Wild Fire

Variations on "Celebration." Model: Ali

"Celebration"

Model: Ali. Terrific fun.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO FRIENDS, TO FAMILY, TO THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD

Evelyn from Nebraska, part 3

Evelyn from Nebraska had so much energy in our photo shoot, that I could spend a long long time just painting her. I can't, of course, and for now the curtain comes down. Evelyn and I, I believe, share one more favorite picture, and I'll come back to that once my pulse slows down. There's an energy that I've discovered in painting, in art, of any kind, I suppose. It's a surge of ideas, a few hours awake before dawn, when I have finally given up on sleep and gone disheveled into my art room, which I dearly love. There's nothing quite like the calm that settles in when I slosh a brush of paint across a new sheet of watercolor paper. It's not high art. It's not for anyone but me. If I accidentally make a few people happy, then I'm thrilled. Why has it taken me so long to discover this? I can't answer that, but I'm grateful for a little time to continue.

Evelyn from Nebraska, part 2

Those of you addicted to expressionist art, as I am, know that portraits rarely show people as they appear--more as the artist feels about them. Irony is a strong component in expressionist art, and that's why attractive models, like Evelyn from Nebraska, are such a challenge. I feel a tinge of guilt about distorting and discoloring them. Still, Evelyn has proven to be a good sport, so here's Part 2 of my Evelyn studies (more distortion in studies to come):

Evelyn from Nebraska

Some of you may vaguely remember, if you happened to be reading my Facebook page, that a woman from Nebraska, named Evelyn, wanted me to do a portrait of her. Last week or was it two weeks ago, she drove with her family to Salt Lake City with the express purpose of doing a photo shoot from which I would extract one or several paintings. Needless to say, I felt the pressure. I didn't know Evelyn, and she didn't know me, but I soon discovered that she was one funny woman. There are more portraits to come, but I thought this one of Evelyn busting a gut, might be a good way to start. I discovered in the course of the shoot that sometimes her smiles had a slightly demonic grin, so I included that in this painting.

High Tea with Masks

I've been intrigued with the idea that we all wear masks, whether we're aware of it or not. We shift our language depending on whether we're talking to a kid next door or to the president of the United States. We dress up for some occasions, down for others. Make-up, after-shave, and a host of perfumes are eager to change our appearance, even our smells. One might ask if we peeled all the masks away anything would be left.