Simple Conte

An hour long portrait study of Gwen in simple conte crayon. Sometimes it feels good to just go back to the basics.

Reworking Greta

Or should I say, Re-Greta? :^)

I've been working on finishing this portrait of Greta Bank for an upcoming figurative show, using the photo of Greta as a reference to resolve the drawing. The drawing is roughly textured and layered with paint and drawing media - mostly pastel and colored pencil. I haven't felt this free to work a drawing to this level of finish since working on some of my older self-portraits. It feels quite satisfying to do so. I hope that the composition stays strong and that the piece retains its power without my initial loose and expressive lines...

I rather like this...it reminds me of an early Lucien Freud, or perhaps a Stanley Spencer...

This One Thing

I visited the MFA in Boston last weekend, and saw oodles of wondrous things. And after taking in walls and walls of paintings and glass cases filled with artifacts, there is always ONE THING that rises to the surface of the sea of viewed objects and haunts me after a trip to the museum. One time it was an Alice Neel portrait, another time a vivid green painting by Arthur Dove, and after yet one other museum trip, what stuck with me was a small charcoal self-portrait scribbled on a napkin by Picasso.

This time it was this wonderfully animated portrait bust in the Renaissance section of the museum, painted with brilliant majolica glazes. I just love her expression.

I want to make one of these...

A Portrait of Tony

Tony at Seventeen, 2012

mixed media on Rives BFK, 22" x 30"

After my experience in the the stone shop, Tony has been on my mind. I have so few photographs of him, and could have sworn that I had given an envelope full of the ones that I do own to my son Eben and his wife. But they said, no, they didn't have them. And when I've searched for them in my albums and boxes and big Rubbermaid bins full of photos, I've had no luck. But one day last week, just before getting ready to leave the house, I felt compelled to look for them once again. I dropped everything and went to the closet in the spare bedroom where I keep all our old photos (this includes my father's massive collection - there are tons...) and like someone acting out a hypnotic command, like a homing pigeon, like an arrow heading for the bull's eye, I mechanically yanked out several of the large bins, took the lid off one, and there they were, the photos I'd not been able to find, including the one at the top of this post, Tony's high school yearbook picture, taken when he was seventeen. I quickly scanned this pile of images and put them in a digital file.

After finishing a commissioned portrait in my studio later that afternoon, after the sitter left, and I was alone in my studio, I felt compelled again - but this time to draw Tony's portrait. I brought up his image on my laptop and enlarged it until he was looking at me, filled my brush with paint and set to work. And while working on it, I cried. Alot.

Something has shifted inside of me this week. Some door in my heart has opened.

This brings to mind one of the last bits of wisdom imparted to me by my grandmother, who lived to be 100.In the final weeks of her life, Gramma took my hand and sandwiched it tightly between both of hers, then looked me in the eyes and pronounced simply, urgently,

"Never hate, Martha. Never hate."

A Lisbeth Series

This is the start of a new series of drawings of and about my daughter Lisbeth. I've wanted to do this series for a very long time, and I finally feel emotionally ready. Ever since I took this photo of Lisbeth in the ER last fall I have felt compelled to draw it. I've also been wanting to try working with acrylics and pastels on primed canvas instead of paper, so this week I bought some raw canvas and tacked it to the new homosote panels lining one wall of my studio, and gessoed it. I drew the image in first with charcoal, then worked into the drawing with acrylics and pastels, back and forth, back and forth. It's a new surface, with new challenges: I'm just getting used to it, and I'm enjoying it so far. I plan to work the hummingbirds into the piece this afternoon, either on this drawing of Lisbeth, or on smaller separate canvases that will circle this piece, like little angels...

Mondays with Lisbeth

My daughter Lisbeth will be joining me in my studio on Monday mornings to "do art." Today she was not in the mood to make art, but wanted me to draw her. She sat for about half an hour. I have made several portraits of Lisbeth over the years. It's an intense experience, because she is so intense, and our bond and joint history is so intense. In a thirty minute period, Lisbeth can rapidly vacillate between giddiness, anxiety, anger, sadness...it's all there.

More Marathoning...

Twin brothers sitting for a portrait at Aucocisco...

Another set of brothers sitting for a portrait in my family room....

...while their mother graces us all with music from her gorgeous harp!

I am still offering gift certificates for one hour $100 dollar portraits until midnight tomorrow, December 24th! These can be redeemed at any time. Contact me at mmiller@meca.edu if you would like to order one, and I will e-mail it to you, pronto!

Happy Holidays, All!

Portrait Marathon, Cont'd...

Another Saturday afternoon spent making on the spot portraits at Aucocisco Galleries. This beautiful father and son were my second subjects of the day. I drew twin brothers for my first appointment. Their Mom took some pictures and promised to send me some, so I can post about that sitting soon.

Whew! I try to get as much information as possible in under an hour...it's a challenge! I always want to hang onto the drawings and work more on them, but the speed and seeing what unfolds is part of the fun.

A Real Steal December Deal!

Tomorrow, December 10th, and next Saturday, the 17th, I will be doing on the spot portraits @ Aucocisco in Portland from noon - 5pm. A great gift idea! $100 for a 30 minute sitting, $150 for a couple or family of three, and you get a 22" x 30" mixed media drawing on Rives BFK, ready to frame or hang as is. Gift certificates also available until December 24th. E-mail me at mmiller@meca.edu for an appointment!

Sunday School on Tuesdays

I've been teaching Mixed Media Portraiture to private group of painters on Tuesday mornings at a church in Falmouth. We take over the Sunday School classrooms. As Paul Simon exclaims, Good Gracious, could this be my luck? If that's my prayer book, Lord let us pray!