The Closed Circuit Gallery

This week Joel, Dave and I hung our Closed Circuit gallery on the 11th floor at school also known as the Student Lounge. We hung our paintings as well as those of a few fellow students who didn't have thier paintings make the cut into the Spring show at school. our thinking was, "well why not show our hard work anyway" and approached the head of student services and set it up.
Last year the students who didn't get in the spring show held their version of Salon des Refusés. But we decided we didn't want it to be a bitter bee negative thing, but a positive endeavor to encourage and show other students what we have been working on.

Framed and rejected

I just wanted to post up my finished portrait painting of Chuck. I submitted this to the last juried exhibition in our student gallery at PAFA but, sadly it was rejected. Mike and I have decided to organize a show in our student lounge on the 11th floor to showcase all of the rejections from that show... because we think Chuck is beautiful...even if the judges don't.

Meeting 10

Today was our 10th meeting of the DPC, but it was lightly attended, only Will and myself painted. Chuck my buddy from next door and our model for our previous weeks portrait painting stopped by for Pizza. Since time was short and Will and I figured we'd set up a simple still life for this evenings painting. We'll set a longer still life next week when the rest of the DPC would returns to our illustrious club. Above is my painting of the three apple still life and is roughly 3 hours of work. 11 x 14 on canvas.
Here is a shot of will painting the same still life and below is his final painting of the night.

I am also happy to announce that three of the DPC got paintings accepted into the Philadelphia Sketch Club's annual Art of the Flower competition. Congratulation's to Dave, Will and Christina! All of the paintings were almost hanging together.

Meeting 9

Once again the DPC had it's weekly meeting of mirth and art. A lot is going on this last week before the spring break from school. A few of us were also getting ready to submit our paintings to the Philly Sketch clubs Flower show. So Christina was framing her painting and adding a coating of retouch varnish which I had already mixed up in a 5-to-1 batch. One part varnish to five parts terps.
Judy stopped by with a dozen Duncan Donuts which went well as appatizers before the pizza arrived. It was a low cal night.
Chuck our model chatted music with Joel.

Here is my painting which is close to finish, one more round should do it.
Here is Christina's painting which I think is coming along really great, she made a lot of progress this week.


Next week the group is going to try some plien air painting while on Spring Break.

Meeting 8, New Members, New model

Joel's portrait of chuck in progress.

Well despite me having the worst cold I've had in nearly 20 years the DPC met again this week and my house for fun, art and--maintenance. We also added two new members, Brigid and Jackie and a new model,my 14-year-old Austrailian Healer, Shazam.


Brigid and Jackie decided to sculpt rather than paint, and they picked Shazam as their subject.

While we waited for the pizzas to arrive for out dinner Dave brought along his tool kit and offered to fix up anyone's easel which had and leg, joint or other issues. He spent quite a bit fixing up Joel's French easel and after a spell that sucker could support the weight of an elephant!

I was really kinda' still whipped from my cold but my buddy Chuck came back over and posed for us again, so after the pizza we painters and sculptors went about our evenings fun.
Dave is making some very nice progress.

my second pass at my portrait of chuck, I was pretty bleary, but I made some decent progress.
Brigid's sculp of Shazam.
Jackie's sculp of Shazam.

It's funny how each week the DPC spreads at school, but we have decided for space reasons alone we are reaching the limit at my house especially for a single model at this point, but maybe come summer we can spread out a bit more.

Meeting 7

This was our 7th meeting of the DPC, and word is now spreading through school about our little club. In fact if everyone interested were to show up, there wouldn't be room for them.

But our core group returned this week, and after a nice chicken curry dinner served up by yours-truly, we se about setting up and painting. I asked my long time best buddy Chuck Van Zyl to pose for us for the next three weeks so we could get in a nice long painting session on his pose.
The pensive Christina mocks us with her glare.
Will's rough block-in.

Dave's block-in.
Christina's block-in.

Joel painting away.
Chuck was a great model, they guy never moved. Some models are all a figit the whole time, and on top of it all he could laugh at our terrible jokes and not move.
Here is my tonal wash-in, next week I'll start pushing in the color.

Meeting 6

Thursday was the 6th meeting of the esteemed DPC, and this time a change of venue was in order, we met up and painted at Jackie and Will's place, and the subject was a still life of flowers as we all want to enter the Philly Sketch club's art of the flower show. Above is the final set-up we were to paint. We also added another new member, Sarah Jewett, a fellow student at PaFa. It's great to have another gal in the group, and she even bought the beer!
While we all warmed up after the walk from school to Jackie and Will's apt., Dave called up Joel on the phone.
Dave and Sarah start arranging the still life.
Will and Sarah finished setting up--I couldn't wait to get at the canvas.
here is Joel's floral painting for the evening.
We all grabbed some eats down the street and Dave looks like he really had something important to tell Jackie.
Sarah and Christina were so serious about being artist this time around.

I blocked in my big shapes and then went for it.

And here is my final study for the evening. this is the first floral painting I have ever done. good lord, when I younger the idea of painting flowers would have given me hives, but now I look at any subject as a challenge and something to be attempted. For my final painting I will adjust the composition and use several of the photos I snapped that evening.

I have to say, I so look forward to getting together with my buddies each week and painting away. Their knowledge, energy, humor and encouragement are a great source of fun and nourishment for me. Their dirty senses of humor don't hurt either.