Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

From Our Family to Yours

May your 2014 be filled with people to love, work to do and something to look forward to. And when something goes wrong in your life, try throwing your arms up in the air and yelling "PLOT TWIST" then move on! 

Alla Prima Still Life Demo

Last Saturday, Oct 19, 2013, I did a painting demo at Forstall Art Center in Birmingham, AL. I teach oil painting there on Tuesday mornings. Here a quick video of the demo!

"Southern Still Life", 20x16, oil on linen.

All in the Family-Shelby Living Magazine

Our little family enterprise, Matter Deep Publishing has a lovely article in the Shelby Living Magazine October 2013 issue. You may read about how we got our start, what it's like working with family members and find out about the different hats we all wear.

Thanks so much author Linda Long, photographer Jon Goering and all the nice folks at the magazine!

Daughter of Thought, Women Painting Women:(R)evolution

Here's my third painting in the show at Principle Gallery, opening Sept 20, 2013.

Daughter of Thought,  47x32, oil on canvas over panel.

My model was Philadelphian, and fellow Women Painting Women artist, Rachel Constantine. She is a stand-in for each of my Athena like WPW sisters.

Click Read More below to see more details and links to all the artists in the show.

The Seamstress, Women Painting Women: (R)evolution

Here's my second painting for the show, opening Friday, Sept 20, 2013 at Principle Gallery. Do women paint women differently than men do? All the WPW shows are giving us a chance to see these paintings in a collective way and giving us an opportunity to contemplate the question.

The Seamstress, 39x32, oil on canvas over panel.

I have painted a male model wearing this superhero shirt many times but never painted a woman wearing it and decided the Women Painting Women:(R)evolution exhibit was the perfect time to do it.

This is one of those paintings that for me began as a story inspired by an individual and personal story but has transcended into a universal theme.

The model is my daughter, Carly. Rather than wait for her time to come this young heroine is taking her destiny in hand. Who doesn't want to be a superhero? ‘Tis better to create her own reality, even though at times it may feel as though she’s holding it all together with safety pins. She can be in charge and look feminine and sexy as hell at the same time.

Click on Read More below to see details of the paintings and musings.

Women Painting Women Press, Vive La (R)evolution!

The Women Painting Women: (R)evolution shows running concurrently this fall are getting AWESOME press:

Fine Art Connoisseur online, by Allison Malafronte

American Art Collector, Sept 2013 issue, by Rochelle Belsito.
(more images from this article in my next post about The Seamstress)

Click Read More below to see the rest of the press.

Women Painting Women:(R)evolution, Self Portrait with Beard

Count down to Friday, Sept 20, 2013 opening at Principle Gallery, Alexandria, VA!

I'm so pleased that I have three paintings in this show. Here's the first one. (the other 2 will be in subsequent blog posts)

I've been journaling this idea for a while and trying to figure out a way to do it properly. It started with the oft repeated sentiment "It's man's world." When designing pieces for this show on the theme of Women Painting Women: (R)evolution I knew it was time to explore this concept.

Self Portrait with Beard, 20x16, oil on linen over panel

Click Read More below to see details of the painting and info about the show and monster press from all seven 2013 WPW shows.

9 Plein Air Painting Tips and A Packing Check List

Earlier this summer I had the pleasure of spending a couple of days plein air painting down at Sugar Beach in Grayson State Park, in Florida. The painting conditions were perfect; a cool breeze, very few people, the shade of a pavilion and a red wing blackbird singing all day for company.

My Top 9 Plein Air Painting Tips

Here are few helpful hints to consider when choosing a location, a subject and progressing through the painting process.

Lavender Shadows on Sugar Beach, 9x6, on on oil primed linen

1. Scout out locations ahead of time if possible. Consider crowds, wind, angle of the sun, shade and the closest bathroom if you plan on painting for very long.

2. Set up in the shade to avoid the glare of the sun on the painting's surface. Think of where the sun is and where it will be in a couple of hours. Look for a spot out of the wind. 

3. Think about your physical comfort. Bring extra clothes, standing in the shade for a few hours can get chilly. Gardening gloves with the fingers cut out are great for keeping hands warm. (59 degrees standing still for hours in the shade is cold!) Hats, bug spray, sun screen, etc. (See below for a list of supplies to pack for your comfort)

Click Read More below for the rest of the tips and a packing check list.

Principle Gallery Face Off - Round II

The Face Off- Round II went off without a hitch and a good time was had by all. I have to say thank you to my fellow artists who helped me settle my nerves so that I could PAINT!

And a big thank you to Michele, Clint, Julia, Jessica and Chris, who kept everything running incredibly smoothly. You guys are the best.

Here is a pictorial review for your enjoyment! Photos courtesy of Principle Gallery. 

Click Read More below to continue:

How to Draw and Paint Facial Features Part 4

Today, the mouth.

This is an ongoing series that is building up to a full portrait that I'm doing with the oil painting class I teach at Forstall Art Center in Birmingham, AL. If you are joining in for the first time for this post check out  Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3, to catch up.

I begin by finding the mid-point and the quarter-mark for my image to correctly locate it on the page.

I'm checking angles to block in the overall width and height of the lips.
Click Read More to see important drawing concepts below the break.

Vive La (R)evolution!

Principle Gallery, Catalog, Women Painting Women blog, Matter Deep Publishing.

Women Painting Women: (R)evolution Catalog Available!

Enjoy!

Women Painting Women: (R)evolution

By Matter Deep Publishing

54 pages, published 8/12/2013

Women Painting Women: (R)evolution, Principle Gallery, Exhibit Catalog. Sept 20-Oct 18, 2013

How to Draw and Paint Facial Features Part 3

The nose knows.

I did this drawing in class, while discussing the structure of the nose.

You may find the first 2 parts of this series about painting facial features, in which I demoed drawing and painting the eye,  here at Part 1, and Part 2.

This was one of several reference photos that I presented to my class. 

Key points to look for:
Click Read More to see the rest of the post. 

More Alla Prima Portraits, or Face Off Warm-up Post 3

More Face-Off warm up. 20 minute sessions. You may see my first couple of practice post here and here. Enjoy...I did!

In the first 20 minutes I did a line drawing using burnt umber paint straight out of the tube. My canvas is a Fredrix, Pro, Belgian Linen, previously stained with Gamblin Fast Matte, in a combination of transparent earth red and ultramarine blue.

During the second 20 minutes I added a little background, placed the nose, lips and started laying in the chin and neck.
Click Read More to see the rest of the in-progress pictures below the break.

Face Off Gets Previewed in American Art Collector

The Face-Off event is a painting demo at Principle Gallery in Alexandria, VA on August 16, 2013, from 6-9 pm. You can read about it in the August issue of American Art Collector.

I'll be painting alongside Mia Bergeron, Cindy Procious and Rachel Constantine. We'll all have new work at the gallery through Sept 3. The article previews a few of the paintings that will be on display.

You may see my previous post about my alla prima practice I've been doing to prepare here and here. 

More Alla Prima Portraits

Still practicing up for the Face-Off at Principle Gallery in Alexandria, VA on August 16, 2013, from 6-9 pm. Here's a post about my first set of alla prima practice pieces.

Next on the easel was my future son-in-law, Will. Will was also my model for The Mariner, The Incognito Project. 

In the first 20 minutes I did a line drawing using burnt umber paint straight out of the tube. My canvas is a Fredrix, Pro, Belgian Linen, previously stained with Gamblin Fast Matte, in a combination of transparent earth red and ultramarine blue.

More about my pre-mixed flesh color palette here. 

During the second 20 minutes I added a little background, placed the nose, lips and started laying in the beard.
Click Read More to see the rest of the in-progress pictures below the break.

They Went Incognito and Still Got Recognized

Three of The Incognito Project paintings have been named Finalists in The Artist's Magazine's the 30th Annual  Competition. Woohoo!

These paintings are The Mariner, Professor Rattus and Her Royal Court, and Home Maker.

These are paintings from my portrait series completed last fall, and included in The Incognito Project book. The book is available on Amazon, on my website, or in the side bar of this blog.

For all the veracity implied by her meticulous and unflinching style, the works maintain a seductive fantasticalness and seem to dance a jig on the line between the real and the imaginary.
                         ~ Graham C. Boettcher, Curator of American Art, Birmingham Museum of Art

Click Read More below for more about the project and a video.

The Alla Prima Portrait - Ten Thousand Hours

I've been practicing for the Face-Off event that is happening at Principle Gallery in Alexandria, VA on August 16, 2013, from 6-9 pm.

It will be a live painting demo at the gallery in which I'll be painting the same model as Mia Bergeron, Cindy Procious and Rachel Constantine. We did it last year and it was super fun! DC area artist Suzanne Lago Arthur did a great post about the event last year on her blog.

Photo by Suzanne Arthur Lago from last year's event.

Nothing like the prospect of painting with a bunch of super talented artists in front of a live audience to inspire one to practice!

In an attempt to sharpen up my alla prima (all in one sitting) oil sketching skills, here's what I've been up and what I've been figuring out.

Dan, 20x16, oil on canvas

More about the set up, the painting process and other sketches below the break.

Eleven Reasons Why YOU Should Publish an Art Book or Catalog

Surprise! I have a guest blogger today, Amy Leigh Strickland. You may have seen her posts in my blog roll. She writes about the craft and business of writing and about her books. Take it away Amy!

My name is Amy Leigh Strickland, and I am Terry’s daughter-in-law. Regulars to this blog know me from a series of paintings I’ve been in, including Athena, The Incognito Project, and If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On. I’m a novelist and a teacher and I’m here to talk to you about art books.

Ripe Was the Drowsy Hour, 18x24, oil on canvas over panel.
This is one of my paintings in which Amy plays model and muse in my gypsy series.
This painting will be in Alexandria, VA at Principle Gallery for the Face-Off, August 16, 2013.

Publishing an art book is easier now than it has ever been. You no longer have to wait for a big New York company to recognize you to get a book out there. Whether your work sells for thousands at galleries, or whether you’re making most of your income off of fan conventions and RedBubble shirts, there are TONS of reasons to publish an art book. In fact, I’m Kickstarting a project right now to teach anyone how to self-publish their book, and the design portion is being written by Carly Strickland, who designed The Incognito Project book.

So here is my list:

The Indie Guide to Indie Publishing

Matter Deep Publishing has a Kickstarter

running through August 13, 2013. 

They hope to raise $8000 to produce a step-by-step guide to indie publishing from people who have been there and done that.



Nine indie writers and artists will share their expertise in the book. The publishing world has changed forever and independent publishing has never been more accessible to artists and writers. While desktop publishing is within everyone's capability, there are some tricks of the trade. These authors are here to guide you through the do's and don'ts.

You may pledge to pre-order the book for $15, or get the digital download for only $5, as part of the backer rewards and they have a bunch of other  cool swag too!

The Topics Covered:

Richard J Demato Fine Art Announces The Women Painting Women Artists

RJD Gallery is hosting it's 1st Annual Women Painting Women Exhibition. It is a juried show of
favorite paintings of women by women, with a focus on contemporary, living artists.

Opening Saturday, September 21, 2013

I'm so pleased to announce that my painting Primavera, has been accepted to show alongside the work of 29 other artists. I'm thrilled to be showing with so many artists I've long admired!

Primavera, 24x24, oil on panel

Also included in the show: Erin Anderson, Melinda Borysevicz, Ann Chwatsky, Elaine Despins, Teresa Elliot, Loretta Fasan, Ingrid Cappozzoli Flinn, Noelle Giddings, Haley Hasler, Pam Hawkes, Barbara Kacicek, Anne Marie Kornachuk, Andrea Kowch, Maria Kreyn, Catherine Lucas, Victoria Novak, Teresa Oaxaca, Isabel Olivares, Kat O'Neill, Claire Klarewicz-Oskur, Joyce Polance, Rene Porter, Kyla Zoe Rafert, Harriet Sawyer, Victoria Selbach, Margo Selski, 
Adrienne Stein, Maggie Taylor, Xiaolu Zhang.

Women have been a main subject in art as far back in history as any of us can think.  And yet that subject has predominantly been presented from the perspective of male artists.  Women Painting Women (the blog, the exhibitions as well as our small group) has continually tried to feature and promote paintings that share a different perspective.  We frequently wonder - do women see themselves differently?  Are women artists representing a bit more of what it means to be a woman, in the art that they create?  We argue that women are not merely eye candy or decorative fodder.  We seek to promote the work of figurative painters that share these more varied and complex views of women. ~Alia El-Bermani on behalf of the Women Painting Women group

See below the break for a few details of the painting and more info about Women Painting Women:

Women Painting Women Call for Works!

Richard J Demato Fine Arts Gallery in Sag Harbor, New York is doing a WPW show and female figurative artists are invited to submit work.

Click here for submission details.

You probably are familiar with the Women Painting Women blog and the various shows that have been popping up over the last few years. There was the Robert Lange Studios show in 2010, the Principle Gallery, WPW: Expedition and Beyond show in 2012 and this fall, 2013 the WPW: (R)evolution show at Principle Gallery.

Some of the artists involved with WPW had an idea to encourage artists, galleries and museums to host their own WPW shows concurrently with the Sept. 2013, Principle Gallery WPW:(R)evolution Exhibit.

How to Draw and Paint Facial Features Part 2

It's all about the eyes and mixing flesh tones this week.

This a project I'm doing with the oil painting class I teach on Tuesday mornings at Forstall Art Center in Birmingham, AL. We are doing small studies of each facial feature. Eventually we will do a complete portrait with the skills gained by studying the features individually. Here's Part 1 in which I drew the eye.

In the last post, the painting was at this stage.  My disclaimer here is that this is just what I do. There are many different methods out there but this is what I have developed over the years. It works for me.

I am constantly trying new things but for now this is my go-to starting place. I develop 4 basic flesh tones. Having a method helps me and seems to help my students.

Toga Night at Drawing Group

The first Tuesday of every month we have a clothed model at drawing group. We have 20 minutes worth of gesture poses and a one hour long pose.

Tuesday's Toga, 12x9, oil on panel

It is a good idea to attend a costume night for several reasons. We get practice drawing all that pesky fabric and one night of the month it's pretty easy to find a model.

 It's the X's Drawing Group held at Forstall Art Center in Birmingham, AL. We meet Tuesdays, 7-9pm.

Here's one I did of my daughter-in-law, Amy Strickland, when she was gracious enough to model for the group. Amy is actually a writer not a rock star and she has the best costumes around.

The Pink Guitar, 12x8,  oil on canvas paper

Renaissance Amy, 12x9, oil on oil primed linen

And my personal favorite of her.

"Tuesday Night Blues", 12x9,  oil on panel

How to Draw and Paint Facial Features - Part 1

It's all in the eyes.

I'm doing a series with the oil painting class that I teach at Forstall Art Center, in Birmingham, AL. We will be doing small studies of each feature of the face and then putting it all together at the end with a full portrait.

I printed out two good reference photos of eyes to share with my class. They will have the option of which one to paint. (Thanks Jeanine for the in progress shots!)

Is it fair to make your class paint images of your favorite models, even if those models happen to share the same DNA? I submit that it is. Moving on.

We talked a bit about the structure of the eye as in this except from Andrew Loomis' book. 

Since every artist needs to work on their drawing skills we are doing a full value study in charcoal or pencil. I started off in pencil and quickly switched to charcoal after figuring out that my students could see charcoal marks better. 

I started off the drawing with a block in, taking care to measure placement on the page, checking angles and proportions. This sketch is larger than life just for fun.

Next I added shadow shapes and worked on cross contour hatching. I think aobut the lines I'm making the same way I do the eventual brush strokes. Use directional strokes to describe form.

This is what I finished in class. It could definitely use more work. Read below drawing tips to help resolve any work.

Sepia Love

More drawing group sharing.

5 minute gesture painting, oil on Vellum, 9x12

Anders on Tuesday, 14x11, oil on Ampersand Gessobord

I'm having much fun with these value studies. At this drawing group we only get one hour with the model so it is a lot of pressure to get color down. For now it is nice to be keeping things a little looser and simple. Also it is a good idea to go back to basics every now and then and think about concepts like value.

The oil on the vellum slides around with slippery goodness and feels on the verge of out of control. Kind of exhilarating.

On the more sustained piece, I started with a thinned out mixture of burnt umber, more OMS than linseed oil, gradually adding more paint, till I was painting straight out of the tube for the darks.

You may see some other posts about sketching with oil here.

ABC 33/40 in the Studio

A few weeks back I had a fun visit in the studio from ABC 33/40 TV anchorman Dave Baird and cameraman Johnny Rockett.

The Incognito Project exhibit and book had come to his attention and he wanted to do a TV segment for the Focus at Four show.

The books are on sale worldwide for 9 days only, April 22-30, 2013, at the special Portrait Society of America Conference price of $55, on Amazon or with PayPal through my website.

Below is the video. He did a great job editing out my nerves and eloquently summarizing The Incognito Project in two minutes, something I've never been able to do. I loved the Wizard idea for his alter ego, totally!


The book is available through Amazon, or through my website, or blog.

It will also be available at the Portrait Society of America's, Art of the Portrait Conference, Atlanta, GA, Artist's Book Table or at the Artist's Book Signing, Friday, April 27, 2013, 12:30 PM. Stop by and see me!

The Incognito Project Book on Sale!

The Incognito Project book is on sale for $55, April 22-30 for 9 days only!

I'm going to the Portrait Society of America's Art of the Portrait Conference in Atlanta, GA next weekend and will be participating in the Artist's Book Signing event, Friday, 12:30-1 PM at the Grand Hyatt.

The book will be available to conference goers at the PSoA's Artists Book Table all weekend long.

So we thought why not make the book available at the conference price to everyone worldwide the week of the conference! On Amazon or my website, or email me at terrystr@terrystricklandart.com

I know you can't judge a book by it's cover so here are a few 2 pages spreads and pictures from the event.