Painting On Location

Painting on location, or plein air, can be as uncomfortable as one can imagine. When I painted this charming scene on the River Deben in southern England, I was sick as a dog with extreme hay fever, and could barely see, let alone hold my brush. A nice group of water color painters allowed me to join them, and made sure that I didn’t fall into the river. All these years later, it’s nice to have the painting so I can see what I can’t recall about that afternoon.

The River Deben, oil on canvas, 10 x 8

Playing Dress Up

With a ton of makeup on in a Geisha style and wearing a vintage silver dress, I modeled for a photographer friend… then I painted this persona from a resulting photo. It was  fun day of dress up.

A la Geisha, oil on canvas, 12 x 8

I was happiest with how silky the cheek looks.

The Artist’s Muse

One of my friends who was, and is, an excellent artist’s muse and model. The dress was vintage, from an imagined elegant era, and she was feeling pensive, like an Irish afternoon.

The Green Dress, oil on canvas, 20 x 16

A Portrait of a Child

This is a portrait of a little girl while she is still a child, not yet a tween.

Anne's Daughter, oil on canvas, 12 x 8

Beautiful On the Outside

Of all my beautiful friends, this one is also beautiful on the outside. This is a painting of her when she was a gorgeous 20, on a boat looking out at Manhattan.

Goddess Head, acrylic on canvas, 12 x 8

Art As Therapy

This young woman had a cancer scare as a teenager. This painting, a commission, was her creative form of therapy. Not to get overly sentimental, but I was honored, in some small way, to be able to help her self-image and self-love.

The Scar, oil on canvas, 8 x 12

A Good Model Is a Joy to Paint

This is a three hour painting of Samira, a wonderful model, who was also easy on the eye.

Samira's Earring, oil on canvas, 20 x 14 inches