Hello Again, It's Been Too Long

Did you miss me?

I guess I tried to move the blog over to Tumblr and that didn't work. I wasn't into the interface and now I'm back.

Well there's a lot going on with the painting and such, but it seems to be mixed into some personal issues with which I am currently dealing. In general it's difficult to see why one should keep on with all this, and usually not much gets me down, but right now it's all just harder.

Having said that here's what's on the horizon:
1. I may be getting a commission to do 3-4 portraits as part of a dissertation.
2. I am about to apply to my first Artist-in-Residency program.
3. I have been invited to be an artist a great sculptor group for public installations.
4. I am in the planning stages to start up my own artist group.

I'll speak to each of these in turn over the next few days, hopefully.

Until then, I just finished my latest portrait, and will show it hopefully tmrw, so take care all.

New Blog Home

Well folks, for those of you that have been following my progress, you may have noticed that I haven't posted since December. Well, I'm still working at it, but have moved this blog to a new location. So please enjoy the continuing adventures as I try to figure it out here:

http://colorbyrudy.tumblr.com

Hope to see you there =]

Painting a Full Figure

Ok, so after (and during) the self-portrait I couldn't really focus on another painting. So there was a model in between that time (I worked on her for 2 days) but it's all a haze to me =P That's why this one is called "mck winter 1" time for a reboot.

Anyway, when I finally recouped I had this model. I was going to do a standard waste-up portrait of her, but I couldn't stop focusing on her boots. So I decided to paint her entire figure. It's really the first time I've tried this since, i guess, the summer.

Part of me regrets this choice (because I saw how nice the other portraits of her came out) but I like that I got it done. Actually it is the most detailed-ish painting I've done but difficult to distinguish because all the features are smaller. Either way I'm glad I captured the pose and how funny the boots look on her.

Porcu's anatomy helped immensely getting her proportions accurately. I couldn't have done it without his class.

Enjoy the progression:

mck winter1

Self-Portrait Done! (last month)

Ok it's been a while so I'm going to have to retroactively think about these posts. I finished my first realist self-portrait (on time last month Dec. 16) and, after much thought, I like it =)

I set up in the kitchen, shutting off the light except for the one blaring into my face (there's a sample in my facebook profile pic). I basically painted this from 11PM to about 6AM for like 8 days. I was beat and didn't make it to class, so I missed whatever model was there.

It was the most painful thing, painting this. At one point I wanted to destroy it. But, when placed with the the other self-portraits in class, people really responded to it. MCK said "it came out really good." Fuckin-A, what more can you ask for?

Check out the progression below:

Self-Portrait

New Painting Done, But portrait still in the works...

Well this is what I was doing in class over the last couple of weeks, but haven't had time to update because I've been busy with the self-portrait. I missed class a few times (as indicated by the number of days I worked on this). This is the first painting in MCKs class that I've actually done on a canvas since the summertime, I think I'm getting more confident to move past just panels -- they seem a pain to frame.

Below is the progression of this painting. I didn't get the model's name, hence the title...Well, I'm about to start up again on the self-portrait. I went to sleep at 6am last night, but there's a new pose tmrw so I can sleep in -ish. Kk, peace!

mck fall#7

Self-Portrait

Had to post this even though I'm tired. Spent the day updating and organizing. Then I was sure that I had to start on the self-portrait assignment due the 16th. So my plan was to at least get the set-up going.

Mary Beth isn't letting us use a photo at all. I think that's cool, because (a) the class is called "painting FROM LIFE" and (b) it's infinitely harder!

So I set up the mirror, commandeered a lamp, shut off all the lights, put on my fav jacket and stood around until I got myself into a good pose. Once I had secured the light source and taped off my foot marker, I was going to stop.

Suddenly I was restless. I wasn't in the mood for watching a movie (strange) and even though my foot is injured I just dove right in to standing still and sketching myself.

I kept looking at the mirror and then to the paper and back to me. I had to remember to tilt my head at the angle of the pose each time I looked. I honestly thought it was going to take me 2 days to just get a decent study of myself.

I put on a playlist that has helped me out finishing "BrnxGrrlOMG" but it became evident that these songs are more and more what I feel like, especially when I paint. Here's the list, which is always randomzied:

So with a dark room, except for my figure in the mirror, I started to sketch. Checking angles and lines, getting a sense of the darkest darks and the lightest lights. It was difficult to hold the pad in my hand and the charcoal and still find the pose. I took breaks when needed but VERY surprised that it started to look like me.

I honestly thought I would take 3 days to do the drawing, and it would look horribly wrong. What you see is 40 min. worth of effort. I'm blown away and just so fucking happy about this turn out. I'm sharing this feeling because it's new to me and I'm just like, fuckin, ahhhh -- it feels great.

If I had canvas handy I wouldve started the painting straight away, but alas, no. So tomorrow I have Porcu all day and I'm sure as shit gonna purchase canvas before I leave. I've already decided the dimensions -- 24 x 18 in. It's the largest canvas I'll use since my paintings have started to improve. So tired, so long :)

Exhibiting and For Sale!

Ok, major updates! 3 of my painting will be hanging up in spots in the city this month! The first is a painting that I started last spring and has been TORTUROUS in finishing. I started it with Cenedella, so my method differed SO MUCH from what I do now with McKenzie. In finishing it I thought about how I would start this over using the McKenzie method, but hey I think it looks GREAT! I've gotten really great reactions to it so far! Importantly, the subject of the painting loved it. Stay tuned for a documentary that will feature me and her and talking about why this was painted and who she is and why I did it etc. I'll post that for sure when it's done.

It's on display starting Monday, Dec. 6, at the "Holiday Show and Sale" until Dec. 23 and I wonder if someone will actually purchase it.



The second is part a group show Small Works Exhibition at the Manhattan Borough President's Office. It's the little painting I started that was the first in a (perhaps) series of urban landscapes.

So these are the paintings that I've been coming home to every night until 1-2 am and working on, which explains my inability to update this blog.

Oh, almost forgot, the final painting on display is "Cecily" in the cafeteria.

I also like that I'm getting more comfortable with signing these as finished works; I think it's cool. And, if you want to see the progression of the first two painting, stop by and visit the albums below! Enjoy and, um, er...buy the paintings? They make wonderful stocking stuffers :P

And now to start a self-portrait due in class on the 16th...!

Urban Landscape1

BrnxGrrlOMG