Live Portrait group in PA, II

February 21, 2022February 21, 2022mayhewjnm Leave a comment

Here are the results of the second 2 hour session I attended. The model this time was a local veteran. He was a very patient and cheerful sitter!

At the end of the session, the model inspected the various representations of himself, with generous comments to all!

The group plans to continue painting veterans every other week, and in Nov 2022 have a display of all the year’s portraits of veterans at the VA hospital. At that time each veteran may choose one portrait of themselves to keep. I thought that was a great plan!

Several months later, I painted the same subject again (from my photo), on a larger canvas and with a more expressive background.

Master Copy III

December 9, 2021December 10, 2021mayhewjnm 1 Comment

A copy of part of a portrait painting by Philip de Laszlo of the Princess Elizabeth, oil, 12 x 12 ins.

I painted this Master copy earlier this year, in a lesson with my teacher, Kari Rajkumar. I chose the portrait out of several she showed me because of my Britishness and my interest in painting children.

There are so many lovely colors in her skin! I really enjoyed trying to match them. I have focused since on understanding the warm and cool colors in skin, and I think I’ve gained some ground.

Time of Reflection

July 6, 2021July 6, 2021mayhewjnm Leave a comment

12 x 16, oil

This is a family member, from a photo I took several years ago. She is an elegant, well-dressed person and I feel I captured that look. However, the colors didn’t seem right until I glazed her facial shadows with what seemed like outrageous yellows and oranges and suddenly it came to life!

Master Copy II

July 2, 2021mayhewjnm 4 Comments

Copy of a painting by a Master, oil, 12 x 12 ins

This is another painting completed in a series of lessons with Kari Rajkumar. The original is a self-portrait by John Singleton Copley, a famous and well-established Colonial artist, who moved to London in 1774. I’m afraid I made him look slightly chubbier in the cheeks than he painted himself, but the process was absorbing and instructive.

Lessons with Kari Rajkumar, Spring 2019

July 1, 2019mayhewjnm 1 Comment

I’ve had the great pleasure of having four lessons with Kari Rajkumar, from Paris IL, this spring (Feb, March, May and June). She is an accomplished artist in oil portraits. I first saw her paintings on display in Terre Haute last fall and knew right away that I’d like to learn from her.

We decided to delay starting lessons until after Christmas. It worked out best for her to come to my home, which was very convenient for me! We worked on a copy of a portrait by John Singer Sargent, each working on our own painting. She instructed and described processes as we went along in the 3 hour lessons.

I learnt so much great information about oil paintings and portraits in particular. I also benefitted from applying those to my other paintings, which Kari would then critique for me. That was really helpful.