I will be teaching a watercolor portrait class at Town Hall Arts/Gallery Copper in Copperopolis, California. These classes are small, with no more than 6 or 7 students, so I can give personal attention to everyone, no matter what their level experience.
Watercolor is the perfect medium for painting translucent, lifelike portraits of faces. Learn how to choose a photo, draw your image, and paint a face in watercolor.
I have been painting in watercolor for 15 years, and am excited to help you learn to use the sometimes difficult medium of watercolor.
Using demonstrations, practice exercises, and fearless paint slinging, I will teach you to trust in your paint, brushes, water. And most importantly, I will help you trust your own intuitions as you memorialize your favorite photos, and make personal remembrances of photos of your loved ones.
Bring your watercolors, paper, and some photos that you’d like to translate into a painting.
To register, call 209/785-2050 or email Larry {at} TownHallArts {dot} com
To find out more about Town Hall Arts/Gallery Copper, visit their website: http://www.townhallarts.com
I also teach private classes at my home studio. For more information, email me at Mockingbirdatmidnight {at} gmail {dot} com.
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I will be teaching a watercolor portrait class at Town Hall Arts/Gallery Copper in Copperopolis, California. These classes are small, with no more than 6 or 7 students, so I can give personal attention to everyone, no matter what their level experience.
Since the holidays are coming up, we’ll be talking about the best way to take portraits at family gatherings, as well as drawing and painting.
Watercolor is the perfect medium for painting translucent, lifelike portraits of faces. Learn how to choose a photo, draw your image, and paint a face in watercolor.
I have been painting in watercolor for 15 years, and am excited to help you learn to use the sometimes difficult medium of watercolor.
Using demonstrations, practice exercises, and fearless paint slinging, I will teach you to trust in your paint, brushes, water. And most importantly, I will help you trust your own intuitions as you memorialize your favorite photos, and make personal remembrances of photos of your loved ones.
To register, call 209/785-2050 or email Larry {at} TownHallArts {dot} com
To find out more about Town Hall Arts/Gallery Copper, visit their website: http://www.townhallarts.com
I also teach private classes at my home studio. For more information, email me at Mockingbirdatmidnight {at} gmail {dot} com.
If you think this blog might be of comfort to someone, please share it
I will be teaching a watercolor portrait class at Town Hall Arts/Gallery Copper in Copperopolis, California.
Watercolor is the perfect medium for painting translucent, lifelike portraits of faces. Learn how to choose a photo, draw your image, and paint a face in watercolor.
I have been painting in watercolor for 15 years, and am excited to help you learn to use the sometimes difficult medium of watercolor.
Using demonstrations, practice exercises, and fearless paint slinging, I will teach you to trust in your paint, brushes, water. And most importantly, I will help you trust your own intuitions as you memorialize your favorite photos, and make personal remembrances of photos of your loved ones.
About Copperopolis
Copperopolis is a tiny town at the base of the Sierra Nevada. It’s about 2 hours from the Bay Area along one of the most incredibly beautiful highways (Highway 4) in California. You’re close to lodging in Sonora, wine tasting in Murphys (we have 28 wineries!), and all the wonders the Sierra has to offer.
Start your weekend off right with a watercolor class on Friday, then segue into some plein air painting in the mountains for the rest of weekend, or just relax, have some wine, and enjoy.
How to register for the watercolor portrait class
To register, call 209/785-2050 or email Larry {at} TownHallArts {dot} com
To find out more about Town Hall Arts/Gallery Copper, visit their website: http://www.townhallarts.com
I also teach private classes at my home studio. For more information, email me at Mockingbirdatmidnight {at} gmail {dot} com.
To see more portraits, look in the sidebar channel to the right.
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Runner before the race Watercolor portrait of Sue Loncaric. In this image, she’s ready for a run uphill through sand, but she’s looking forward to it. This was a fun portrait, done from a photo Sue sent me. I took liberties with the landscape, but I feel like I caught her happy, forward-looking personality.
Changing times, changing ages
I had my first corporate job in my early 40s, in an industry awash with 20-somethings just out of college. Surrounded by ripe youth—dewy skin, perky body parts, and eyes made liquid by black pupils dilated to an alarming, and some say, alluring degree—I admit that I felt a little bit…well, dried up.
Whew. I wish I were still so young as 40! But I’m learning to how to move into age. It’s not easy in our youth obsessed culture. We don’t have a clear road map.
But I think times are changing. We boomers who in our youth demanded so much from society are on track to reform and retell the crone mythology. New role models help us transition from maiden to mother to crone.
From fashionistas like Lynn Slater at Accidental Icon (There’s a link to an interview with her at the bottom of this post) who have made it safe for those of us over 50 to wear leopard print pedal pushers, to Leyla Giray Alyanak , who pushes the 60-and-over envelope of journalism, world travel, and feisty-hot chick at Women on the Road, we crones are keeping alive the beauty, promise, and freshness of the spring maiden. We’re thumbing our noses at society’s outmoded expectations and enjoying the heck out of life.
I have to admit, I was amazed when I met (through the internet) Sue Loncaric. Sue started running at 50, an age when most of us start having trouble getting up from the floor. Five years later she ran her first full marathon. She didn’t sit around in her jammies after retirement, but instead chose to reinvent herself and start a new business. She blogs at Sizzling towards 60, not just about aging issues, but about life in general. Just because we’re aging doesn’t mean we focus only on our age!
I’m grateful that Sue agreed to a bloggy interview (a blogaview?). She is a great example of how we can at the same time wear the blush of the maiden and the wrinkles of the crone, and how beautifully they can work together.
Racing through midlife but loving every minute
Sue Loncaric running a marathon. The new image of age: vibrant, healthy, strong, and gorgeous.
Do you feel different now than you did when you were a young woman? How is it different?
I am far more self-confident in my 50s than I ever was as a young woman. When I was younger I was plagued by body image issues and the feeling of never being good enough. I think the problem is we don’t feel we are entitled to love ourselves, but as you age, you realize that you are unique.
You have lived life and have the scars to prove it! You know that you are strong, and you acknowledge that you do have a voice and people actually are listening. I have come to terms with ‘being me’ and I have finally come to love the person who is ‘me’. I wish I had learned that much earlier on in life and that would be one piece of advice I would give to young women.
What freedoms has age given you?
I think the biggest freedom age gives us is time. Or as I call it “Me Time”. Time to do exactly what we want to do, when we want to do it without feeling guilty or being tied down by the responsibilities of life. Time to fulfill long-held dreams that you have pushed to the back of your mind.
For most women up until midlife, our lives are defined by being a wife/partner, motherhood and our career. Once we reach the empty nest stage, we are also usually slowing down in our careers and we can finally start to put our needs first. Now we can explore horizons and goals. I started a blog which I never thought I would do. Having time to travel for longer periods and explore the world has been a wonderful freedom for me and my husband.
I think you feel braver to try new things when you are older. Well, that is my case. I discovered running at 50 and ran my first marathon at 55, something I never thought I would be capable of.
How have you learned to grow old? Who taught or is teaching you? Have you had role models?
I don’t know if I learned to grow old necessarily, because in my mind I still feel young! I have had two special women in my life who have shown me that making each day count and taking opportunities to enjoy life is most important as we age.
I also am always inspired by much older people who are still achieving. They have a purpose in their lives and I think that is important. You should never give up on life. We should keep learning and experiencing new things as long as possible.
You’re moving into winter where you live, right? So, if seasons are a metaphor, how do you keep spring in your heart when your age is moving into winter?
I regularly turn to my ‘inner child’ and have FUN. Spending time with my grandson has taught me to appreciate the simple joys that life can bring.
I’m convinced that being healthy and happy is the secret to enjoying the ‘winter of your life’ with ‘spring in your heart’. It is all about attitude and having the right mindset. I call it Positive Aging (a term I heard last year and it really captured how I wanted to age).
We all have choices, we can give up and feel that life is almost over or we can make the most of each day and appreciate life! If we aren’t happy with life we need to make changes to ensure that the ‘winter of life’ is as exciting and uplifting as ‘spring’. We only have one shot!
Since taking early retirement, Sue Loncaric found she needed more in her life and Sizzling Towards Sixty was born. She shares her journey through midlife to encourage others to join with her in her quest to live a fit, active and fun life. Sue loves connecting with people and helping them realize their full potential to be the best they can be.
Her e-book ‘From Couchpotato to Fabulously Fit in Less Time than you Think’ has evolved into a Facebook Group #couchpotatotofabfit and encourages others to Get Healthier Together. Plans for online self-development courses are on the way.
The painting above is of my mom with her brand new car in 1956, that she bought with her own money earned from working a professional job. (For 60 years, my dad carried in his wallet the black and white photo I used to make this painting)
She told me that when I was a baby, she was passed over for a promotion—even though the boss admitted she was better qualified for the job—because he had to give it to a man, even though that man was less qualified. After all, he had a family to feed. My mom was supporting us at that time while my dad went to school. She asked the boss man, “what about my family?” Perhaps because I was a girl-child, I didn’t need to eat much?
My mom is one of my heroes. I can only hope to ever measure up to her intelligence, compassion, dedication, and love.
The above painting is of Margaret, the wife of a very fine painter. She and her husband told me that she helped put him through art school by being a model. She helps run the half of his business that doesn’t involve painting, and is raising their young children. When I painted this picture, I kept thinking of her as the heart of their family, as well as the heart of the sea.
She still models for him.
Figure sketch in watercolor
This is my beautiful niece. I convinced her to pose for me one warm summer day. She was very young; I wanted to capture that fear of being a young woman setting out in the strange and sometimes frightening world. 5 years later, she’s planning a wander year, still a little anxious, but bravely planning her journeys. I worry about her. I know that the world is not always kind to young women, and yet, I want her to make her way with bravery and joy.
This little girl was at her first stepdancing exhibition. She was about 6 years old, and the only beginner to dance at the show. But she bravely marched out and danced her sevens and one-two-threes by herself, soloing on the edge of a world that holds promise as well as dread. I hope that she dances through a world that gives her a chance.
To all women still turning the wheel, I salute us. To the men who love us, I salute you too. It’s sometimes a hard wheel to turn; let’s work together on making it revolve.
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I am currently accepting portrait commissions. I’d love to create a memory for you of a loved one, an event, or an emotional time. See the gallery at the bottom of the post for some of my favorite portrait creations, then contact me at mockingbirdatmidnight_ at _gmail . com to find out how you can commission a watercolor portrait.
I love drawing portraits more than anything else. It’s odd that I would, as I’m not a gregarious person. As introverts go, I’m pretty high on the “I vant to be alone” scale.
But that doesn’t mean I don’t yearn for human connections. It’s just that, rather than partying in a big, loud group, I prefer an intimate cuppa (plenty of milk and sugar, please!) with one or two close friends, sitting in the sun or in front of a cozy fire, trading tales, hearing their stories of their lives and loves.
Painting a portrait is like sitting down with someone and having a nice chat, even if I’m working from a photograph. I often imagine I can hear them speaking to me. In fact, I often fancy the portrait as a conversation I’m having with the person, the paint, and the paper.
My favorite portraits come from sitting down and letting the person talk. Their stories become part of the portrait, and help bring it to life, full of their spirit and soul.
Former Metropolitan Museum of Art director Thomas Hoving shot a video of Andrew Wyeth painting his portrait. In it, Hoving is blabbing away while Wyeth chuckles, nods, and makes “I’m listening” noises, paintbrush moving the whole time. Hoving said that Wyeth told him to talk during the two sessions during which he drew the portrait. Wyeth reportedly said, “I must have animation.”
You can see that video here. It’s not long, and it’s very amusing.
It’s the most wonderful feeling in the world when you manage to draw a portrait that captures not only the likeness of a person but something of their inner life as well.
In the best of portraits there’s a synergy between artist and model that flows as easily as liquid, and creates something as beautiful and memorable as a life expressed in pigment, water, and paper.
People often ask if I paint portraits from life. Yes, I do, and I prefer it actually. But no one wants to sit still for that as many hours as it takes me to paint a portrait.
But as part of my 30 in 30 challenge (30 days of painting for at least an hour a day from life only), I persuaded a visiting friend to sit for me for about 2 hours. We were listening to my fiddler and her banjo-player have some major old-time tunes, and she was itching to dance (she’s an avid and talented dancer). Between the wiggles and the occasional clogging break, I managed to get this quick portrait of her.
By the way, if you’re looking for a journal that will take watercolor, I suggest the Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Hardbound Art Journal. It will take several sloppy washes and a lot of pigment with only a minimal amount of buckling. And the image doesn’t bleed through to the other side too much, which makes it useful for journaling. And the binding is a sort of fake leathery-looking material, so it feels a bit rich and special, which we all need sometimes.
You can hear the music here:
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There is a little school near our house where they often have events, complete with performances for the kids. One day they had dancers in full feathered Aztec regalia rattling their cowrie-shelled legs and swirling burning incense over the playground.
So dramatic! And I caught a beautiful image of a woman dancer that I really wanted to paint.
You might remember this was one of my initial color studies:
Study for painting 3″ x 5″ watercolor painting This study is for a drawing I’m working on. Six hours into the drawing and I feel like it’s just starting to emerge from a mush of pencil scratchings. But I dreamed the colors, and couldn’t wait to get them onto paper.
This was the finished detailed drawing. How many hours in this drawing? I’m not sure I could tell you. Time folds when I’m concentrating.
Pencil drawing for watercolor painting
I paint on Arches 300# paper, a stiff, cardboard like stock, so I don’t have to stretch it. I use push pins to hold it to a board. Sometimes it curls while painting, but I can flatten it after I’m done.
Close up of pencil drawing
As I draw, I’m not only trying to find the likeness, but I’m also thinking about the painting. Watercolor (the way I paint) takes planning, and the underdrawing is my page of notes. Where will I use lost edges? Hard edges? And those difficult in-between edges that can often describe form so beautifully? How will I apply the paint? What brush strokes will I use?
When I finally believe I’m happy with the drawing (I always reach that point too soon. I’ve got to learn to keep working even after I think I’m finished.), I start adding light washes.
Light washes over pencil drawing
The first light washes establish the color temperature of my painting as well as the values. I like a lot of pigment on my paper, so I know that I’m going to cover much of these beginning strokes with more paint. But these light washes are the foundation onto which I build ever-deepening color. After this, it’s all about layering.
I’m sorry that I got caught up in painting and didn’t make more process photos. This is unfinished; I am still working out the feathers in the head dress, and feel like I need to go a little deeper in value on parts of her face. Plus all the fiddly bits of the costume need to be fiddled with.
As careful as I was to get my drawing right, I still ended up glossing over complicated passages like the feathers in her headdress. Small drawing mistakes and fuzzy thinking magnify when you add paint, and I’ve had to scrub out those darn feathers a couple times to get the values and shapes to fall where I want them. I’m still messing with them.
When I’m finished, I’ll have a little dance of my own!
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I’ve been known to paint a single image many times, trying to “get it right.” (The painting “Trim the Velvet” I painted at least 12 times before I was happy with the results.)
I’ve been working an image of a friend’s wife for a year. It’s eluded me, partly because the original photograph was taken with the sun overhead. A no-no; yes, I’m aware of that. But her eyelashes cast a shadow on her cheek, delicate and curved. Her hair was wisping in a light breeze. Her name is Margaret (yes, my name too!), which, according to coffee cup research, means “pearl of the sea.” The photo, although taken on the front steps of a local church, somehow made me think of the ocean, so I decided to place her on a beach.
This first painting was a color sketch, to play around with the palette and composition. The sketch looks fresh, with nice, clear colors (my favorite part is the blue and green in the shadowed side of her face) and easy brush strokes, but it was just a very quick drawing.
Sketch for “Margaret” Watercolor on paper
This is the second version, a small painting: only 8.5″ x 11″. Whatever it was that had caught my attention eluded me in this painting, although in retrospect, I like the placement of the horizon the best in this version.
This is the current painting, larger, with more finish. From the beginning the drawing was off, asI didn’t take a lot of time with it. (I grabbed it off the drawing board to take to Open Studios so I could paint while I hung out in my booth.) That little bit of wonkiness in the drawing magnified to large proportions when I started adding paint, and I had to repaint the eyes—a couple times—before they looked like eyes that belonged together on the same face. (Lots of gentle scrubbing with an ancient Series Seven sable removed the eyes.) Note to self: Nail the drawing before applying paint.
Mockingbirds at midnight 