Thursday, April 22, 2010

Leonardo Da Vinci at the Getty, a finished painting, and some sketches...



It has been a while since I've completed a faerie painting, but here she is. This acrylic fantasy fairy painting is 8"x10" and is titled Lace Wings, referencing the Lacewing butterfly on which the wings are loosely based.

I also recently had the opportunity to visit the Getty Center. Currently, they have a Da Vinci exhibit focused primarily on his involvement with sculptures. I enjoyed the sculptures, but what really wowed me were his sketches. They are tiny and amazing gems. There was also a painting there that was incomplete, it was a very rare chance to see a painting that he was in progress with. Overall the exhibit was fantastic. I also saw some illuminated manuscripts in the Research Center that were very interesting. That exhibit has now closed; but, the Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit will be on until June 20th I believe.

I don't always go to so many exhibits, but the ones up right now are fantastic! I did some searches on Thomas Wilmer Dewing and found some pieces of his on Bert Christensen's site at:
http://www.bertc.com/g4/index.htm
I love how this artist used color to create moods.

Below are some of my sketches for the week. I've been focused on faces and will likely remain so for quite some time. This doesn't mean that other subjects won't sneak in, but my sketching focus right now is women's faces.

Saturday... nada
Sunday...

Monday...
Tuesday...

Wednesday...

Friday, April 16, 2010

American Stories at LACMA and the good, the bad, and the not so pretty...

Today I returned to LACMA to see American Stories, I'm so glad I did. There was an abundance of luscious art. Being able to see pieces in person that I've prior to only seen in books is such a treat. It is also quite nice to see art that I've never seen before. I was completely taken in by a painting by an artist named Thomas Wilmer Dewing. I am completely unfamiliar with him, but I intend to look him up.

I have some sketches; some good, some bad, and some not so pretty. It is my intention to share some sketches that I do even if they are not always my best work. Some days are better then other days. What they are is a slice of my day. I thought I had finished a painting I started quite a while ago, but when I came home and viewed it with fresh eyes, I noticed some touching up that I need to do. As such, I will likely be able to share it the next time I post. Anyway, here are the sketches...

Friday... a California poppy

Saturday... bonus

Sunday... bonus

Monday...

Tuesday...

Wednesday...

Thursday...

Friday...

Friday, April 9, 2010

Faces and more faces

This week my sketches are largely faces. There is one sketch that includes more of the figure, but that is the master study sketch. Once again I've found that I skipped Saturday and Sunday. I believe that I am going to make those days bonus, since I seem less likely to sketch on those days anyway.

Friday... side profile

Friday... after Rembrandt van Rijn's "woman with clasped hands"

Saturday and Sunday... nada
Monday... a girl

Tuesday... another girl

Wednesday... a girl at a slant (I have no idea why I sketched her sideways)

Thursday... a girl

Friday, April 2, 2010

Renoir in the 20th Century at LACMA and some sketches

Yesterday I had the tremendous fortune of being able to attend the show "Renoir in the 20th Century" at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. It is lush and gorgeous and fabulous! His use of color is so fantastic. Some of these paintings are works that I had seen prior to in books, but having the opportunity to see them in person was just phenomenal. The scale, the brush strokes, and the intensity were well worth the visit. They had a couple of brief films (2 minutes possibly) of him painting. He had rheumatoid arthritis, but he was still so driven to create. I almost considered missing this show because of the expense, it's a special exhibit so it's pricier then the standard admission, but I'm very glad I opted to renew my membership and take in this show. It was uplifting and inspiring. I'm also going to see their show "American Stories," another special exhibit, but I felt like seeing the one show was as much as I could absorb in one visit. Actually, I think it would be great to see it again, but I am glad to have seen it at least the once.

I have some sketches, short one and not yet done for tonight, but this is what I have for the week:

Friday... an orchid floral

Saturday... nothing at all
Sunday... a girl

Monday... another girl

Tuesday... an additional girl

Wednesday... a flower

Thursday... a girl