Spiritual Still Life Paintings and Elan Magazine

Yay, really excited to have my art featured in the March issue of Elan Magazine!! I am currently working on a series of small still life paintings based on the fruits of the spirit written about in the book of Galatians...Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self Control. Funny, but the picture of the strawberry and sword has been painted over. Will be doing another painting for Love that will hopefully be completed for the next art show! Just wasn't happy with that red sword!  

Below is an excerpt from Galatians 5. I can be hard on myself but often I don't feel I possess many of these attributes. I think the point is that we need to use these wise words as reminders to persevere and strive for these fruits, and when we don't, we miss out on the abundant and peaceful life we were created for... 

"13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other....22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."

Working, Working, Working!

Still Life w/ Daisies, 8 x10 inches, oil on linen

So I am getting a lot of practice in oil painting since I quit my job in 2015. Now I am working from home (babysitting) so I can steel away time when baby is napping to paint and in the evenings I set up a white light to paint my still life setups after sun goes down and studio is darker. I prefer to work during the day when I have most energy but I have to take what time I can. I am always wondering, praying and thinking about where this will ultimately take me. My still life art is mostly of common items that I try to inject with beauty (and meaning from time to time). And I also do portraits...I want  my art to evolve into something else...something more telling and conceptual but not sure yet what that will be. For now I am enjoying the rendering...the technical aspects of it and I so enjoy putting sparkle and highlights in what I depict! I am doing many small paintings because I have two shows in the summer and I really need many pieces to show. Above is a work in progress.

David's Portrait

"Youth Resolute" (detail ) 24 x 30 inches, pencil, charcoal, pastel

So I thought I would show the stages of the portrait of my son David. Started out with H pencils and then went as far as a 4B and Negro pencil before adding charcoal and white pastel. I still have to add some final touches but the far right is the latest stage. I work in layers, constantly correcting. I turn him upside down and look at him in the mirror so that I can pick out flaws in proportion and depth. I took a series of pictures of David in lighting that added a bit of drama. His facial expressions are fascinating to me. When his face is resting he can look a bit melancholic even when he is not (kind-of like me). When I shot the pose of him looking down at me-- I'm only 4'11"--I really liked the look he gave me, immovable, resolute...which is so David. He can sometimes be a little stubborn (he is still teen after all) but he is not too proud to own up to short-comings. I like that he has an immovable sense of justice--doesn't like to see people taking advantage of others. He really is a true-blue kind of guy.

The Art League in Alexandria and Another Drawing of My Daughter

Before I begin about the drawing posted below, I just want to say that I am so delighted and thankful that the drawing I posted of my daughter previously this month, (Before the Breakthrough) won an honorable mention at the Art League Gallery in Alexandria (their juried exhibition for July). We weren't able to attend the awards ceremony because we were away at the beach but last weekend, my daughter and a friend of hers from college went up with me to see it on display. Had to take a pic of her beside it! This is it's last week on display.

The drawing below is another one of my daughter that I did with pencil and charcoal. The hat was given to her by a sweet family that took her to an equestrian event some time ago. Many of the ladies wore fancy hats like they do at the Derby or Ascot. Needless to say, I was thrilled by the look of it and will probably do a few more drawings featuring this charming hat! I had a lot of fun rendering the face in subtle shadow though transition of values in some areas of the face are not quite right. I think I will need to work on it a little more before I enter it into a juried show. Also in the works is a drawing that I am doing of my son. I am very excited about how the values are coming and will post a series of pics on the progression of his portrait soon. As always thanks for looking :)

"Thinking Hat" 14 x 18 inches, pencil and charcoal on toned paper
© Christine Angelotta Dixon

Working W/ Graphite

"Young Bowman" 22 x 28 inches, graphite

I am really enjoying working with different shades of graphite and recently have bought some graphite powder to try some interesting affects! Will show you more works using that medium. In the meantime I have posted a recent drawing here using only pencils. I used 2H, HB, 2B, 4B, 8B and black negro pencil which really was the best enhancement to the darker areas. Sometimes when working with charcoal or graphite, it is good to "tone" the background or purchase paper that is already toned so that highlights and shadows are more enhanced (creates more depth). For this drawing I decided to just use textured white paper and the result is more of  "high-key" work of art.

Drawing

So right now I am re-educating myself on the art of drawing. I am doing a lot of reading and examination of works that I find stunning by other artists. I love the drawing techniques of Waterhouse and Rembrandt. They both have very different styles and are from different periods of history. Waterhouse's drawings display a gentle transition of values while Rembrandt's have a lively use of line. A contemporary artist that I really like is David Kassan (among others). His works simply glow.

Below is a drawing that I have recently been working on. I decided to add charcoal to my pencil drawing which may not always be a good idea, especially if you press too hard with your graphite. The sheen produced from doing so will not enable your darker charcoal powder to adhere to the paper. I had to be careful to draw with harder leads and not press too much so that the darker darks could be later applied. I don't know if I will make a habit of drawing this way...will have to see.

The concept of this drawing is that of being boxed in. A feeling that we sometimes have when we are trapped and are unable to see how we can come out of it. The subject isn't in a panic though, she is patiently resigned, perhaps waiting....ready to turn towards the light that gently shines on her.

"Before the Breakthrough"  20 x 24 inches, charcoal and graphite on toned paper

New Small Works

I have been working on some small works and a portrait that I will reveal in a few more days. The two paintings posted here are ones I am still working on. For the painting with the heart-shaped dish, I wanted to demonstrate the idea of love being a sacrifice...a little drama complete with tiny plastic sword. I may paint the sword a different color since red seems very domineering in the center of this painting. Perhaps the emphasis will grow on me. Also in the works are three small portraits I am working on. Stay tuned!

"Love" oil on panel, 8 x 8 inches

"Peace" oil on panel, 8 x 8 inches