Some quick portraits

I'm in the middle of a rather large painting and just needing a break so I've been doing some quick portraits that only take a couple of hours each...

Lili on orange

Lili

Here is my latest painting, the very lovely Lili. It's my biggest yet at 31x23"...

Pa, new and improved

I tried this same painting of Pa again to check on my progress. Compared to the one painted a few months ago I think it's a good improvement. It's much bigger too: 19 x 24"

Still Life with Pumpkin 2

Isaac

Still Life with Pumpkin

Mushrooms & Georgie

Here are my latest paintings...

Bathurst portrait workshop

I braved the cold and spent a week in Bathurst at the Mitchell Winter school doing a portraiture workshop with Lesley O'Shea which was FANTASTIC. Here are the four paintings I did during the week. The last one is Lesley's fiance Joe Penn (also a painter)... he loved it and bought it from me!

Flowers

A couple of small paintings of flowers that I did for presents...

Portrait of Florence

Here is the second copy I have done for the Fab Fakes exhibition next week. This is also by Tom Roberts, called Portrait of Florence.

Smike Streeton Age 24

This is a portrait of Arthur Streeton, originally by Tom Roberts. I did my best to copy it for a local exhibition coming up called Fab Fakes. The mission is to copy the work of a painter that's been dead for over 50 years. It was a great experience, like having a master class in portraits with Tom Roberts himself. I have a whole new admiration for his brilliance at portraiture.

This is the original

Liv at the beach

This is my cousin Liv when she was about 12, at Manly beach having just been boogy boarding.

Pa at the Archibald

This is a portrait of Pa I just finished using as reference a photo that I took of him outside the art gallery when we went to see the Archibald together in 2006. It brings back fond memories!

Latest paintings

 Here are 2 paintings I did for an exhibition called "Smalls" to be held in Canowindra in June. All the works in the exhibition have to be 10x10" but can be any subject...

I went to Art in Action last weekend and did 3 landscape painting workshops, two with John Lacey and one with John Corby - both excellent landscape painters... Here is the painting I did with John Corby:

So I came home and tried to get into some landscapes. this one is at Dunkeld with the Grampians in the distance...

This is the view from the balcony of the place where I lived in Drummoyne many years ago:

Guess what? I don't think I like doing landscapes. I'm going to the Mitchell Winter School in Bathurst in July and was going to do a week of landcape painting! I rang them today and asked to change to a portrait painting class. Now I'm excited. Here is the portrait I did today... lots to learn yet but it's a good start. It's a boy called Lachlan at Crossroads dressed up for the Christmas Pageant.

Lemons!

This is from life, not a photo. It's more of a challenge and the eye can see more than the camera can so I think it's better really...

Cosmos

I love cosmos! These are some that I saw growing wild in a church yard in Gulgong...

En Plein Air

I forgot to post this paintng with the 2 landscapes done at John Wilson's workshop. It was done on location about a half hour from Katoomba. It's much more fun painting en plein air with a group of people!

Montsalvat Bust

This is a bust that I saw in the gardens of Montsalvat, an artists colony that Vicki and I visited just outside Melbourne.

Sunlight through the window

I always love how the sun streams though this window onto the floor...

Teddy

Here is my first finished painting since being home. I moved this chair into my studio and Teddy has claimed it as his own...

Workshop Paintings

These are 2 paintings I did during a one week workshop with John Wilson in Katoomba in February...

Tidal River

Quite pleased with this one. I'm trying not to mush up my brush strokes. Someone said too much blending in a painting is like mumbling when you speak. No more mumbling! (It's taking all my effort and will not to do it though)...

Tidal River and an apple

We stayed in the national park at Wilsons Promontory at the Tidal River campground. It's near a spectacular beach. I've tried to capture the sunset...

 

 

Outback pear

A pear in the outback...

Seagull

I like this painting in concept, but I had trouble executing it, mainly because I'm not sure how to apply the paint with my brushes so get the effect I'm after. Especially the grass... I need lessons! Anyhow, here it is...

Feeling Green

I seem to be into green lately. Here is a vineyard in the Berossa Valley (South Australian wine country) and a lotus in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens...

Ladies in dappled light

Here is my latest effort... I saw these two ladies having a natter in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens and was really taken by the dappled light around them.

Silverton

This is a house in the town of Silverton, once a thriving population of 6000 or so, now just 42. I love the intense colours and the open space of the outback...