Friday

Here is todays quick half hour pose. This might also make for a larger version?

From the crit session last night, the consensus was to lighten up the skirt, I had it a little too dark. After looking at it I keep wondering how a red dress would look on her; just one of these things to think about.

This painting I also worked on; adding a few garlics in the shadows in front of the girl on the left. The flowers and vegetables on the right were also more defined. Overall it seems to be getting close to done, obviously I'll nit pick it a little here and there over the next week.

Richard Boyer

Tuesday

Here is my short little figure study for the day. I went over half an hour closer to forty five minutes; what can I say, I was getting into it!

This morning I worked on the Provence market painting. here is a shot of it from yesterday. I painted on the figures to the left, especially the woman in the white dress. there is an interaction between the two women that I want to play up in the painting.

Todays project was to get some of that foreground stuff painted. there is a nice play with the light, especially with all that dark area in front of the table. That contrast should give a nice sense of bright sunlight all around.

Richard Boyer

Monday, Feb 24

Here is todays quick figure study.

Sunday

For the past three days I've been working on some quick figure studies. I'll give myself about a half hour to get as much done as possible. The paintings are rather small at 6x9 inches

This one I did on Friday. the models name is Lillias, and it was done from a photo shoot we did last summer.

This is Saturdays painting, once again Lillias from the same photo shoot.

Sundays painting was one of our Swedish relatives, a photo I took several summers ago.

Richard Boyer

Friday

Yesterday I started another complicated market scene; something the Howard/Mandville Gallery is requested. So I decided on something nice and complicated with multiple figures and a gazillion and one objects in it. A crowded Saturday market with people moving all about…

This painting I can tell will take some time. So don't blame me if I hop onto a few other works in between to keep my sanity.

After the crit session from last night, I spent today fine tuning the figure here. Her foot was far to big and some more details were need in the face and arms. Looking at it I can see that it will also need some more warm colors in the water. The introduction of some yellow ochres will take care of that problem.

Richard Boyer

Wednesday

We have snow on the ground again, some nice wet snow storm decided to blast through the valley this afternoon. All the trees are coated in white snow, so it has turn a normal drab winter grey landscape into one of those Hallmark Card snowscapes worthy of a painting.

Well this painting I have been working on the last few days, trying my best to keep the figure looking right. I like the way she is lifting up the one foot.  I'll put it aside now for a few days and then look at it with fresh eyes. Tomorrow I can start something new.

Richard Boyer

Friday

Three paintings I re-worked today

This first one I put more red in the horse and lowered the belly of the beast as well. It was intersecting with the girls waist and made for a strange convergence of lines. from her sleeve the horse belly and her dress.

This second 24x36 I re-worked many of the figures and added the girl to the right in the shadows. The painting needed a vertical figure in there to the right to balance.  A few areas I blurred out a little, especially down in the lower right. I also added a some flowers here and there to bring some interest in a few areas.

This third 30x40 I added more flowers and maybe a bit more color to the shutters and potted plants.

All three I'll send up to the Howard/Mandville Gallery. 

Richard Boyer

Thursday

There was a reason I copied a Sorolla painting yesterday, to see basically how the master painted figures around water. With this learning experience I started a larger 30x24 painting of Charlotte walking along the coast in Sweden. The light may not be as strong as it was down in Spain when Sorolla painted his models, but the blues should be just as present in the shadow areas of the figure. 

I just did a quick block-in today working on the composition. I really like the way the wave is crashing around her feet with one leg held higher in the air to avoid the water. In the next few days I'll work on the figure bringing some warms and cools into the face and clothing. Hopefully I can keep the work nice and loose like the master did with big brush strokes. 

This painting I'm doing just for fun, its kind of nice not to be working for a gallery deadline!

Richard Boyer

Wednesday

Back from Scottsdale, back into the cold north and back into the rain. It was nice down in the sun while it lasted. The show went well, although according to Ron the crowds are not quite there yet in Scottsdale. They say towards the middle of the month the sun bunnies come down out of the snow filled north. So at least I can say the gallery is stocked well with paintings for the season.

I did bring back a few paintings from the gallery which I will work on over the next week, changing a little here and there. 

After yesterdays session I started a little 12x16 copy of a Sorolla painting. I feel sometimes it's a good idea to be humble and copy one of the masters works. One can learn a vast amount by doing so. Joaquin Sorolla lived about 100 years ago in Spain and was so good at capturing light on people at the beach. His use of blues in the shadow areas on a body are phenomenal.  

Richard Boyer

Saturday

Well I finished off the three 12x16 Amsterdam paintings for the May Gallery. I'll throw these in the car with the rest of the work when I drive down on Tuesday. They have sold three already, so I am hoping more will come. Lets keep the fingers crossed, as they say.

                                 Tight Corner 12x16

                                 Morning Rush Hour 12x16

                                 Bike Ride  12x16

From doing these smaller studies I can see they will also make for some larger, maybe 24x36 paintings.

This other painting I got back from the Howard/Mandville Gallery. So I attacked it with the brush this morning. There were a couple of figures out front that I eliminated and then I played up the light inside more. The building to the right I also illuminated, so now one is drawn to look inside the windows more. Playing on the views voyeuistic tendencies!!! 

Richard Boyer