More still...

This was one of my large 2 foot by 4 foot senior port paintings for the 7 degrees show titles Shame.
My third painting of Santa Monica Pier in recent memory. Although of the pier, this one is really about the iconic life guard towers.

After doing the earlier version of this painting I decided to come back and redo it under brighter lighting.

Wow, I guess my blogging habits are not gonna get any better. Oh well.

Here is a taste of some of what I've been painting in the last 60+ days:

This was my first painting of Santa Monica Pier in recent years that I did shortly after returning to Los Angeles. It was around 4 PM and had been cloudy all day.

As much as I love LA it's beaches are wide and sandy, not really ideal for seascapes. So instead of painting near Santa Monica and took the 534 metro bus up the coast to paint what was left of an old pier opposite the Getty Villa. This one took about 3 hours to do in total.
This was the 4th and final of my larger series for the 7 degrees show, titled "Other People's Relationships."

Looking for other interesting places to paint in Los Angeles I headed down to LAX. I was worried that the security might get upset with me for being there but all the employees and police who happened by were very friendly.

This was done at the far end of LAX looking back up the middle of the "U" shape that LAX makes.

Waiting for the blinds

I'm sorry loyal blog for I have neglected you terribly!

As you can see the painting is all but done. The blinds and the open book in the lower left corner are all that is really left. 

I would have made more progress in the last 8 days but I've been busy working out the next painting too, not to mention my capstone. I guess I can't complain about the academics though, without them I wouldn't get my CalGrant either. 

Crazy Patterned Couch

Filling in the couch and the rest of the far right side of the painting. 

Laying in the background and the 2nd figure

I like keeping the background very loose and will probably blend out the chairs behind her as well, to a certain extent. 

I can't wait to see what happens when I paint in the brighter lights on the rest of the couch and cushions. 

Moving right along

As I continue to lay things in it is becoming obvious that the banister behind her is too much like the color of her skin and needs to be cooled down and lightened a little. Today I hope to fill in the rest of the background behind the couch and the rest of the male figure as well as better resolve things that have already been painted.

New Painting for the 7 Degrees Show

This is the start of the 2nd painting for the 7 Degrees show this May. The piece is part of a larger series that is trying to address nudity, body image, and views on nudity. While my first painting, (coming soon,) was trying to desexualize nudity this painting instead is about how being nude is not always a state of vulnerability, because it puts those around us at a disadvantage as well. 

The painting is started with a complete outline transfered from a large print out of the reference. Starting with just the head, a mixture of clove and safflower oil is spread on to the canvas to slow drying and to help the paint go on more easily. 
The face is first laid in using very bright color because after the highlights are later added the colors will by noticeably dulled. 

Seeing that the face was too warm I started painting in the cool window behind her to help me gage the colors. 

With the head mostly resolved I start moving on down the figure.