Alexa

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 9"

This is a study of Alexa Chung, a British clothing designer and style influencer. I felt drawn to paint her with that quirky pose.

Paco y Amiga

oil on panel, 20" x 20"

I keep thinking this is the last of my "bird girl" series, and here we are with yet another one.  I've amassed a lot of these by now, but this one is special in that the bird in it is my very own Paco, a red-lored Amazon parrot that I lived wih in New York and South Florida.

Des Oiseaux Sur un Bateau

 

oil on panel, 24" x 18"

I've been sitting with this painting for a while, wondering whether it's finished or not.  I've done quite a few of these "bird girl" paintings and I think there might be one or two more in me before I'm done.

Arden

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

A portrait of the actor Arden Cho done using a mix of brush and palette knife.

Sylvie

 

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 9"

This is a portrait study of Sylvie Vartan, the French actress and singer popular in the 1960s and 1970s.  I did it in palette knife, with a few minor refinements in brush at the end.  I was surprised how willing she was to be painted.  I sometimes get a definite vibe when painting a portrait (without their permisison), and this one was all in for it.  So, yay!

Blondie

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 9"

This was a quick and loose portrait in thick paint, something I've been wanting to do for ages.  I was in the right mood for it, and it worked!

Jade

oil on panel, 8" x 8"

This is a portrait of Jade, my friend Eva's daughter.  Eva's husband was my partner Roy's twin brother.  I may tweak it a bit before varnishing.  I'm going to spend some time with Eva in the U.K. soon and will bring it with me to give to her.

Fashionista

 

oil on panel, 10" x 8"

This is a stylized portrait of the U.K. fashion designer Pam Hogg.  She was a sitter on the BBC's Portrait Artist of the Year and I found her to be an interesting subject.  

Childless Cat Lady

 

oil on panel, 24" x 12"

My version, lol.

Portrait of Monica

acrylic on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

This is a portrait sketch of the Italian actor Monica Belluci.  I've painted her before from this same image, but this one was done fairly quickly, and I liked the green showing through in the lower part of her face and in the upper right of her forehead.

Fierce

 

oil on canvasboard, 14" x 11"

A portrait of a young Choctaw Indian woman.  I found her stare compelling.

A Heart of Gold

 

oil on panel, 24" x 18"

This painting has been in the making for a while.  It was a slow process as I sat with it and pondered how I wanted to paint it and what I wanted to say through it.  I'm happy with the result.

b-girling

oil on panel, 14" x 11"

Another painting of a break dancer to add to one I did a short while ago.

Redhead with Blue Bird

 

oil on canvas panel, 14" x 11"

I set myself a task with this head study of keeping it loose, not getting fussy, keeping it under 2 hours to bash in, and using wax medium .  I didn't go the full monty with the wax medium; that is, I didn't use the hot air gun for this one like I thought I might.  I plan to do more of these, though, so I'm hoping I'll get more daring as I go.  I'm not displeased with this one, for what it's worth.  Might do it again larger as part of my bird girl series.

Soul Sistahs

 

acrylic on canvas, 30" x 40"

This is actually two paintings on canvas, 30" x 20" each, but I put them together here as a kind of diptych, to showcase the mirror effect of the stark similarities in manners of expression between Tina Turner and Beyonce.  These two are aligned in the ether, and so I thought I'd put them together here.  

Dana Study

oil on panel, 12" x 9"

I'm taking a portrait painting workshop with Jacob Dhein, an amazing figure painter, and this is the first of what will probably be three portraits in all.  It is a portrait of a wonderful ex-neighbor of mine, Dana, who still lives close by, so I may try her again in an interior space.  The reference photo for this was taken outdoors on a sunny day.  Jacob told us not to spend too much time on these, as they are skill-building exercises.  This one took a couple hours and I've got a few more details to add, but it's essentially done.  I'm pretty happy with it. Update 10/12/2023:  I've completed the study, applying Jacob's suggestions from his critique.  I still want to incorporate abstraction, but I think I'll leave it to the next one for that.

Poor Little Rich Girl

 

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 12"
SOLD

This is a rough portrait study of Edie Sedgwick, Andy Warhol's muse and star in a series of short films he produced and directed, one of which was titled, "Poor Little Rich Girl."  Edie herself was born into a wealthy ranching family in Santa Barbara, California.  Around the age of 20, she made her way back East and eventually to New York City, where she found work as a model and met Andy Warhol.  Sadly, she suffered from mental health problems, and died at the age of 32 of a drug overdose.

No One Compares 2 U 2

 

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

For this version of a portrait of Sinead O'Connor, my second attempt, I used a grid.  In this version, she looks less vulnerable to me, more confident.  Not sure which one I prefer.

Pre-TINA

 

oil on panel, 18" x 18"

After hearing of Tina Turner's passing, I just had to paint her.  This is before she became Tina Turner, when she was still known as Anna Mae Bullock and probably in her late teens.  I've got one or two more of her in me yet to do.  What an inspiration she was, is, and will remain well into the future.

Isolation Isle

acrylic on canvas, 24" x 24"

I started this painting in 2020 during the COVID lockdown period.  I kept imagining a little piece of paradise floating in tropical waters.  It was all but finished except that it needed a figure, and I remained undecided forever about it . . . that is, until recently.  Even though isolation can foster a feeling of NOT belonging, I wanted the figure in this scene to have a sense of place, of belonging there, as if isolation is a chosen thing.