Portrait Challenge

9 x 12

oil on hardboard

At the end of year, Karin Jurick offers a portrait challenge for her participating artists of her DSFDF site. I was one lucky artist this year to have been sent this beautiful photo to paint. Karin had suggested doing more than one painting, which was great advice for me, since I was happier with my second attempt (see the original try posted below). I first printed the photo and painted from that, but feel that if I could have had the computer monitor and the easel side by side, it would have been a better reference. I paint in a different room than the office computer, but that's definitely something to work on in the new year.

See some of the first portraits submitted on You Tube! You Tube, part 2, part 3, part 4.

This past Saturday I spent a delightful afternoon with a fellow Dallas artist, Angela Elledge, visiting an outdoor painter's exhibit, and over lunch we were discussing Karin's upcoming challenge. I was concerned about being able to capture a likeness of my photo, while she was equally worried about what to do with a more whimsical photo she had received. Be sure to check out Angela's site and see her masterful portrait. I'm impressed, Angela!

Here is my reference photo.

Okay, didn't I just mention that I was lucky enough to draw a beautiful artist to paint! Wonder why I couldn't be as lucky and win the lottery!

8 x 10

oil on hardboard

This was my first try at the portrait, but felt it was too strong in color for the softness of the subject, so set out for a second attempt with a "lighter hand".

"Airport Travelers"

8 x 10

oil on masonite

Karin Jurick's DSFDF current challenge was this overhead view of airport passengers. And what a challenge it was! Check out her site for the original photo. EVERYTHING was in this mix...foreshortened figures, an overhead light source generating unusual shadows, geometrics, and lots of motion. Karin really knows how to push her followers, not to be confused with "pushy" or is she? Whatever the answer, I know that I am trying all sorts of paintings that I ordinarily wouldn't think twice about, and that is a good thing!

"Stars, Stripes and City Rooftops"

9 x 12

oil on gessoed masonite

Another entry for Karin Jurick's Different Strokes from Different Folks site! Check out all the other artist's interpretation of her city rooftop photo. Where does she come up with these ideas? I'm always amazed at what Karin sees for a painting, especially this one. But it was a great challenge for dimension and perspective, values and shadows.

"Le Cupcake"

7 1/2 x 8

oil on masonite

sold

I'm always impressed when other artists photograph their works in progress and explain the various steps until completion. Well, those were my intentions, but only got one photo and before I knew it, I was putting on the finishing touches. So much for "planning ahead"! This at least shows the initial sketch and the start of the beginning shadows in the chef's clothes.

This is a little different "take" for Karin Jurick's current Different Strokes challenge. Be sure and check out the numerous entries of cupcakes. Have been out of town for a couple of weeks, so it felt good to start back painting with something fun and lite!

"San Francisco Hills"

3 x 6

oil on masonite

Another one of Karin Jurick's DSFDF challenges. Yikes!

"Are They Biting"

8 x 10

oil on canvas board

Another of Karin Jurick's DSFDF challenge. Started this one with a golden toned canvas and added the fishing theme to her original photo. Wish greens weren't such a menace to capture with a camera.

"Lifeguard"

8 x 10

oil on gessoed masonite

This is Karin Jurick's current DSFDF challenge, what seems to be a lifeguard on Lake Michigan off the Chicago shoreline. The plan was to paint this in the soft hazy grays of the photograph, but somehow the stronger bolder colors jumped onto the canvas!

"Veggie Plate"

9 x 12

oil on gessoed hardboard

Karin Jurick's current challenge for her DSFDF blog is this plate of freshly picked Georgia vegetables. There are always unlimited subjects to paint in the produce aisle!

"Pennsylvania Landscape"

8 x 10

oil on masonite

Here is another DSFDF challenge by Karin Jurick, from one of her many photos taken on a recent trip through Pennsylvania. She submitted a black and white photo that we could paint with our own value and color interpretation. Having never been to Pennsylvania, I imagine the terrain is much "cooler" than this painting. Guess I've been in Texas for so long that I see everything "hot"! Plus, are there red barns in Pennsylvania? Probably not, I think that's Texas also! The only thing missing is the Lone Star flag painted on the barn roof. Yep, we do that sort of thing down here!

"Madison Avenue"

4 x 8

oil on masonite

sold

This is another entry to Karin Jurick's DSFDF. She preceded her current photo of New York with a little talk on getting out of your "comfort zone". Well this definitely took me out of mine! Guess that means it's a good thing that I get a little nudge every so often. I felt so out of my element with this one, that I just picked up a small leftover piece of masonite with every intention of "tossing" it when I finished. Before I knew it, I was so "into it", I found I couldn't put the paint brushes down and painted way into the night. A few minor changes this morning and I heard myself saying...STOP, enough already! Thanks again, Karin, for the extra push that you give to all of your fans!!!

"Diana's Temple"

9 x 12

oil on masonite

Here is another entry to Karin Jurick's Different Strokes from Different Folks. The statue is a companion to Diana, and I chose to place her in front of Diana's Temple. I now see why this is called a challenge, working all in one "color" on the figure and trying to get the tones just right is definitely a challenge. I had to take several photos of the painting and still didn't get the exact match. The reds came out too strong in the photo, but changing that made too much of a difference in the rest of the picture. Oh, well, like I said, "it's a challenge!"

"Beach Family"

9 x 12

oil on masonite

Several weeks ago I discovered Karin Jarick's blog Different Strokes from Different Folks. Every two weeks Karin posts a photo for other artists to paint and submit their interpretation of her photo. This is my first entry to her site and look forward to seeing "what's next"! I have found the network and support of other artist on the web quite incredible.