Plein Aire Sketch

Here's my best effort for the week. I did this at Smithville Park near where I live in NJ. Its about 12x16 in oil.

Dirty Palette Summer starts!

Hey, well its been a while since I've posted anything here but the Dirty Palette is back in full swing with our first summer outing at the Markward Recreation Center off of 27th street in Philly. The boys and I met up at school and then we trucked it over a short car ride to the park which is near the South Street bridge which is under construction. Sue biked over later and joined us for a little while.

The park is a really awesome little spot with lots of good stuff to paint nearby including plenty of old "Joker Hideouts" as i call the variety of abandoned or run down old buildings and factories which dot the city.

Once in the park we split up to find our spots, the sun gives you maybe 3-4 hours tops to get in whatever you are gonna do before it changes on you. It was a great day full of that silvery sort of light that Philly has, perfect temp too. Lots of people stopped by to watch or comment including a gaggle of school girls from a local school. They were all fascinated with seeing me paint and with the fact I had included Joel in the painting, "Hey you painted Joel!"

I found my spot and went at it quick, set up my palette based on what I saw. I always try and put down colors that are really close to the big color masses I see when I take my glasses off. I was using an old canvas that somebody had left in school, I sanded it down and re-primed it, it was still a bit chunky in spots and that added to the textured surface I wanted on this one-shot painting.



Using a 2B pencils I quickly sketched out the compositing and then using the biggest brush and one of those foam wedge brushes massed in the big shapes quick. I was also thinking a pre=planning the end of the painting as I knew the light world shift a bit and tried to take advantage of that. I also tried to really balance the interest, the red car vs Joel, so your eye would jump around and move. Sometimes nature hypnotizes you, and I have to stop and think and not get seduced by some glorious detail. I re-massed the foreground more than once to not end up fracturing that plane and unite that shadow mass. I would try and remember what Sargent would do in this case--each stroke counts, plane, color, value....

Here is a shot of the painting in the middle stage, here I could either go forward and make a decent painting or ruin it...

Here is the finished painting.




Joel found a great spot and did a great little Plein Air.
Sue broke out her sketchbook.
Dave did watercolors but refused to show them to me...

Joel and I take a break.

Will and Dave with Will's painting.

Joel painting away...

DPC- The BIG Update

(More To Come Soon -brief description)

So here we are after months of no updates, but here we go. This semester at school has been a busy one at The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. It wasn't till our winter break when time began to free up. It has been a busy month off, and I am happy to say I enjoyed every bit of it with the DPC members. A lot of the break was spent seeing shows at galleries with painting on the side.
Here is our visit to the PMA (Philadelphia Museum of Art). Our group consisted of Mike Manley, Joel Shambe, Sue Beccaria, and myself. It was a beautiful day, besides the cold, bitter harsh mistress that is winter.





Mike and Joel ready to blow there heads off in this exhibit. Basically it was a white room with many white panels, each being the same size and color, saying the same thing in different voices, and i quote, " Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday". Over and Over again!!!!! My how the art world has gone down the toilet. Sigh...............



This is an oil sketch done by Thomas Eakins. The Legend at our school.
I really enjoy his work, and seeing his progression work.





A portrait done by the Wonderful John Singer Sargent. Who's show i saw this winter. An amazing show at that.



Here is a painting done by my favorite surrealist painter, Salvador Dali. I recall going to his exhibit years ago when it came around to the PMA. I was still in High School, so I didn't get all I could have gotten as opposed to if i went now. I hope to see it again in my lifetime.



Mike taking pictures of the beautiful sunset awaiting of exit of the PMA.

"John Singer Sargent Exhibit"

This was an amazing day to be an artist. The DPC took a trip out to see
The John Singer Sargent show in Washington, DC, then followed it up with a visit to the
National Portrait Gallery. The members on this trip consisted of Mike Manley, Joel Shambe, Lexi Thomas, and once again myself. We all meet up at Manley's house bright and early, so we could get a full day in. From there on we began our long adventure on the open road, which consisted of dirty jokes, coffee, and smackdonalds breakfast sandwiches. 4 hours later we arrived at DC and ate lunch at Pot Belly restaurant. Finally we made our way through the clean streets of DC towards the Sargent Exhibit.



The White House. We considered walking up the grass and hanging with Mr. Obama
for the day, but being shot on sight didn't seem all that great. So we pressed on.



Here is Mike Joel and Lexi taking pictures of each other and the White House in all its glory.



Lunch at the Pot Belly



The stairway to heaven. AkA Stairs to Sargent



Mike and Joel discussing and breaking down the painting into technical theory to better understand how Sargent went about painting it.



Sargent Drawing done in Charcoal and White Chalk



Sargent Charcoal Drawing



Sargent Charcoal Drawing



Sargent Painting



Sargent Painting



Sargent Painting

" The National Portrait Gallery"



Richard Nixon Presidential Portrait Painted by Norman Rockwell.



2nd Place Winner of the



The Washington Portrait done by Gilbert Stuart.



Lexi posing with the sculpture. Caught her off guard in the photo.



Mike snapping photos of every painting in the gallery.



Joel Standing by the original study of Washington done from life. From what I'm told, this painting was used to complete the other Lansdown Portraits.

"Landscape Painting At Jane Winters"



Lunch Time for the DPC.



My Painting in progress



Jane Winter's Painting



Jane hard at work on her landscape.



Mike Manley's finished painting for the day.



Mike concentrating on his masterpiece



Lexi Thomas's Pastel drawing for the day


Lexi Multitasking , petting dogs and drawing at the same time is no easy task.

Dirty Platte Meeting Summer Session-Finals and New Model

Well with only a few days left till school starts the summer of the DPC draws to an end. We had our final summer meeting and our second session with our new model Michelle, who's a real pro and a cool person to boot. I had a lot of fun getting out with the group and also having Michelle over to paint at my place. I think we got out and about quite often this summer and had a great time as we always do joking with each other and sharing and caring about art--along with our usual DPC brand of humor. here are my two paintings of Michelle, started at the DPC session and finished up later.

Dave and Will painting away...

Will's study
Joel's study.

With school back in session we'll have to come up with a new schedule to meet and paint, maybe in school or even out and about the city. I really felt that painting outside of the school environment was essential to my growth as an artist this summer and also having a great group of talented and supportive friends is something you can never underestimate as being a vital part of that growth.