Black and White Flourish - original charcoal figurative tango drawing

I drew my latest tango dancers with vine charcoal, extra soft, on 12 x 9" plate Bristol.  I love the way charcoal sort of sits on top of the smooth Bristol - can't explain it, but charcoal just has a different look and feel on this paper.  Another joy for someone who LOVES to draw!  Thanks for visiting my blog! Sold

On My Easel - Jive Start - original charcoal figurative sketch

Here's how it looks when I have absolutely no models.  Tons of lines trying to find the right positions for my little couple.  I just know - even though it's raggedy right now - that I can make a pretty good drawing and then a painting out of this.  Really.  I do. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Jive on Green - original acrylic figurative painting

Here's just a sort of fun thing I did over the weekend - 12 x 16" acrylic on board.  Thanks for looking!

Watercolor Jivers - original watercolor and graphite figurative painting

Okay, it looks like I was just totally goofing off, but my jivers like to show up in any medium, so this time they danced on Yupo for the unbridled fun of it.  This little painting is about 4 1/2 x 10".  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Last Dance - original oil figurative painting

I hope this painting captures the last dance of the evening - made no corrections and just let the brush do its own thing.  It's on 6 x 6" Gessobord.  Thanks for looking!  Sold

Sweet Jive - original charcoal figurative drawing of dancers

This drawing is set to become a painting (oil on canvas or panel).  I don't always do this, but the painting usually goes a little quicker when I have a plan of sorts.  Plus, I just love using my vine charcoal - this time, it's Coates brand - to squiggle my dancers into being.  (They're always there, of course, but I give them a little nudge.)   Drawn on Strathmore Drawing paper, it's about 10 1/2 x 8 1/2".  Thanks for looking!

Saturday Jive - original oil pastel figurative painting

A fun little thing that I loved doing - it's about 11 1/2 x 19" on Art Spectrum Colourfix paper - a delicious concoction and perfectly gritty for oil pastels.  Saturdays were always fun when I was young and this is a little tribute to Saturday nights.  Thanks so much for visiting my blog! Sold

Tango Practice - original charcoal figurative drawing

I've been away on a late summer visit and have missed blogging, but am back at Hackberry Street Studio and drawing and painting like mad!  Here's a 16 x 20" charcoal drawing with touches of white - kind of a doodle while exploring different tango poses and steps.  Although, owing to my great - not!!! - skills as a photographer, it looks like a gray background, it's really a light green - one of the Canson Mi-Teintes boards that are just wonderful.  Thanks so much for stopping by! Sold

Tango in Shades of Gray - original charcoal figurative drawing

I was trying out the new toned gray paper from Strathmore and here's what I came up with.  I really like the paper, but for me, it takes some getting used to.  I keep trying to erase with my kneaded eraser and get the white back, but there's only gray.  But that's just fine, because I have my trusty white charcoal and it's beautiful to run the white charcoal across the black to make lovely grays. Any other ideas for using this paper?  I like to hear them!  This drawing is 12 x 9".   Thanks for stopping by!

And More Country Lovers - original figurative oil painting

More brushwork, much fun - 6 x 6"on  Gessobord.   Thanks so much for visiting!

Country Lovers Again - original oil figurative painting

Went a little crazy with the brushstrokes, which makes it so much fun for me to paint!  While painting, I was listening to the soundtrack from Honeymoon in Vegas from 1992 - love those Elvis impersonators!  But, impersonators aside, just a wonderful, sweet soundtrack.  Then, on to A Bronx Tale, another fave from 1993 - one great song after another. 
This painting is 6 x 6" on Gessobord.  Thanks so much for stopping by! SOLD

Two Step Night - original oil figurative painting

I know this 6 x 6" painting is similar to another of my two step paintings, (which is currently at Artworks) but I always love it when they're cuddled up like this couple.  Sweet to watch - and to paint.  While doing this painting, plus working on three others, I listened to the late, great Roy Orbison, the inimitable Jerry Lee Lewis and the fabulous young musician, Andy Leftwich.  What a great afternoon!  Thanks for stopping by!

Lindyhop Lovers - original oil figurative painting

I was pretty happy with this one - of course, there are always things to fool with and I might do that here and there, but overall, I'll mostly leave it alone.  I do love visiting with my little dancers - we're never apart for long.  It's 7 x 5" on Gessobord.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

On My Easel - A Modern Tango - original oil figurative painting

I probably should say 'original oil figurative experiment' - but that seems to be my approach to my artwork.    One of my painting teachers told me not to fiddle with the work - just start another painting.  Must remember that, must remember that.
This tango position is one that I see a lot now, but I don't think it has much in common with the original Argentine tango - a lovelier dance there never was - but it is definitely dramatic!  Sorry it's so shiny, but I wanted to get it posted and in a couple of days, I will post a bit drier version.  This one is on 7 x 5" Gessobord.  If you get a chance, please check out my oil pastel blog.

Tango Moment Again - original oil figurative painting

 

The second of my series of three 14 x 11"  tango paintings that I've done recently.  They will be available at Artworks in Austin, Texas.   No matter what else I may paint, I always come back to tango - just the beautiful way the dancers move in unison.  The steps are gorgeous in themselves:  He knows his part and she knows hers and they work beautifully together.  

Thanks so much for visiting my blog!

Tango Drama Again - original oil figurative painting

 

 

It's actually raining here - I was beginning to think it would never happen again!  As if it had forgotten how or something.  So, I'm going to go to bed and just listen to the beautiful sound of rain and feel so happy that I got all my pinks planted today!  This painting is on 14 x 11" Fredrix paintboard.  Thanks for looking!

Dance Party - original charcoal figurative drawing

Happy 2013 everybody!!!  Hope this is your best year ever!  Right now I'm waiting for my plane to Italy, so if I don't post for awhile, you'll know I'm busy sightseeing and drinking in the art.  Have a great time tonight and the rest of 2013!  Oh and also, this drawing was done with vine charcoal on Strathmore drawing paper - it's about 14 x 16".  Thanks for stopping by!

Dancers at the Winery - original oil figurative paintings

Here are some of my dancers on the wall at Junction Rivers Winery in Junction, Texas.  It's a not-to-be-missed place for wine (of course), bistro food, gifts, and conversation in my hometown on the Llano River. 
I hope everyone's having an enchanting Christmas Eve and looking forward to a joyful Christmas Day!  Thanks so much for stopping by - and Merry Christmas!

Bailoras - original charcoal figurative drawing

Bailoras (actually it's the same one in different poses) from sketches I did years ago.  Vine charcoal on Strathmore 14 x 17" drawing paper.  Thanks for looking!

Tango Memory - original oil pastel figurative painting

I painted this on 5 x 7" Pastelbord - another, as I've said many times, wonderful surface for oil pastel.  Oil pastel stays put on any surface, but it really stays on Pastelbord!  Skin is particularly fun to do on Pastelbord - just something about the way the medium can be layered on it.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Contact me at chadwell.arts@yahoo.com and also, check out my oil pastel blog.