Practice Practice and More Practice

Doing portraits are difficult mainly because of the likeness factor. Practice is the key! This is the second portrait for Week 12 of PYHAS 2019 taught by  Marina Teding van Berkhout. Its a portrait of my Mom I think from the early 1940s.
It's the second try on this pose, the first was in oil pastels which I didn't like. This was done with oils and cold wax in many layers and textures. There is some likeness.

Longing 

11.5 x 16.5 "

Oils and Cold Wax

Cut Canvas

 The Process

Layer 1

Prussian Blue + Permanent Mauve

Layer 2

Primary Blue + Yellow Green(mix)

Layer 3

Venetian Red + Cadmium Yellow Deep + Raw Sienna

Transferred drawing

(was altered during the painting process)

Painting was done using the colors of layer 3 varying the mixes with white, buff titanium, and raw umber. Lots of painting and scraping in the process!

That's My Last Duchess

I can't remember my English teacher's name. Hoping that it would somehow find its way through all the wiring in my brain. She was very influential and it was through her that I really started reading. Sadly up till then, it was mainly just fairytales!

I was exposed to the classics and poetry. Robert Browning one of my favorites and of course Elizabeth Barrett.

That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall, 

Looking as if she were alive. I call 

That piece a wonder, now; Fra Pandolf’s hands 

Worked busily a day, and there she stands. Robert Browning

Week 12 Figures with Oils and Cold Wax with Marina Teding van Berkhout! What a marvelous lesson. 

Four layers of oils and cold wax.  Use of various scratch tools and stencils! Took her a while to emerge, scraped her face twice. This medium is very forgiving. 

My Last Duchess

12 x 17 "

Cut Canvas

Oils Cold Wax Palette Knife Catalyst Knife

click to enlarge

It's time for play

We all love to play. We are all told that it's OK to play at art. Have fun, play! It's like a mantra. But sometimes I find art hard and sometimes there are difficult choices. At times these choices are so difficult that we don't make them and leave the piece unfinished. This year taking PYHAS 2019 has somehow released the stresses and frustrations, I am not making masterpieces but learning new things, just exercises! It's all in the mind! So now a few play pieces that are on my table.

I have lots of odd pieces of cut canvas, thanks to my artist friend Traudi. She works HUGE and sometimes cuts off side pieces from canvas roll which she gifts me. She doesn't share her work on social media or on a blog or website but this morning she sent me her wolf. It is from Norse Mythology.

The sound of a cat's footfall that binds the wolf Fenrir.

59 x 43.5

© Traudi Bernstein

Maybe I can convince her to post on Instagram!

Most start their lives with leftover paint.

WIP

12 x 8.5 "

Oils and Cold Wax 

Cut Canvas

This started as a mess of paint from cleaning brushes knives and palette

A Journey with Nasa's Galaxies and Stars

8 x 9.5 "

Oils Cold Wax Stencils Oil Sticks