The Aschbacher Children

IMG_4592, originally uploaded by aunt.meeb.

My amazing co-teacher, Resa, has a gift for capturing children on film. Not only that, but she has been patient with me as I've navigated the new waters of early childhood education. In thanks, I wanted to merge our talents into paintings of her four children from photos she had taken. She provided me with some wonderful, informal shots from a summer years ago when her children all received a small amount of Skittles as a special treat. I sketched out the composition for her, and we talked about color one afternoon.

My intention was for these four canvases to be able to be displayed as a square grouping, or as a long line of four. I was pleased with how they turned out, but a few adjustments still need to be made. 

See below for some close-ups.
Dean:

Greta:

Sadie:

Andrew:

I'd love to know what you think.

Work in Progress: MGK and SPK

IMG_4603, originally uploaded by aunt.meeb.

I love everything about this portrait. Stephanie (right) has come together easily. Margaret has been quite contrary, but she's coming around. There's still some work to be done, but it's getting close.

Here's a progression for you:

(This is quite the lazy underpainting, by the way.)

Thoughts? I really am anxious to hear what you think about this. I have a fear (irrational, I know, but real) that what I see varies greatly from what everyone else sees. Plus, I know these girls. I see their personalities because I know them. Do they shine through to you?

Here is a link to my post with the original photograph. It was taken very informally, as the girls were getting into their van after Margaret's preschool graduation ceremony. 

(Her dress, by the way, was worn by Stephanie in our wedding. It is probably the most awesome flower girl dress ever, and has been well-loved and well-worn.)

Progression

IMG_3692, originally uploaded by aunt.meeb.

I love the Third Style of painting from Pompeii. It struck me as soon as I saw it, face-to-face. Since that time, I've been attracted to small pictures centered within a wide expanse of color. In my senior show at Centre, I had a few panels drifting on top of a darkly-painted background. Now, I've been drawn to squares, especially these great 12" x 12" pieces of gessoed masonite.

In addition, I've gathered a number of photos I've taken that I think are simple and bold enough to stand on their own against the stark white.

I love how quickly these paintings come together. Here is how I do it:

I traced around a picture and then put painter's tape on the outside edges to keep them crisp.

Next I filled in the background color.

Then I painted my image.

This shows the color variation in the black parts of the bird.

Remove the tape and voilà!

I like that I can do this in an hour or less. Since I'm starting back to school and am giving up my studio space (*bawl*), I need to find little nuggets like these that can be done in a small area and in a space of an evening. It's somewhat mindless, since I'm copying a picture exactly. I don't know how I feel about that. I hope that the time I took to compose the shot and then pick it out makes up for the simple copy-and-paste element of converting it to paint. I see this as more of a study, but I could see these be more popular than something intricate like a portrait. Lastly, I am really trying to pare down which images work in oil, versus watercolor or pencil or pastel. That is a really tricky decision to make. I hope it gets easier.

What do you think?

Mask

IMG_2524, originally uploaded by aunt.meeb.

I love this photo. I am not crazy about the unfinished, alien-looking pseudo-painting of my niece, but my other niece, Kate, holding it creates an interesting image. We were having a blast dancing around the studio, and she picked up this piece of attempt-on-masonite. This is what I captured.

Light and Motion

IMG_2070, originally uploaded by aunt.meeb.

Again, I'm getting more and more obsessed with a focused face (or foot), and the surrounding scene more blurry. One of my favorite portraits of Sargent's (Lady Agnew of Lochnaw) had this same feel to it, with her facial features immaculately captured, and the rest of the painting a little more loose. Below is another shot that I think captures the effect I'm attempting. Notice how dark her eyes and mouth are, compared to the background. I would assume that if she were still, the shadows under the railing, her hair and the woods behind would be much darker and therefore compete with her features.

IMG_1532, originally uploaded by aunt.meeb.

Animal Studies

IMG_1593, originally uploaded by aunt.meeb.

Just a few studies of some beloved pets. Whitley, above, and Artemis and Flower are below.

IMG_1585, originally uploaded by aunt.meeb.

IMG_1582, originally uploaded by aunt.meeb.

Summer: Take 2

IMG_1577, originally uploaded by aunt.meeb.

Nothing says summer like daisies in your hair, a pretty white cotton dress, and green, green grass. Although there is not a lot of contrast in her face, I think this would work really well as an oil on canvas. These are the types of pictures that make portraiture easy: good color, simple composition, and (for me) high contrast between background and foreground. Some portrait artists insist on lighter backgrounds, but I like the depth of the dark backgrounds, as they tend not to compete with lighter skin tones.

Summer: Take 1

IMG_1562, originally uploaded by aunt.meeb.

I've been trying to capture the kids outside this summer. I especially like this image of William reading in the grass. I'm trying to use things like the horizon intentionally when setting up a composition. I prefer non-traditional positioning of the person off to one side. I have been watching and re-watching Wes Anderson flicks for their cinematography; I am overwhelmingly drawn to his compositions and dramatic color choices. I literally am astounded every time I watch "The Life Aquatic" or "The Darjeeling Limited." Each time I see something new, and I hope to integrate these layers of interest in my future attempts.

Whitley

IMG_0975, originally uploaded by aunt.meeb.

Well, since I gave some space to a pup, I figured I should be PC and throw this out for all the cat lovers.

This kitty belongs to my sister, her husband and their seven kiddos. The cat has not aged in ten years. I swear. He works together with the family dog to trap chipmunks, and we will often find a tail or some entrails near the front door. Ugh.

Sweet cat, though.

Emily in Graphite

IMG_0962, originally uploaded by aunt.meeb.

You can see the Pompeiian influence in this composition. I like teeny, tiny pictures with a wide border. I tried this one from a picture I took of my niece, Emily, on a ferris wheel. I was happy with how her facial features turned out, but I was kicking myself for using a charcoal pencil to blacken the background. It ended up making the graphite look lighter and even more shiny. Any recommendations?

Close up: