Meeting 13

This last Thursday was our 13th meeting of the Dirty Palette Club and we gathered after our late Thursday classes in the cast hall in the HLB (Historic Landmark Building) as they call the old school these days. the hard core members were in attendance and we spent the evening drawing and painting away. I am working on a big painting for my Figure Comp class that has to have two rooms in it and a figure. I made pretty good progress on it and figure another 2-3 passes should finish it. I laid into it quick with the palette knife to load in the big masses of paint I need to cover the canvas. I am really trying to go for the atmosphere in this painting and the cast hall has such great mood and lighting. We only have 3 more weeks in the semester and then we are done with classes but the DPC then will take it on the road over the summer and explore painting in and around the city.
Here is my setup in the cast hall and you can see early progress on the painting.


Joel working on a drawing of Brutus by Michelangelo.

Dave and will, mock me...

Vincent Desiderio Workshop

Well folks it nothing else is to be said, this weekend was the most inspiring/informative two days I have had in a long time. I spent Saturday and Sunday with one of the most profound contemporary artists today. working from 9-5, two days straight with Desiderio, sure makes the brain wanna explode....but in the best of ways. Ill cut to the chase here. The workshop involved learning how to work from a photo as a painter. Saturday's agenda was based off of lectures, photographing the model, and the beginning stages of the drawing/painting. Sunday was a full 7 hours of intense painting full of critical advice by Vincent Desiderio. I was joined by some of my fellow DPC members to this event, including Dave G. and Joel S. Without their additional guidance and critical opinions, I feel the workshop would not have impacted me as hard as it did.

Joel's Painting at the workshop.

David's Painting at the workshop.

My (Will Sentman) Painting of the workshop.

DPC Meeting 12

Once again the DPC took action, reared its ugly head, and gone where no artist has gone before.......
well....kinda. Tonight we spent our evening within the confines of the Academy's very own cast hall. With no model to paint from, we all decided to work on interior paintings.



This was my painting for the evening (Will Sentman). Tonight I began painting, starting by blocking in the big shapes and matching my values correctly. I am also experimenting with Mylar for my painting surface. So far I have not been involved with it enough to from an opinion.



Here was the craft of Mr. Golas. This was the 2nd painting session for him. From my understanding, his main focus was the same as mine. Blocking in the big shapes while retaining the correct color/value's.


And last but never the least, Mr. Manley's piece of the evening. Mike was in the same boat as me tonight, in terms of a fresh start. This is mike's block in with value being established.

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.