"Power Struggle"

30x40, oil on panel. This piece is fresh off the easel and not yet varnished so I'll have better pictures later.

A profile is tricky business and this intense light situation made this a challenge, it's been on the easel for a couple months now. I hope the photos show the multiple layers.

The shadows were so intensely warm with the light bouncing up from the yellow table that the entire scene was flooded with a warm glow. To keep it from being almost monochromatic I pushed the idea that the highlights were cool.

 

"Mary Lee as Artemisia Gentileschi"

Incognito Project, 16x16, oil on panel.

Mary Lee is a friend of mine here in Birmingham, an artist and mother of three. She lives her life artfully and identifies with many aspects of the Renaissance artist Artemisia Gentileschi's unconventional life.

Mary Lee had a tough time deciding on her costume because she has so many interests, which eventually pointed us in the direction of Renaissance Man, er... rather Renaissance Woman.

Here are couple of shots of Mary Lee from the Incognito Project, Part 1, the day of the photo shoot last summer at my studio. Photos by Christina Lopez.

The picture of her costume from the back is amusing, it's all about the disguise! Which in this case was an authentic Renaissance costume I rented from the Samford Theater Department.

Mary Lee's hairpiece is made of feathers, flowers, an acorn and a small compass, signifying an artist's love of the study of nature and the use of art as a compass for life.

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Here's a link to other posts about The Incognito Project.

Enjoy Artemisia's epic self-portrait that helped inspired my composition.

 

 

A New Illustrator on the Scene

In honor of my daughter, Carly embarking on her next great adventure, I thought I share a link to her art,
carlystricklandart.com.

Carly graduated with a BFA in Illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design on June 4, 2011.

 Carly Strickland, "Self-Portrait with Ray Gun", Vector Illustration

Her artistic voice has been called "fun, quirky, & irreverent".  Like all good art, hers is a great reflection of her personality. Most of her current work is vector based illustration, although she is well versed in many media. 

I particularly enjoy her retro style, excellent draftsmanship and sophisticated color palettes, I think you will too!