Red Shawl - oil pastel portrait/figure painting

I haven't posted in so long, I've almost forgotten how, but here goes.

This pose has been a long-running endeavor of mine. About 12 or 13 years ago, I did a 24 x 20" oil painting of this model from life. I kept it a few years, but wasn't happy with it. In the meantime, I did a dry point etching of the pose from the oil painting. I trashed the painting, but saved the etching. Then a couple of years ago, I did another painting of 14 x 11" and disgustedly threw that one out, too. Now, FINALLY, I have one that pleases me. It's 7 x 5", oil pastel on Pastelbord. If at first you don't succeed ....

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Wallflower - original oil figure painting

One day she'll be a swan, but getting through the awkward stage is the challenge for now. I find young people at this sort of gawky time of life to be so charming and just wonderful to draw. This painting is 6 x 6" on Ampersand Gessobord and was painted from drawings that I did from life.SOLD

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The Letter II - original oil figure painting

This painting is 8 x 8" on Ampersand Gessobord. Thanks so much for visiting my blog! SOLD

Favorite Chair - oil pastel figure painting

My favorite kind of painting - done quickly without much detail. It's oil pastel - 5 x 7" on Ampersand Pastelbord. Thanks so much for visiting my blog!

Jade Buddha - oil pastel still life

Now for something completely different - for me, anyway. I have always loved this Buddha figurine, so just decided to paint it, instead of my usual subjects - hope I did it justice. Actually, I did this the other day, and it is a daily painting, just not today's daily painting.

This oil pastel is on 8 x 10" Ampersand Pastelbord. I love this stuff (Pastelbord)! The oil pastel feels very dry after a few days and then, being oil pastel, you can just spray the heck out of it with fixative, varnish it and frame without glass. At least, that's what I've been doing lately.

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Nude Turning Away - original oil painting

SOLD

This model never really relaxed into the pose, which is very unusual. Because it takes about five minutes for a model to lose her initial "enthusiasm" for the pose, I always fool around with my supplies for about that long, just waiting for her to relax. I could have fiddled around all evening and she would still have kept this difficult, twisting pose. She was remarkable and I hope to be able to paint her again.

The painting is 7 x 5" on Gessobord. Thank you for stopping by!

Venus and Mars - original oil figure painting

Ahh, the eternal struggle - you know - the one that makes the world go 'round. This painting is 7 x 5" on Ampersand Gessobord. Thanks so much for visiting my blog! SOLD

"Contemplation" - original oil painting of a nude

This painting is 6 x 6" on Gessobord. Thanks for looking! SOLD

Senorita - oil pastel portrait

This portrait is painted on Colourfix paper and is 12 x 9". Thanks for stopping by!

Nude, Reading - oil pastel figure painting

I have oil pastel on my mind, lately, because the Oil Pastel Society is holding its annual competition for members. In fact, the entries are due tomorrow and I'm in panic mode because I don't think I have anything to enter. So, I've been doing lots of oil pastels, which I love doing, and trying to find something, somewhere, that I can submit.

What I enjoyed about this painting is all the greens and blues in her skin. I love doing that, because they really are there, although this interpretation veers into neon territory, which I also enjoy. Well, I may not have anything to submit, but I sure am having a good time!

This painting is 7 x 5" on Pastelbord. Thanks for looking!SOLD

Red Kimono - oil painting by Connie Chadwell

Red and green, pink and green - I love the combination. So, it was perfect when the model posed in a red kimono against a green wall, although I must admit the green was a little softer than this one and maybe the red wasn't so red. But I got carried away.

This painting is 7 x 5" on Gessobord. Thanks so much for visiting my blog!SOLD

The Painter - oil painting by Connie Chadwell

This junior artist has the right idea in stepping back from the painting to check her progress. It's 7 x 5" on Gessobord - thanks for looking!SOLD

Nude on a Blue and Green Scarf - oil pastel by Connie Chadwell

I decided it would be fun to pose the model in front of a painting, instead of just a blank wall. This was a very difficult pose to hold because of the twisted position of the model's neck, so we worked in short increments. This painting is from the drawing I did of this pose. I'm such a fan of models - with all the things we ask them to do, they are almost always patient and pleasant and a joy to work with.

This painting is on Pastelbord and is 7 x 5". Thanks for looking!

Liza, Reclining - oil pastel figure painting

I did this painting on Ampersand Pastelbord, which is a really amazing surface. Even though I apply lots and lots of oil pastel and the support seems loaded, in a few days it feels dry. When working this quickly, I don't work in layers and don't scrape or wipe any of the oil pastel off before applying more - it's just really thick. I'm partial to a fairly raw finish, so I leave the strokes visible.

"Liza, Reclining" is 7 x 5". Thanks for visiting my blog!

Another Night - original oil figure painting by Connie Chadwell

And who knows what it holds?

This painting is on Ampersand Gessobord and is 7 x 5". Thanks for looking!SOLD

Nude Looking Away - oil pastel nude by Connie Chadwell

I was so busy today and nothing was really finished enough to post, so here's just about my favorite subject - a nude - and my favorite medium - oil pastel. It's on light green Canson Mi-Teintes board and is about 12 x 7". Thanks for stopping by!

Invitation - oil figure painting by Connie Chadwell

She did accept his invitation to dance (although I thought for a minute there she would turn him down) and they made a beautiful couple.

This painting was done from an earlier drawing and I painted it very quickly, which is why there are lots of brushmarks and it's not very detailed. That's my favorite way to paint and for the most part, the only way I paint (or draw, for that matter). It just makes me happy! SOLD

This one is 7 x 5" on Ampersand Gessobord.

Promises - original oil painting by Connie Chadwell

They only had eyes for each other. The painting is 6 x 6" on Ampersand Gessobord. Thanks for looking! SOLD

Sinthy - oil portrait painting by Connie Chadwell

Sinthy - I love that name - held the pose for about an hour, but I stopped before the hour was up because I didn't want to "kill" the painting. Plus, my board is only 6 x 6", so I didn't need much time. I just made lots of strokes while mainly looking for values. I am happiest when working quickly and then moving to another spot in the room to do a charcoal figure drawing from the same pose at another angle.

This painting is on Ampersand Gessobord. Thanks for stopping by! SOLD

Taking a Break - original oil figure painting

This painting is 8 x 8" on Ampersand Gessobord. Thanks for stopping by! SOLD

More Tea - oil pastel figure painting

This was painted from a little drawing I did at my favorite Thai restaurant (now closed, unfortunately). It's 16 x 20" on Ampersand Pastelbord. Thanks for visiting my blog!

Three Gals - original oil figure painting

Whew! Dealing with three women, even if they are at the business end of a paintbrush, is not easy - especially if they refuse to be controlled by yet another woman (me).

Of course, I didn't know what was in the photo they were studying, but there was much comment and giggling. This was one time I was glad to have my sketchbook with me, so that I didn't have to draw in the back of my checkbook or on a scrap of paper.

This painting is on Ampersand Gessobord and is 6 x 6". Thanks for looking!SOLD

A Little Nap - original oil figure painting

Sometimes the festivities get to be too much for a girl - even a young one.

This painting is 6 x 6" on Ampersand Gessobord. Thanks for looking!SOLD

Orange Comb - original oil painting

I did this without cadmium orange, which I had intended to use in the beginning, but I was pleased with the range of orange in the painting anyway. I did a painting much like this a few years ago, but this one is a quicker and fresher way of painting that I've come to use and I like it better. SOLD

This one is 8 x 8" on Gessobord. Thanks for dropping by!

Heather Again - nude painting in oil

Here's another rendition of Heather. This one's in oil on 9 x 12" Gessobord. I started out with a very limited palette - titanium white, ivory black, yellow ochre, burnt sienna and cobalt blue (which is kind of cheating in a truly limited palette, since gray next to red reads as a blue, but, oh well). After it was done, I decided that it needed a little more color, so I added a little cadmium red and yellow.

This time, not working from life, but from a drawing from life, the likeness isn't there as well as it was, but I am pleased with the painting because it's not really intended to be a portrait. And she still has that proud elegance to her, which is the most important element to me. If the gesture is right, then I'm happy. SOLD

Heather - drawing of a nude model

I loved drawing Heather, who takes beautiful, graceful poses and is able to hold them so well. I hope to do a painting from the drawing - tomorrow if everything works out okay. I like to work quickly and loosely. Some of my artist friends have said to me "Connie, you're just a loose woman". Maybe. But only in art.

This drawing is vine charcoal on Strathmore drawing paper about 10 x 14". Thanks for dropping by! SOLD

Alone at the Bar - original oil figure painting

I guess this is sort of a series - bar paintings. Taverns, bars and such are a perfect place to observe people, because they really let their hair down there. However, it's a strange place for a teetotaler like me to be found, but since most people I know are not teetotalers, I seem to be in these interesting places on occasion and I make the most of it.

This painting is 7 x 5" on Gessobord. Thanks for visiting my blog!SOLD

Reclining Nude - charcoal figure drawing

Today my painting experience was something like Murphy's Law. When the face was right, the hands weren't and vice versa. The day continued in this vein until I finally just gave up and decided to post this nude that I did a few days ago. It's 11 x 14" on Strathmore drawing paper. Thanks for visiting my blog!

SOLD

Tango Twist - original oil figure painting

I was searching through an old box of oil paints the other day and discovered my long lost tube of cadmium orange. I'm able to mix a wide range of colors - including a really vibrant orange - because for many years I painted with only titanium white, ivory black, venetian red and yellow ochre. But I just love cadmium orange. I used some in this piece - hope I didn't overdo it. Ahhh - it can be so dramatic. Welcome back, old friend!

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

The Letter - original oil figure painting

Gone are the days when a letter was the only means of communication across long distances, which is a good thing, but still, someone reading a letter is one of my favorite subjects to paint. I always wonder, was the news good or bad, was there tragedy within its lines, or did news from home just make them lonely? SOLD

This painting is 8 x 8" - a little larger than I usually do - on Gessobord. Thanks for looking!