Back to the Drawing Board!

As I am out of my oil paints.. I was getting "itchy" to do something art related. I ordered some new oils Gamblin and while waiting turned back to drawing.  I have always believed drawing is important to doing good paintings. The black and white factor or even just 2 or three colors are good to strengthen the perception of values. I did a couple of drawings, "Kylie" and a religious Theme  "Behold the Man" (possibly a future painting) and liked the outcome.  To me drawings take a lot more discipline and I can get a bit lazy and not do them, where as painting has a bit more freedom..none the less..drawing remains a MUST to achieve the best of paintings.

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 Kylie - Graphite on Canson Paper

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Father Robert as Jesus - Graphite on Canson Paper

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Venus - Troys Crayon

Progress of St Therese

This is my latest commission, a portrait of St Therese for the Rectory of our Church St Therese in Alhambra CA.  It was commissioned by Carmelite Father Philip, our new Pastor for the newly decorated Rectory office.  Besides being a favorite Saint of mine, St Therese is a special Saint for the Carmelite Order.  St Therese herself is a Carmelite.  The painting is 2 months in progress.soon to be finished with only a few details and corrections to be made.  Additions to the paining not in the original reference photo are her Countryside French home, Flowers, and Cross to the right.  She is about 22 years old in this painting.  She died at age 24 from tuberculosis.  She wished to be in Heaven to help those on Earth, to send "Roses" of blessings from Our Lord Jesus Christ.

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The final phase on Father Robert Barcelos Portrait "The Weapons of Spiritual Warfare"

With the Portraits of Lucky Baldwin and his Daughter Anita Baldwin finished(there was a deadline involved!) I can finally get back to a ,unfinished projects,Renaissance Dancer and The Weapons of Spiritual Warfare. both of these paintings were put aside temporarily, and now I'm back with them to get them finished. I am now working the frame in Father Roberts portrait,did the sleeves of the habit and will give it a fine tune ..corrections and more detail.The Painting in the background (Rubens Deposition of Christs Body) will be toned down with several layers of dark glazes to pop out the central figure.

Public Unveiling of Baldwin Portraits In Arcadia CA

http://arcadiasbest.com/2012/03/baldwin-descendants-unveil-portraits/

Please check out this link to read about the article just published about the Unveiling of my portraits of Lucky Baldwin and Anita Baldwin.

Lucky Baldwin and Anita Baldwin

The paintings of Elias (Lucky) Baldwin and his Daughter Anita are nearly completed. It is a deadline for March 7th when the paintings will be viewed by the City council if Arcadia Ca. for an upcoming event honoring Elias "Lucky" Baldwin, who in the 1800s was a principal land owner of much of Southern California and lived on his Ranch in the Arboretum in Arcadia California.

He was a businessman, Miner, horse breeder and built the famous Santa Anita Racetrack. His great, great ,great grand daughters, Heather Gibson and Margaux Viera Gibson, have commissioned the works as part of a celebration of his life and to give him and his youngest daughter Anita, some family Honor. This man has an amazing history. Born in Ohio, in 1828, he spent his early life in Indiana, until as a young man, heard the stories of gold in California. First working as a day laborer, saved up to eventually open a hotel and livery stable. Unable to pay a debt, a customer paid him 2000 shares of Omhir gold stock worth only pennies a share. As Luck (hence the nick name "Lucky") would have it, the comstock load in Nevada struck gold, which skyrocketed the penny stock to hundreds of dollars a share.

With wealth and savvy, he eventually accumulated over 67,000 acres that was a great deal of land over southern California. The communities of Arcadia and Monrovia Ca are the most famous. His marriages, a total of 4 , always created a sensation. His last marriage to a young girl, produced Anita Baldwin, his favorite daughter. She was known for her beauty,elegance and the bringing of Peacocks to Southern California. Lucky Baldwin was also famous for building the Santa Anita Race Track and breeding some of the finest racehorses of his time. He retired to the Arboretum in Arcadia living in his simple Adobe home. He was shot by a rival and died with his fourth wife and Anita at his bedside in 1909. The painting of Lucky Baldwin shows him at his beloved adobe home, with his parrot who called him "Poppy" the painting of Anita as from a rare photo of her as a young woman. Besides City Hall, the paintings will be shown at the Arboretum Arcadia Ca.

The many faces of Father Robert Elias Barcelos

One of my favorite models has been our Carmelite Priest Father Robert, a pastor at St Therese catholic church in Alhambra Calif for the past 3 years. (He was resigned to Tuscon .Arizona) What first struck me the first time I saw him ,was a powerful spirituality in his presence..his face and manner said it all. Only 33,he had an amazing ,fiery, charismatic ministry.. and became loved by all. His ministry makes one aware of the wonderful presence of Jesus and Mary in our lives as well as the ever present danger of Satan. Her was very big on the ministry of Spiritual Warfare..our defenses against Evil.by use of our Sacraments,The Mass ,Holy Rosary. as we live our lives by the Holy Bible. The last painting ,which I am finishing up is the theme of spiritual warfare. Father himself is a fine artist(I will try and download his artwork when I find it) He has a masters in Art as well.

Renaissance Dancer near completion

It has been a long time on this particular painting (40x60)... it is larger than I normally paint and multi-figure with a lot of detail. I use a glazing of colors rather than alla prima which takes me longer to paint, but finally I am near completion. This is a portrait of the Dance group Baba Ku, which performed at the Renaissance Faire in Irwindale Ca. The group posed for several shots for me and I made a composition from them. I liked the classic beauty of the performer and musicians as well as the set and costumes. I twas wonderful to see them perform as well as paint them.