Below is one of many abstract experiments.  More to come…

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I finally figured out how to make the font bigger!  Hopefully it’s more readable now.

I took a 5-day workshop with Henry Yan in Washington State this August and fell in love with charcoal.  We plan on getting married next spring.

Below are some charcoal studies from life that I did this August and September.

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Above: 18 x 24″ Charcoal study from life (40 minutes).

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Above: 18 x 24″ Charcoal study from life (2.5 hours)

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Above: 18 x 24″ Charcoal study from life (30 minutes).

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The above image is a charcoal study from life (18 x 24″, 25 minutes) that I photographed and imported into photoshop.  I used dodge and burn brushes to strengthen the light and add lost edges.

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The above image is an oil grisaille (French for grayscale underpainting).  Painted on a yellow ochre primed paper…makes it a bit more exciting to paint.

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I’ve started to copy paintings of old and contemporary master painters.

It’s a great way to learn how to solve various painting problems.   It’s also a traditional way of study that artists have been doing for centuries.

I recommend reading Classical Drawing and Classical Painting Atelier books by Juliette Aristides.  They’re both excellent instructional books.

Here’s a few master copy paintings I did this winter and spring.

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Master copy of John Singer Sargent painting: 16 x 12″, May 2010, oil on paper

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Master copy of John Singer Sargent painting: 6 x 8″, April 2010, oil on paper

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Master copy of Kim Cogan painting: 16 x 12″, April 2010, oil on paper

These were done at Basic Inquiry.  The lady with the blue, abstract background was a collaborative effort with Sean Bigham, an awesome painter!

Nude study (from life) – March 2010 : Oil on paper : 14 x 18″

* original available

Did a portrait of my granddad a while back.

I took the photos and did a color study while visiting him in Hilo, Hawaii.

18 x 24″, oil on panel.