FACE No. 49

6x6 Oil On Ampersand Gessobord

Well, one more mug shot painting and I will be at 50!  When I began I had no idea how far I would take this series and I am still in the dark.  I suppose it will continue until I get tired of it and I really don't see that I am anywhere near that.  This series has and continues to be fun to paint.   

FACE No. 43

12x6 Oil on Panel

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The lighting on this mug shot was so interesting as it was side lighted.  The lighting is usually straight on so when I saw this photo I knew I must paint it.  I thought a warm green background would be a good compliment to his beautiful skin tones.  Although I thought this would be easy to paint with the light being concentrated on only one side of his face, it was not.  However, once I divided my palette into lights and darks as suggested by Peggi Kroll Roberts in her DVD and Nancy Colella in her blog, my colors and strokes began to fall into place.  I love it when that happens!  Learning from accomplished artists is always a delight!  Thank you to all the artists out there that share their knowledge!!!

FACE No. 40

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

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FACE No. 36

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

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Celeste Bergin asked me if I felt sorry for the people I am painting. I've given this a lot of thought and it isn't an easy question to answer, especially with a simple yes or no. I don't know any of these people and I make an effort not to know for what crime they have been accused and their names. Some of the mug shots were taken at time of arrest and some after they have been convicted. So, for me this is an exercise in learning. However, having said that there are times when I feel a sadness, sometimes a profound sadness, sometimes less, but always complex. It's a feeling not only for the person, but for all the people this person has touched. When a crime has been committed from the less serious to the most horrible there are consequences that ripple far beyond this one person. For me, this is a complex issue and not an easy task to compress my thoughts into a few sentences. So, I would say that feeling sorry doesn't enter the picture as much as sadness. Thanks, Celeste! it's a thought provoking question.

FACE No. 32

12x12 Oil on Panel

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FACE No. 31

12x8 Oil on Panel

I decided to work on a larger support. This man seemed to need it with his bluesy look and sunglasses.

FACE No. 29

12x6 Oil on Panel

I like working on this format. There is more room to play with the background and to paint the entire photograph. My brush strokes are getting looser and I like that. This was one of my favorites to paint!

FACE No. 20

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

FACE No. 19

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

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FACE No. 18

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

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FACE No. 17

6X6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

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FACE No. 12

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

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FACE No. 2

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord n

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QUICK SKETCH

This is a very quick oil sketch from a photograph. I wanted to do something different and also to limit my brush strokes. It certainly isn't a museum piece, but I think I succeeded in what I set out to do. I intended to lay a brush stroke and not touch it, but his head was just too wide - made him look VERY strange - so I had to change it. All others are put down and that is where they stayed. It is good practice and it was fun to do. I love to paint!!!

TRUMPET PLAYER

I am having problems painting something that is worth posting. My brush just sort of does its own thing and we are not in sync! This is a painting I did about two years ago. I was initially drawn to his red jacket and he also reminded me of New Orleans - one of my favorite places.