The Rose Tattoo - charcoal drawing of a nude

I love this tattoo and was glad I had a good view of it today in the drawing group. This drawing is from a 30 minute pose and done on Strathmore 400 drawing paper. I used several different types of charcoal. It's about 15 x 8". Thanks for stopping by!

Tango Romance II - oil painting of figures

This painting is 7 x 5" on Gessobord. Thanks for stopping by!SOLD

Watching - charcoal portrait of a young man

This is a 20-minute charcoal drawing from the drawing group that I attended today. I'll try to do a painting based on this drawing. It's on Strathmore drawing paper. Thanks for looking!

August, 1959 - original oil figure painting

I'd really, really love to be on a beach right now - we're in for yet another night in the 'teens. Enough cold weather!

Oil on Gessobord, this painting is 5 x 7".

Sold to a collector in San Antonio.

Tango Romance - original oil figure painting

Here's another of my tango paintings - a tough pose to do, but when you're painting something you love, it works out. This dance combines expressiveness and the beauty of the figure in motion - two of my favorite things; so no matter what else I may draw or paint, I always come back to tango. This one is 7 x 5" on gessoed board.

It's so cold today that I just stayed in my cozy studio and did five new small paintings (including this one) that I will post in the coming days.

Thanks for stopping by!SOLD

Coffeebreak - original oil figure painting

This is not typical of my work, but I took some painting courses several years ago in which we did this type of painting. "Coffeebreak" is a quick study done from life. Once in a while I just like to try something more "modern", I guess. On gessoed hardboard, this painting is 6x6".

SOLD

Thanks for stopping by!

A Few Poses - charcoal drawings

Here are a few poses from the last drawing group. We didn't have a nude. Sometimes we do, or we have a portrait model. On this day, we had a model in a swimsuit with a tee. The drawing on the top, where the model is seated with her hands in her lap, is the one that (since I was late) I missed all but the last couple of minutes of the pose. It's my favorite. Although it doesn't actually make sense, I still love it. I know you shouldn't love something you do because you don't see the things that are wrong with it, but I love it precisely because of all the things that are "wrong".

Tango Mood - oil figure painting

This little painting is one of my favorites - everything just worked. She kept her head down the way I wanted and they both cooperated because, I think, they really wanted to dance together.

It's 7x5" on gessoed board. Thanks for stopping by!

SOLD

Nude with Greens and Blues - oil pastel nude

I often use oil pastel on black paper, but this time I gessoed a 5x7" "Hardbord" panel and then brushed on black acrylic. When that was dry, I used oil pastel to paint the nude from a drawing done in a life drawing group. It was really tough to get the acrylic to accept the oil pastel, especially the Sennelier. I think it was because of the pronounced brush marks I left when I applied the acrylic, plus I applied the gesso with a roller that was really for a rough surface. So I brought this on myself. Working with tiny strokes, however, got the job done, in addition to using some Caran d'Ache oil pastels, which sometimes seem to work better on rough surfaces.

Thanks for visiting my blog! SOLD

Her Move - figure painting of a young girl

I don't know the game she and her friends were playing, but she looks a little bored. Maybe it wasn't going well. This was done from a drawing. It's oil on gessoed board, 7x5". Thanks for looking!

SOLD

Study of Lexie - original oil on board

This quick little study of a one of my granddaughters will be helpful for the portrait that I will paint of her in the next couple of months. It always seems to me that studies done prior to the portrait are often more lively and charming than the portrait itself. I hope that won't be the case here, so I'll have to keep that in mind as I work. I did this in oil on a 7x5" gessoed board.

Roger with Santa - Merry Christmas to All

The local pound had a fundraiser which allowed pets to be photographed with Santa for a contribution and I put a ribbon around my wonderful dog, Roger's, neck for the occasion. By the time we arrived at the pound, the ribbon was off, but I tied it back for the photo.

Roger was rescued from the pound and it was one of the best things I've done. I recommend it for everyone who wants a pet.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone and THANK YOU to all who have purchased my artwork in 2007 ! Have a wonderful 2008!

Sunbather II - oil figure painting

This painting is still so wet, but I posted it anyway. I did it with a limited palette and I was experimenting with mixing greys, as well as working on foreshortening. It's 6x6" on gessoed hardboard. Thanks for looking.

SOLD

Sort of Santa Claus - alla prima portrait

This is a portrait that I did a long time ago on the first day of a workshop for the instructor to ascertain how advanced the participants were. Can't even remember who the teacher was, but maybe it will come to me. I'm happy that I can at least remember where it was held. I did this on canvas mounted on board - it's 18x12". Thanks for looking! SOLD

Tango Dip - original oil figures

This painting is still wet, but I decided to post it anyway. It's oil on gessoed hardboard, 5x7". Thanks for looking!

SOLD

Cindy's Back

I love this pebbly paper, even though it's probably an odd choice for drawing skin. Still, I enjoyed using it - different papers keep my interest; sometimes they work out and sometimes they don't. I think this works.

It's 12x9", charcoal. Thanks for looking!

Tessa's Pose

How I love oil pastel! In this case, it's Sennelier - a luscious stick of color that responds to my every wish. Oil pastel is so versatile. It can be used with turps and brush - not my favorite technique, but useful at times. It's great for sgrafitto, but for me, it's so satisfying to just pile it on as I did here.

This painting is 7"x5" on gessoed board. Thanks for looking!

More Tango Lovers - original oil figure painting

I just can't get this couple out of my head. They were so smooth and elegant, yet emotional - a real delight to watch and draw! This is 7" x 5", oil on gessoed hardboard. Thanks for looking! SOLD

Tango Ballroom - original oil figure painting

Something a little different for me - a larger (12" x 9") painting. This is oil on gessoed hardboard. Thanks for stopping by. SOLD

Elegant Tango - original oil painting figures

These two had a graceful, dignified style, maybe more like the original tango. I used a more solid background, which is new for me. It's a green-grey as a complement to the red dress. The painting is 7" x 5" and is oil on gessoed hardboard. Thanks so much for stopping by! SOLD

Tango Fiesta - oil pastel figure

I went a little wild with the oil pastel on this one - but I loved doing it! The curly strings reminded me of celebrations - hence, "Fiesta" in the name. It's oil pastel on black Stonehenge paper, which is a gorgeous, smooth, sturdy American-made paper. It accepts oil pastel in such a delicious way that, although I'm always trying other papers, I always come back to this beauty.

This painting is available at Artworks in Austin, Texas. SOLD

Another Tango Lovers - original oil figure

Oil on gessoed board, this painting is 7" x 5". SOLD

Lady in Red II - oil pastel figure

This is a companion painting to Lady in Red. It was tough to get the pose the way I wanted it. Sometimes my figure drawings seem to have their own minds and want their arms, legs, other body parts to do what they want and it's pretty difficult to convince them to do it my way.

It's 12" x 10" on sturdy, rag Stonehenge paper. Thanks for visiting my blog! SOLD

Lady in Red - oil pastel figure

Just for a change, I painted a couple of flamenco dancers. This is the first of the two and is oil pastel on smooth and sturdy black Stonehenge paper. It's about 12" x 9". I love flamenco, but it's harder to find performances of this dance, so I don't get to do as much of it as I would like.

Thanks so much for stopping by! SOLD

LIfe Drawing, November 13th - charcoal nude

On this 15 minute drawing, I seemed to concentrate on the face more than on the figure. It's 19" x 10" on wonderfully smooth, sturdy Stonehenge paper.

Everything else that I'm working on is too wet for a photo or not yet completed, so I'll just post some nudes 'til they're ready.

Thanks for stopping by!

Pensive Moment - charcoal portrait/figure

This is one of my charcoal drawings from the drawing group on Tuesday. It's a pose that just charmed me and I'm pleased with the result. It's 13" x 8". Thanks for stopping by!

Violinist - oil pastel figure study

This 6" x 7" oil pastel is done on very sturdy Sennelier D340 paper. I lightly coated the paper with raw umber and ultramarine acrylic and let it dry for a day before I began my painting. This is a very loose interpretation of a memory drawing I did last year from a recital that I attended. Like dancers, musicians get lost in their art and it's wonderful to see. Thanks for dropping by!

Charlee's Back - female nude charcoal drawing

I love back poses, especially with just a little view of the face, as in this pose Although I am doing more interiors with the figure lately, I will never lose my passion for life drawing.

This drawing is 15" x 16". Thanks for stopping by! SOLD

Male Nude No.2 - figure drawing

Drawings of male nudes are more rare than those of females. Here's another male to help even the score. It's about 15" x 10" and done with charcoal.

A Good Read - oil pastel figure

Now that it's getting cooler, my thoughts turn to cozy evenings and a good book. This 6 x 8 painting is oil pastel on Sennelier D340 paper.

SOLD