomy studies from those. I'm also slowly starting to complete work for a June exhibit at Hilliard Gallery, some of which I will begin posting here soon.

I'm also beginning work on a painting of a couple who are both deceased, with very few photographs as reference and no relatives available so that I can view similar skin tones in real life. It is something of a puzzle, but I hope to create a beautiful painting in honor of them. I've come up with the approximate color scheme and composition, and am currently working on pencil sketches of their faces where I try to combine info from the snapshots and alter the lighting to suit my needs. The next step will be to find people with similar skin tones, do color studies, and hit the Salvation Army for appropriate costuming. Then I will pose models or mannequins with the clothing and create the portrait from a combination of the sketches, color studies, and clothing/background references. Perhaps I will be able to share some of this process here.

So: Portraits, commissions, moving, teaching, drawing, studying, painting. That's what's up lately.

Anatomy Studies

Every now and then I like to do anatomy studies of my figure drawings. This helps me: A) memorize the anatomy B) understand landmarks that I saw on the live figure, but did not know what caused them C) find errors in my drawing and D) know what to look for regarding structure next time I draw the live model.

This week, I used Saturday's drawing from the model to study the skeleton and surface muscles. A took a picture of the drawing, and then printed it out in black and white. Over the top of this I put a piece of tracing paper and referencing a couple charts started blocking in where I think the bones were positioned.
After I had some basic positioning, I looked for more detailed depictions of each bone and attempted to render them more fully. I did not delve in to individual vertebrae or ribs this time.

Above is an image of the skeleton overlaid on top the drawing via Photoshop.

I then followed the same procedure with the muscles, attempting to create a little big of depth with the shading.

Again, and image of the musculature overlaid on top of the original drawing.

Finally, here is my attempt at showing both the skeleton and the muscles on top of the figure. I'm sure there's a better way for me to overlap the images so they are more clear, but I'm not sure how to do that yet.

If you don't have a figure drawing of your own you think is appropriate, it can also be a good idea to do this over a photo of someone, or a picture of a classic Greek sculpture. I find this process to be quite challenging but I learn a lot each time I do it.

Figurative Charcoal Sketch Video

Last Saturday I recorded this sketch of Constance, and made a video of it over the weekend. I hope to make more of these in the near future, possibly with another figurative painting, and have considered doing some kind of voice over to explain my process. (But I really hate the sound of my voice...)

I'd also really like to get a good HD camcorder so perhaps individual strokes would be visible on the video.

Two Week Drawing from Red Door

Above is a crop of my most recent drawing from the open sessions at Red Door Studios. This was a two week drawing, so there's a total of about 5 hours in this. A little less considering breaks. I drew this at a bit of a large scale for me, the paper it's on his 30" tall, and head to ankle this figure takes up all but a few inches of the paper. I did not include his feet as they would have touched or gone off the edge of the paper.

Here is what the drawing looked like at the end of the first week. You can see that the form had not been developed yet, and everything is just a pattern of light and shadow. I try and get my proportions right, and really focus on the specific shapes of light and shadow on the figure. I am using my knowledge of anatomy here and trying to understand the function of the form.

The 2nd week I made some corrections and focused mostly on developing the torso and arm areas. I was concerned about developing the bottom half too much since I couldn't extend the figure through the toes this time. Even 2 weeks is not enough sometimes, and had there been more time I might have worked on this area more, especially the quads and also perhaps the face. Instead, I focused on the musculature and the contrast between the elongated side on our left and the contracted muscles on our right.

The next two weeks at Red Door we will have a new model in the same pose for both sessions, and my hope is to remember to film the process to make a new drawing video for YouTube. I had meant to do it with this drawing, but forgot. I might be interested in putting in a little bit of narrative, or explaining some more of my process, so if you have any specific questions leave them in the comments section and I will try my best to find time to answer them!

Also, any requests of what you would like to see more of on this blog? It may be a while before I get a painting up as I am currently working on a private commission which I won't be sharing publicly. I can't wait to get back to my sins paintings and burlesque paintings!

Drawings from Red Door Sessions

Saturday sessions at Red Door Studios (6-9pm every week!) are still going strong. Here are a few of my recent drawings from the poses.




If you are an artist in the area, know that this month we will have two poses that will last for two weeks each! This Saturday we will have a male nude pose, and he will return the following week for the same pose. The last two Saturdays of January will feature a female nude in the same pose for both sessions.

Busy Season

Between my students and a few commissions, it's been difficult to find time to work on my own projects. I've done drawings at the open sessions, but have neglected to download the images to my computer. It's a busy season for me right now, but eventually I will have more to share. There are some special projects/events coming up in the spring and summer of 2011, so I will have some (relatively) interesting posts by then at the latest!

Cheers and have a great holiday season.

Back Home in KC

I've just returned from two weekend excursions; one to Charleston, SC for the Women Painting Women opening and one to Akron, OH for a drawing workshop with David Kassan. I met a lot of artists I admire at WPW, and hope to get together with these ladies again in the future. The exhibit was amazing and and I definitely left inspired.

Above is my painting with 2 others at the show in Charleston.

David Kassan is an amazing teacher and I highly recommend his workshops to students at all levels... I had a great time and learned a ton. Above is my drawing from the workshop. David will be doing a free live demo in the iPad Saturday the 27th at 10am Pacific time at Zarolla.com, check it out.

Hopefully now I can get back to some actual painting here in KC! Stay tuned and I will share something new soon.

P.S. Thanks to the people whose pics I swiped off of Facebook for this post, Sadie Valerie and Terry Strickland.

Women Painting Women - Group Invitational at Robert Lange Studios

I've just completed this painting for the Women Painting Women show at Robert Lange Studios in Charleston, SC. The opening is November 5th from 5:30-8:30 if you are in the area! I can't wait for this event as I will be showing with some artists I've looked up to for a long time and have admired from afar.

From Robert Lange's website:

“This is our most ambitious show to date,” says gallery owner Megan Lange of the galleries upcoming “Women Painting Women” group invitational. Robert Lange Studios will be bringing together forty female painters from around the globe, with an opening reception on Friday, November 5 from 5:30-8:30PM at the 2 Queen Street location during the Charleston Fine Art Dealers’ Association’s (CFADA) Fine Art Weekend.

The female form is one of the most painted subject matters of all time. Works like Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, Whistler’s Mother, Mona Lisa, Girl with a Pearl Earring, and Madame X, are all considered among the most recognized paintings in history, and were all created by men.

The November exhibit at RLS, featuring a variety of paintings depicting the female form, displays a shift in notoriety towards contemporary women painters. Starting in 1707, this historic shift began in the United Sates when Henrietta Johnston began to work as a portrait artist in Charles Town (now Charleston), South Carolina, making her the first known professional woman artist in America.

“Few people outside of the art world can name female painters, with the exception of perhaps Frida Kahlo and Georgia O'Keeffe, and even fewer can name a painting of a woman created by a woman,” says Lange. “However, there is a sensitivity to the female form that perhaps a woman can only truly understand.”

The artists chosen for this show are the ones that refuse to play it safe. Those who don't adhere to traditional painting standards and are creating truly unique works include:

Sharon Allicotti, Jennifer Balkan, Helen K Beacham, Mia Bergeron, Candice Bohannon, Linda Tracey Brandon, Kerry Brooks, Ali Cavanaugh, Rachel Constantine, Jessica Dunegan, Alia El-Bermani, Diane Feissel, Sandra Flood, Katherine Fraser, June Glasson, Lisa Gloria, Haley Hasler, Abby Heller-Burnham, Karen Kaapcke, Anna Killian, Sharon Knettell, Stanka Kordic, Francien Krieg, Hilarie Lambert, Lacey Lewis
Amy Lind, Francesca Marzorati, Suellen McCrary, Jazz-minh Moore, Kirsten Moran, Karen Ann Myers, Jennifer Nehrbass, Joyce Polance, Gail Potocki, Jennifer Presant, Catherine Prescott, Lee Price, Cindy Procious, Stephanie Rew, Elisa Rossi, Shannon Runquist, Tiffany Sage, Lique Schoot, Sara Scribner, Karen Silvestro, Adrienne Stein, Terry Strickland, Katherine Stone, Stefani Tewes, Sanna Tomac, Alexandra Tyng, and Sadie J Valeri.

Workshop with Graydon Parrish

A couple weeks ago I had the pleasure to take part in a workshop in New Haven, MO with artist Graydon Parrish. Not only is his work some of the most amazing stuff I've ever seen (I took a peek at Hirschl & Adler when I was in NYC in August) but he's also an extremely generous and helpful teacher. Here's our group photo... I'm in the 2nd row with the green shirt and my buddies Jenna Tomlin and Jamina Bone are in front of me. Graydon is in the dark shirt in the front row, and also pictured are virtual turned real-life friends Lisa, Lori, Steve and Travis Michael Bailey, who arranged the workshop. (Thanks Travis!)

Unfortunately I missed this part of the workshop due to another commitment, but I got the scoop later regarding the morphology of the head. This was more advanced than your usual planes of the head models, and I think I will be absorbing more of this as time goes on. (Thanks, Travis, also for the photos to share.)

This was my drawing from the workshop, which I am considering working on more. Something Graydon had been trying to tell me clicked a few days after the workshop, and maybe I can make that fix after-the fact.

A Couple Drawings

I will have a new painting to post some time in the next few days. In the meantime, here are a couple drawings from recent open sessions. Getting ready for another one tomorrow, can't wait to bust out my pencils again!

Thank You Kansas City and The Pitch Magazine

I found out last week that The Pitch named me Kansas City's Best Painter 2010. Hopefully they don't mind me quoting them here:

In an age of visual abstraction, it's easy to forget that the accessibility of classical realist painting is achieved only through really hard work. Lacey Lewis' neoclassical art combines modern techniques with the labor-intensive practices of the masters. Her rich, detailed figure paintings begin with painstaking graphite studies, and her effort results in thoroughly contemporary observations in a classic visual idiom. To capture the personalities and emotions of her subjects, Lewis favors dramatic poses and often uses performers as her subjects. She's also the founder of Red Door Studios in Kansas City, Kansas, where she works with an apprentice on her own work and teaches life-drawing classes. Keeping a tight schedule of work, exhibits and study, Lewis shows off a commitment as big as her talent.

I'm completely blown away and surprised and honored. What a great feeling to get this nod from my community!

"Sideshow"

Here are some pics from the opening of "Sideshow" last month at Strecker-Nelson Gallery in Manhattan, KS. The exhibit will run through the end of the month. I have a room of paintings and a room of drawings.

NYC: The Workshop

Unfortunately, this post will be brief as I am short on time lately and am thus not able to explain more of the workshop. Steven Assael is a favorite artist of mine, yet he paints drastically different than I do. I knew this going in to the workshop, but his process and way of making marks was even more different than I had anticipated. My goal here was to do something completely uncomfortable to me, and that's certainly what I got! I've never before used so many saturated colors in my flesh tones, or used such thick paint, and it was great to do something different. I had no idea what would happen to my work once I got home, but since I've been working for a bit since returning, I can feel the influence on my work. I'm not doing things the same way as in the workshop, but I've added a few new colors to my palette, I'm thinking about what I see a little differently, and even my mark has changed slightly. All exciting stuff to me!

Anyway, I had a great time in the workshop and met some really cool people that were also in the class. I loved being surrounded by Steven's art, various props, and seeing his demo progress. Below I've included images of his work and items from the studio, and my painting progress.








Above, my painting with Steven's marks on it. I debated just taking this home and starting a new painting, but then decided I might learn more by continuing on top of his work.

Progress.

More progress.

My final work.

Close up of the face (too yellow.)