Hi everyone,
As we close out 2018, I’d like to share some fun experiences from the year.
First, I had a blast studying with Mr. Tom Fluharty last spring! This was a study piece using the Dutch-Flemish technique. Really tough stuff, but with heavy guidance from the master, here is the result (you don’t want to see the outtakes that led up to this). This was truly a collaborative effort between teacher and student, and a very special experience for me. I feel incredibly blessed to be such a close distance to such an amazing artist, friend, and teacher.
This summer I also attended a portrait drawing workshop at the Florence Academy of Art’s US location in Jersey City, NJ. What an amazing experience. There is nothing more challenging and rewarding as drawing from life. We had three models to choose from. I chose to draw Santiago. Half the fun of being an artist is creating, and the other half is the people. I met people from all over the world at this workshop, from New York, to the UK, to Australia, to Russia, to Hawaii. It’s an experience I will never forget. It’s always hard to say goodbye when you make such wonderful connections.
And finally, I was back in Joe Paquet’s painting class this fall! It feels so great to be back. I really missed these guys. They are like a second family. The painting below is partially from a photo I took in Puerto Vallarta, and partially invented. I captured these two figures as they were walking along the marina. This handicapped gentleman had such an interesting face that I tried to capture many times, but couldn’t quite get it. So I managed to capture him and his companion as they walked away. The background in the photograph was a little too busy, so, taking advice from Mr. Paquet (when a master painter gives you advice, you take it), I painted the background “out of my head.” I used a couple of random references for lighting and color, but otherwise the background is completely invented. This was way beyond my comfort zone. But sometimes you need someone to give you a solid push in order to achieve something you didn’t previously believe possible. The magic of painting is that there is always something new to discover, about art, life, and yourself. Beauty and growth are abundant.
That’s all, folks.
Happy New Year!
-jw