Jeremy

6 x 6

oil on Ampersand

I'm beginning my series of friends and family mini portraits with a plan to hang them all together in a big block and with room to grow.  It's just for me to have and as a reminder of those I love and the blessings we have.  And I'm sure there will be some repeats of these cast members with new and older images.  This is my precious, oldest nephew Jeremy, the first of our babies.  I think I can allow for some sentimental gooshiness when I refer to the babies, even though they range from late teens to nearly thirty now. 

Walking on the Sun

6 X 6

Oil on panel

 Today was a good day.  Yesterday, not so much.  So when I woke up this morning, shook the tweedy birds out of my head and realized it was my day off, I was a happy girl.  It was a beautiful, sunny day to boot, so I got a few practical things done and some other fun things, including a long walk,  then devoted myself to playing in my paints which ultimately produced this little, loose landscape.  It's a departure from the portraits which I really love doing, but I have to say - this was lots of fun.  I painted three of these little guys and although the other two will never make it to the blog, I enjoyed doing each one.  It sort of felt like my brain was doing the little expressive dance Snoopy did when Schroeder played his piano.  Yesterday my brain was Munch's, "The Scream".  I needed today.

Vince's mug

4 x 4

oil on Ampersand panel

Just when I thought the fun was over, Hilton Head Gang member Maria Hock presented us with one more mug shot of Vince Fazio, organizer for the Sedona Arts Center and more specifically, Karin Jurick's Workshop.  He was so great and so helpful to us all through the week and he's quite an artist himself.  I had a great time painting his expressive face and wonderful beard.  I can't say enough good things about the workshop, Karin, and Vince.  If you have the time and want to experience a great week, painting with the best instructor possible in gorgeous Hilton Head, South Carolina, then check this out - The Karin Jurick Workshop.

Java Jonesing

8 x 10

oil on Ampersand panel

This was painted from a photo I took on a trip earlier this year outside of a favorite local coffee shop.  I got a kick out of the girl standing there looking like she just couldn't wait for them to hand over her morning cup of joe, or as I like to think of it, the reason to get up in the morning.  I can relate sister.  And I have to send a thank you to my Hilton Head Gang friends who offered suggestions for improvements through our critique blog.  I did make some changes and I appreciate everyone's input - a lot!  Purchase information can be found here. 

Maria's mug - The Finale!

4 x 4

oil on Ampersand panel

This is the last of the Hilton Head Gang Mugs and appropriately wrapping up with our gang leader, Maria Hock.  Maria is among the thinktank-cheerleader-organizers of the group who have effectively kept us all in contact and spear headed the creation of the Hilton Head Gang.  She is the host of our Hilton Head Picasa album where anyone can visit and see everyone's interpretation of each other's mugs which you can visit here.  And beyond that - she's always the first to make encouraging and flattering comments on everyone's new postings.  Maria, I just love you and so appreciate your friendship and efforts.  See Maria's artwork and writings at her blog here.  

Kit's Mug

4 x 4

oil on Ampersand panel

One more to go and we will finish our series of Hilton Head Gang mug shots.  I deviated slightly from the "official" mug shot of artist Kit Hefner because when I was ready to sit down and paint her, I couldn't open the file on my iPad.  The photo was a hoot and I thought, "Finally!  Someone made a face as goofy as mine - maybe just marginally goofier!" If I can retrieve it, I may still try to paint that one as well, but in the meantime I had this little happy face photo taken at our workshop that I really liked.  I think I smiled back at the painting the entire time I worked on it.

Allyson's Mug

4 X 4

Oil on Ampersand Panel

Wow.  I haven't painted for about 2 weeks and I really can appreciate once again, how much this like exercise.  If I don't keep at it - I really get stiff!  Regardless, this was a lot of fun and I'm pretty happy with how it came out.  Extra challenges like shadows, reflections, and glasses make for more interesting outcomes.  This is Allyson Schib, another alumni of Karin Jurick's workshop.  Allyson, if you should visit here, leave your website! 

Judy's Mug

4 X 4

oil on panel

Our Mug of the week is of talented and prolific artist Judy Elias.  We are so close to finishing all the members of the Hilton Head Gang Mugs now with only a month to go. This project has been not only a great exercise and way to keep in touch with this wonderful group of people, but has developed into a support group, and an ongoing educational forum.  I'm so lucky to count them all as friends. 

Diane's Mug

4 X 4

oil on panel

I've been painting a little thicker lately and I like it because it helps me get a little looser, but I find it hard to refine details a bit.  But I was happy enough with the outcome on this little mug of artist Diane Howard. 

Sheryl Mug

4 X 4

oil on panel

Mug number 15 is of artist Sheryl Lott and this one almost outwitted me.  Sheryl is gorgeous with great expressive blue eyes and that beautiful mane of red hair, but the lighting and the tilt of her head made painting her tricky for me.  I kept thinking, no, she's looking more like Brenda Starr, famous comic book reporter.  

Brenda Starr, Reporter, by Dale Messick as seen in Wikipedia

  This is not what I was going for.  I redrew it and reworked it, changing her chin, her jawline, her cheeks, the shadows, the highlights, until I started thinking,  forget it, I can't paint.  Bedtime was closing in when I succumbed to my frustration and just got good and loose, globbing on the paint and pushing it around with a reckless "got nothin' to lose" attitude.  Finally, it began to work. Hopefully Sheryl isn't offended by the comparison to a glamorous cartoon. And besides, there are worse comic book characters one could look like.

Linda, the sequel

6 X 6

oil on panel

Last week's little mug shot was the profile of artist Linda Nickles.  This is another view but with her far more typical, joyous "happy face", painted with her permission from her profile picture. 

Linda's Mug

4 X 4

oil on panel

It is cold and snowy and gray outside today but I'm loving it because it's my day off and I'm having a wonderful time painting!  For a warm up - I just finished this little portrait, the 14th in our series of mugs shot of each other from the Hilton Head Gang.  This is the charming and lovely Linda Nickles, artist and gracious hostess.  Since she is a resident of Hilton Head, she graciously opened her home for a reception of the artists attending Karin Jurick's Workshop last November, giving us an opportunity to meet Karin and each other.  Please visit her blog here.

Cathy's Mug

4 X 4

oil on panel

The weeks are flying by so fast - I can't believe we're on our thirteenth little mug shot of the Hilton Head Gang.  Some of the portraits really click and on others, I just can't win.  Happily, Cathy clicked and this one turned out among my favorites.  Artist Cathy Engberg is from Chicago (my kind of town), which makes her practically a neighbor!  You can see her work on her blog Color Notes .  I was so blessed to meet Cathy and all our classmates last November in Karin Jurick's workshop.  They are an energetic, supportive, and talented group of women who have all become treasured friends.  All of their links that are available, are listed in the bottom right corner of this blog.

The Dawning of a New Mug

4 X 4

oil on panel

 Well we've come to the 12th mug out of our class of 18, and this week is artist Dawn Hartigan.  Dawn is not only an outstandingly nice person, she's one of the most prolific painters in our class.  When I was still dinking around three days later with the first day's assignment, she probably had finished a dozen or so paintings.  Maybe that's a slight exaggeration.  As always, you can view all of our interpretations of each other as they come in, on our Hilton Head Gang blog here.

I Yam What I Yam

4 X 4

oil on panel

Well it was bound to happen - last week was my turn to have my mug painted, an event I admit I was dreading because I just hate to have my photo taken.  I learned so many things while doing this one including:

     1. Mom was right.  Who hasn't been warned by their mothers not to make dorky faces because they'll stick.  Well I made a dorky face when my workshop classmate Maria was going around taking our mug shots and now it's potentially being painted by  the other 17 Hilton Head Gang members and might be posted on their blogs. For certain, all that are done will be on our new HHG blog, so check it out! 

     2.  I'm not a super model after all.

     3.  I currently approach art as a realist, and realism confronts truth in what we see, uncorrupted by personal bias. So I have to respect both the good and the bad, the holy and the profane, the beautiful and the dorky.

     4.  You don't have to be a realist to be realistic about your own self portrait.  Through history, artists have celebrated themselves in the most truthful ways.  Take for instance the 70 year old Alice Neel

sitting naked in her little striped chair, or  Van Gogh after he loped off part of his ear.

     5.  And finally, that we all see each other as we are, not in our self conscious moments with stomachs in, shoulders back, chin(s) up, and ready for our close ups.  So unflattering moments only surprise the subject, not everyone else who has to look at you.  In short, we are what we are and I yam what I yam.