Impressionist portraits

These are a series of portraits I have done predominately of people I know and am familiar with. When the markets and economy as whole plunged in 2008, I faced a diminishing market, to be polite. Portraits have always been a specific work driven form at best in the 2000s’ Should I adapt - how? should i become campy and trendy? Just not my way.


I simply started painting smaller - 8 x 10 in (20.32 x 25.4 cm) for my own state of mind practice and to keep working. No expectations, just friends and acquaintances I would take pictures with my iPhoto and if they were of interest I would paint them in a rather expressionist method. This for me is several steps away from a “formal” portrait where the colors a muted, the transitions are subtle and the focus is specific to that portrait. I have come to enjoy these greatly - example of the portrait dating back to the Venus of Willendorf forward includes many exaggerations of the human body that have enticed and has esthetically pleased people from the beginning of time. It would not be true to say that I don’t treasure the realism achieved by master artists because I seek them out as mentors of what is.

These are some of my pieces which may have saved my life.

-Gil

Veteran’s Day - "Back To The World"

When engaged in the minute by hour struggle, as warriors we dared not think about the “World” from where we came. 

Later - much later, I came to realize the duress, the struggle for people left behind to carry on as normal, carrying that gnawing fear of imminent harm; parents, friends, girlfriends, wife's, children, husbands. Their sincere attempts at relating to a different person that may have come back whole or in-part, but not whole. This is my acknowledgement of that sacrifice given by circumstance and resulting in trepidation by those waiting. For all time.

* My World *

Well, I’ve gone and done it... pictures of my refuge, sanatorium, art space, really a shed.  Sure takes the romantic artist scenario by the ears. But it’s my space and I get work done - nice music too. 

That is a thick sheet of glass I use for paints, I think it was a glass cutting board at one time. It is thick enough for me to feel secure in mixing scraping in order to clean up and generally sturdy enough not to take the wear.

So I lay out the colors that I feel I am most likely to use for a painting and then add colors as I go along. I don’t necessarily use a “minimal palate” nor an extended one. For the impressionist portraits that I have been doing recently 

Vasari paints: Cadmium red medium, viridian, cobalt blue, cadmium yellow light, transparent brown, zinc white, Peralba titanium white, Gamblin buff titanium, alizarin permanent, raw umber. 

The *World*

Today is Memorial Day and I have here displayed just a small portion of a painting that I have been working on way too long. Maybe I am lazy or maybe it is too important - even elemental to me and therefore most difficult to depict even for myself. This is for my brothers and me ,but there two adjoining sections (not displayed) that are an acknowledgment - a tribute, to those waiting for us to return. I cannot know or imagine the emotions and thoughts bearing down on the families, friends, lovers, veterans, people while we were absorbed in surviving; struggling to get back to the *World*.

Ian

Ian insisted in taking his hair down from the more ‘business-like’ ponytail and this is how I painted his portrait. Whether it is coding, origami or music, Ian excels. He has simply a fascinating and broad curiosity and intelligence which could be quite intimidating. What comes through for me is his humor, skill and love of family. My honor to be able to be allowed paint him.

synchronization

It's neat to successfully capture the recognizable image of another person - or animal for that matter. This is a portrait of another kind, it still a portrait - just a little different. We all know the standard measurements to a face, adult, child, male, female. As you look into a glass a broken glass or type carnival mirror there is still a face, a portrait. We have at times seen contorted and grill'in and perplexed , happy, sad delirious faces. All I think portraits that are worthy of capturing, maybe more-so.
So... watch the birdie ... smile!

What good are old phonebooks?

For me they are a resource, no please don’t send me your phonebooks, let me explain.

When painting in oil, I will often use two brushes of the same basic tone/color, such as a flesh or facial color. One is for the lighter mix and the other is for the darker mix. From these two I can use the same brush to paint a range using light without having to clean my brush constantly. What’s the phonebook for - call a shrink? Calm down - I’m getting to the point here.

The phonebook is for wiping off paint from my brush prior to selecting or mixing a slight variation to my “light” mix. Works very well for me and I just flip the page for another clean page - excellent! When I feel that the brush might be getting “muddy” I then wash it in solvent, walnut oil or some such, then use the phonebook again to take most of the pigment and solvent off and away I go. A time saver, I like that.

Stevie

I'm continuing to do portraits of people at work; with students - and just about anyone else I can capture on the iPhone and then paint them in a 8 x 10 format.


It just keeps me busy between other paintings that I have going, and I think that they will make an interesting collage when I put them together. Portraiture is always about the individual, I want to make these works about the shared attributes.


I'm assured that her name is based on Stevie Nicks just to put that question to rest. 
Stevie is a person that I work with at Florida Tech.
If you send me a picture I might paint you too. Please send digital pictures to my e-mail : gec@mac.com

Brush Recovery

This doesn't happen very often. However sometimes I am really eager to clean up after a painting session. There i am - I've left my brushes in a container and inevitably at the bottom the bristles are distorted into various shapes that they were never intended. Total loss?

Not hardly. In order to recover this brush what I use a brush aid called Brush Shaper by Mona Lisa. I have no connection with Mona Lisa whatsoever.

From here I clean the brush as I normally would, dip the brush in the brush shaper and then reshape the brush as best I can. I just want all of the hairs together, if the general shape is still twisted - that's ok - the next step deals with  that.

To correct ant twisting or bending I then put it into my paper clamp and in this case use the unprinted side of a business card in order to reshape the brush back to useable. This procedure seems to work out extremely well for me. Save that brush - it wasn't the brushes' fault!

The Veteran's Wall

The Viet Nam veteran's wall has come to Wickham Park, Melbourne, Florida again this year. This is a yearly event which now fittingly salutes all veterans of any conflict. Whatever a person may feel about the inevitability of war or the propensity of humans for war - these are my comrades; my brothers and sisters - heres to you.
This is an unfinished work at this point, I just wanted to display it as a sort of tribute. A tribute to the families of solders at home always wondering if their loved ones are safe - that they are coming home. Oil/canvas 30" (76. cm) x 72" (183 cm)

And Now For Something Entirely Different...

Well - this is a stretch... I think that taking chances and responding to opportunities are good for me. I do that enough. There has been a call for entries locally by the Brevard Museum the exhibit is titled "Take Out" - the point is that I, as the artist must use a 'take out' container in the piece. Fine; so here it is - a framed canvas with the take-out container and a wire person emerging from it. The working title is: 'To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything!'. Wish me luck on this one.
The dates of this show are: Dates: 5/9/2009 to 7/5/2009.

Former President

I warned you - I seem to be drawn to painting in series. The thing is - portraiture is really difficult and time consuming! I mean really. I must have redone these two paintings 10 or twelve times. For me if I'm going to do a portrait of a recognizable person, it really better look like them. With the choice of the President's Lincoln and Obama there are two distinct problems beyond the obvious. With President Lincoln I could not find a photo other than black & white - reasonable since the color photo had not been perfected. In the case of President Obama I had no lack of reference photos - that was a problem for me. I haven't had the pleasure of seeing the man, much less meeting him - so what happened when I went through photos of Barak was the vast differences in facial color they represented. Astounding. Lots of color, best guess.

Mr. President

OK, I declare this painting finished. The biggest change in in the background - I just didn't like the previous version - looked to me to be just too contrite. Really in competition with the face, not what I wanted. I like a 'static' background, something that is just there and not something that challenges the viewer or distracts. I wanted color and I used it.

The President

I have been consistently practicing painting portraits. I tricked family into posing for me until they wised up - so I’ve broadened my subjects to include - well - famous people and now presidents. How unique. Regardless here is another - the present president: Barack Obama. Trust me on this - I don’t know the man, therefore I’m looking at pictures and video in order to get an idea of the complexion, tones that are the person. It is not finished as I look at this and see things that can change, but I wanted to display it now. That and larger paintings take longer to complete - wow what a revelation. I’ll bet I’m the first to write that down ;-)

Potted Plant

Here is something a little different for me. This is a pen & ink drawing which a used colored pencils to fill in the color. What brought this on? I just purchased a packet of Loofa seeds. The thought crossed my mind to draw the (hopefully) resulting plants in a series. Sounds wierd enough to be one of my projects.

School in the Woods

I'm going to add another painting today as it is related to the previous in the "Florida Tech" series. This painting is of the reproduction of the first school house built in Melbourne, Florida. This little red school house sits among the palms and live oaks of the 'wetlands' gardens at Florida Tech. Beautiful area visited - well - by the likes of me for one. It is a favorite of mine, a relatively quiet place of native Florida plants and trails that meander throughout. It is low lying ground and hense refered to as 'wetlands'. A good number of birds and other animals call this area home.
8" x 10" oil on canvas

Palm Burst

Living in Florida there are a lot of palm trees, Sago, Queen, lots of palms. It's easy to over look them or beyond them. When I started this one it was just another study just so I could keep painting every day - but part way through it just struck me as pretty and graceful as fireworks in the sky - hence - Palm burst. The support color I made red and some shows through, I like it.

8 x 10" oil/canvas

More *Live* Drawings

I love these live drawings and I promise not to inflict too many of them on your sensibilities in the future. I simply don't know what will come of any one of them - one may start with great promise only to fail in my opinion, while another may succeed beyond expectation. No re-draws or extended time to capture - just get it down now.
These drawings are from a number of locations, a jazz band, a batter, catcher and umpire in women's softball, a woman at a Winter Park, Florida outside restaurant.

Fools Rush In...

Oil/panel 8" x 12"
This may seem a departure from my usual painting. However, this is only different for my blog content, I have an entire collection on my web site for 'primitive metaphors' as I call them. I try to paint everyday to support my knowledge and increase my skills in visual art - I also attempt to create personal art that for me takes more effort - or certainly 'different' efforts in order to accomplish. This painting is, however related to "Beauty and the Beast", displayed earlier in the blog. Content art is just hard work, but when finished tends to give me a heightened sense of achievement. It can also be an excellent area for experimentation where I can 'let it fly' without a thought for any acceptance but my own. Works for me.

*Live* Drawing

I really love the challenge of *Live drawing* versus *Life drawing*, which I am involved as well. I draw a distinction between the two because I strongly feel they are two distinct modes of expression. Life drawing includes - involves the model, which without, any work I do depends. My drawings are only as good or bad as the comfort level, competence of the model which I truely depend. Here with *Life drawing* I am simply observing and trying to record sketches of people in the everyday mode. Just being themselves. My wife claims that I observe so intensely and so focused that I am bound to be confronted - can't say that I have ever been... So, I hang with her or anyone whom knows me just for such an occasion.