Little Video

Have recently completed a still life painting and while painting it, I thought it would be good to take pictures of the progression. Thought I may go back and rework the background but was eager (with a little help from my daughter) to make a little video clip of the stages. The style isn't so typical of my other still life works but I am really trying to branch out and try other things. Went to an antique show that comes to the Dulles Expo every year and bought the funky blue glass creamer. It is vintage modern, Timon glass according to the person who sold it to me. I just loved the unusual color of the glass and had to purchase it to use in my still lifes. Also found some rustic old jugs and have been working on a painting that includes them as well. Thanks for looking. :)

Spring Blooms in the Fall

"Falling Blooms" 22 x 28 inches, oil on linen

Finished this painting last week. The original set-up took place outdoors in the powerful light of noon day sun during the spring. I loved the drama that I could achieve with the available light. Only problem was that the light changed over time and so I was forced to use my reference photos for the last layers of the painting. The painting was completed with many glazes. Though it would have been more convenient to paint it alla prima, I don't think I would have been able to achieve the detail that I wanted in so short a space of time. Had let it be for a while because I was finishing up some other paintings but was glad to finally get back to it. Was very meaningful to paint the tulips in their various poses.

I see the meaning of my painting in two ways... one way is to imagine the one tulip as a metaphor for standing firm while others fall away. Another way is to view the falling blooms as a commentary on the inevitability of life being fleeting, temporal. It really struck a somber note with me to find myself completing this painting days after my father's sister passing. Yet the one bloom left at the top was also a reminder to me of something I truly believe-- that life triumphantly continues even after death. With that thought in mind, I could console myself as I completed it. Really miss my dad who passed away 3 years earlier and could not help but think of my dear Aunt beside him, in a beautiful place where flowers never fade. 

" To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven..." Ecclesiastes 3

My Show at FCCA

My first solo show at an art gallery is finally up at Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts. I am so excited about it! Took us almost 4 hours to hang 45 pieces of art!! My husband and daughter were such a big help along with the Members Gallery director! Here is a pic of one of the pieces hanging in the show that needed a bit of editing. Formerly I had painted it with a red sword but something didn't sit well with me! I wanted to convey that love is giving and also at times sacrificial but the sword is a bit too dramatic and I don't want to convey anything that may seem to be promoting violence, so I had to change it. The thing about oils is that you can paint over your mistakes. In life it is not that easy. That's why it's so important to do the right thing the first time around. However if we do get things wrong, we are still very able to make changes in life to better ourselves. Sometimes we just need time to examine our hearts and see where we can be better people. And God is there to nudge us in the right direction if we let him. Thanks for looking!

"For You" final version

"For You" first version

Sneak pic of some of the smaller works! :)

Things I learned from the Portrait Society of America

So I really enjoyed going to the PSOA conference this year. Was my first time attending and was blown over by the amount of people that attendend! Also didn't realize it was their 20th anniversary so was excited to be a part of it!

So I mentioned in older post that I would write a little of what I learned while there so....

Ok a hugely important thing to remember is to write down names immediately of people that I meet and/or get card from them (my networking skills need a bit of work). I tried to remember names and didn't write them down so now I can't look up the artist from Finland that showed me some awesome work from her portfolio or a finalist who had shared some exciting things about her life. I did get info from a few people though and glad that I did.

Technical tips and advice...
Had my portfolio reviewed by 3 different faculty artists and learned that I need to rely less on photos and more from live models to get more depth of realism. Need also to work on anatomy of hands.

One of the most important things I learned is the technique of strategically depicting areas of my painting that are sharply focused and areas that fall away into a more softer focus. This actually makes painting become more alive and real... having too much tight control can actually take away from the full affect. I originally thought that I just needed to loosen my control overall and go for a more painterly, loose style but one of the master artists that critiqued my work told me it's a matter of where you choose to sharpen focus and where you soften it that really is most important. Below is an example that I think demonstrates perfectly the advice he gave me. The example is a master painting by one of my favorite artists, John Singer Sargent. The painting is titled, "Lady Agnew of Locknaw". As you can see, I circled the areas that demonstrate the softening and sharpening of focus. This was done with expertise by Sargent who is one of the most celebrated portrait artists of all time. Will share more of what I learned in later post. Thanks for looking!

Portrait Society of America Conference: Fun + Learning = Inspiration!

I am very glad that I was able to attend the Portrait Society of America's 20th Anniversary Conference held in Reston VA, this year. It was my first time attending this conference and I learned soooooo much! Also met so many talented and friendly artists. Had wanted to attend for quite a while but was still not real sure of myself. I liked it so much, I hope to attend again when they come back to the area! Will post in the next few days about what I learned! Thx for looking!

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

Paintings I Began During Frans Hals Workshop

So here are the paintings that I created at the Rob Liberace workshop on Frans Hals. Really trying to focus on blocking in color quickly and then using a more painterly, loose approach to my brushwork. To aid us in this endeavor, we had to keep our taborets in front of us so as to stretch our arms out to the canvas. Were not allowed to get too close as we needed to focus using fluid arm movement and not tighten our grip on the brush. Of course we could get closer if we needed to add fine detail during the finishing stages. This was a big help to me. I noticed a difference between my strokes during first two days and the last day as I got the hang of it. These paintings were meant to be portrait studies and not completed paintings but I may try to finish them as I did take ref photos of the models. I really hope I am able to take some more classes like this one in the future. Hopefully I can sell more paintings to help with the cost.

Steve, 16 x20 inches, oil

16 x 20 inches, oil

Portrait sketch of Jamie 18 x 24 inches, oil

Franz Hals Workshop

Last weekend, I was able to take a class with a nationally known painter who teaches classical painting techniques, Robert Liberace. I have wanted to take one of his classes for a very long time but for various reasons until now, I was unable (e.g. was working or his classes were full). This particular class focused on exploring the painting techniques of 17th-century painter, Franz Hals! A perfect class for me to take since I have been wanting to loosen my brushwork and develop a more painterly technique. Rob is not only a wonderful artist, he is a very thorough teacher. Encouraging as well as tactfully honest, his advice and class demos were very helpful and I hope to be able to take another class from him. I met many lovely and talented people in this class. One man  flew in from Puerto Rico to attend. It was an honor to be there. Below are pictures of the class; a copy that Rob painted of a  Franz Halz; and a painting that Rob did of our costumed model, Steve (man with white beard). I will post my paintings from this class in another post. Thanks for looking.

Demo of Steve by Rob Liberace

Copy of a Franz Hals by Rob Liberace

Throw Back

"Jalopy" watercolor, 11 x14 inches

Right now things are a bit crazy with the holidays and having problems with my sinus and tummy (I have been having a lot of pain for the past few weeks and will be having a test in 2 days). So I put two oil painting projects on hold for a few days (just needed a break from the solvents). Instead I began working from a photo I took long ago while strolling along the streets of a little German town call Dinkelsbühl. While walking around, we came upon this old jalopy tucked away in a carport attached to hobbit-like house. I loved the lines of it and the pretty gated carport so I snapped a pic in the hope of painting some day. Will enter it into the December juried exhibition at the Art League Gallery in Alexandria.

Inside Out

Can't remember where I purchased the pretty bottle that was used for this painting but really enjoy painting glass and reflective surfaces. At first I simply wanted to add a few flowers to the scene, which would have looked elegant but I really wanted to get started. So I decided I would use what I had on hand and added the small glass pebbles. I have been toying with the idea lately that I would like my still life paintings to say something. Enjoying the beauty of everyday things and configuring them on canvas is perfectly ok with me but sometimes I just want to say a little bit more than, "ok here are some pretty things to look at". To create sometimes involves revealing the voice within that wishes to share the things of the heart. Also, to live a good life, a person has to put aside their desires at times and give something of themselves to others. I am drawn to the theme of emptying oneself and doing the right thing even when it hurts...a painful process that in the end reaps many benefits, though not always in ways one would imagine.

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"Inside Out" oil on panel, 6 x 6 inches

Being Thankful

"My Cup Runneth Over" oil on panel, 5 x 7 inches

Grinzinger Hauptplatz

"Grinzinger Morgen" 18 x 24 inches, oil on canvas

Back some years ago, I was fortunate enough to live in a picturesque little village located in the 19th district of Vienna, Austria. Grinzing is known for it's quaint wine taverns (heurigen) that are frequented by tourists eager to try the area's home-grown wines. Living there brings back some of the fondest memories of my life: the slow pace of living; virtually no crime; countryside/vineyards interspersed among the neighborhoods; and charming historical buildings (no high-rises). On our second tour of Vienna, we lived in a garden apartment located on a little cobbled street (Probusgasse) only a few yards away from an old historical building were Beethoven lived. Around the corner was a Teddy Bear restaurant that was likewise decorated--a place my children loved to comment on whenever we strolled by it. Another well-known area of the district is Grinzinger Hauptplatz depicted in my latest painting above (from a photo I took in 2005). Behind the yellow building is the parish church of the area, Grinzinger Pfarrkirche. I generally don't do landscape paintings but I do have a plan to paint some of my favorite areas from around Europe that are meaningful to me. Back when I lived there, most businesses where closed on Sundays so things were very quiet on that day save for people out on walks and the tolling of the church bells (something that roused my romantic nature as well as my spiritual side). This normal cultural phenomenon was especially meaningful to me as I generally liked to set aside my Sundays as restful days out of respect for God, though I do admit as an American it was also something I had to get used to. When I painted this scene, I wanted to evoke the quietness of the morning. I had meant to paint more loosely but above is the result (reminds me a little of an  Edward Hopper painting though hopefully a little more cheerful). Thanks for looking. :)

Mini Miss

This little portrait of my niece posing with me at a little teahouse my sisters and I attended. Reminds me of the painting done by James Whistler though I wasn't thinking that when I snapped the ref photos for the painting. We love having tea and finger foods and this particular house let us try on hats in the hat room. I have also pics of little Ashleigh with a big fuchsia hat on that I will be painting. So many subjects and possibilities...

"Mini Miss" 5 x 7 inches, oil on panel

David's Pose

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 I have been working on a few paintings that are coming along well and also touching-up older ones that I now see flaws in. Its funny how you can be blind to flaws in your artwork and yet later see where you missed the mark...kind of like life. Often I find that I am so hungry for the experience of diving into a painting that I don't really do enough to prepare. It is however, important to do preliminary studies, especially for  larger works -- something that master painters often did. Today I have uploaded a portrait study of my son, Dave. I am fond of using my children as subjects of my paintings. After giving him a buzz cut, I asked him to pose for me -- to avoid the look of a snapshot, I asked for a serious expression. Dave is good at giving me intense looks ... along with the expressive face, comes a big soft heart. He is infatuated with the military so am thinking of working that theme into the final work.

Still Life in My Studio

A while ago, I made a still life platform/box in order to filter light the way I would like. I got the idea and specs online from another artist though I am not sure I can recall who. It's been great to set things on this and shine my lighting through the top, side while draping curtains to enable me to control the light somewhat. Here is a little set-up that I am currently working on.