Caesura

Rob Sullivan · 05-12-2005, 10:31 AM

Oil on MDO, 39" x 48"

Not the best shots of this - it's not easy to photograph. One of these days I'll get it done professionally. It's no rush because I have no place to show this, except my livingroom... Figurative work - even clothed - doesn't do well in Maine, or most of New England, for that matter.

Well, one day I'll trek this and some other things back to NYC and see what happens. I have to do a few more, though, and who knows when I'll have the luxury of doing portfolio work.

Oh, this was done exclusively from life - but not all together. I did plein air studies of the seascape, and drew the model from life in my studio. I did small color studies of her, as well, to try and match the outdoor lighting. The result is okay, but were I to do it again, I would paint a study of the model either on site, or outdoors... or at least photgraph her outdoors. It was a bit of a struggle to do it the way I did it.

Rob Sullivan · 05-12-2005, 10:43 AM

Thought I might give the landscape a little credit in this closeup. Huh - I could probably sell it here in Portland if it looked like this.

Claudemir Bonfim · 05-13-2005, 10:20 AM

I cannot see any of you pictures. They simply don't appear, I can see only an icon instead. Maybe others are having the same problem.

Claudemir Bonfim · 05-13-2005, 10:21 AM

Sorry, I didn't pay attention to the "Attachments Pending Approval" statement.

Rob Sullivan · 05-16-2005, 11:41 AM

I think the approval of the images is taking a while because the Board members who have the power to do such things have been away at the PSOA conference.

I'm trying to be patient, too - but I am very curious to hear your reactions, as not too many people have seen this image. I photographed it only last week, but the painting itself was completed over a year ago. I suppose you all will have to wait a little longer to see it.

Stay tuned!

Carolyn Bannister · 05-16-2005, 11:51 AM

The suspense is killing me now, I've been checking each day since the thread appeared

Carolyn

Jen Reinstadler · 09-16-2005, 12:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob Sullivan

Thought I might give the landscape a little credit in this closeup. Huh - I could probably sell it here in Portland if it looked like this.

Well, if you ever get desparate to sell this piece, just take a table saw to it and market the left half in Maine and the other half in Metropolis. It'll give the collector's something to chase after and bid up when you're dead.

Rob Sullivan · 09-17-2005, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jen Reinstadler

.... It'll give the collector's something to chase after and bid up when you're dead.

Jeez, I'd like to be around to see such a thing. And there's an implication that my work will only be worthy of collecting when I've gone to that big studio space in the sky (I hear there's really good light there).

Ah - I know you didn't mean it.

And I guess the saw will have to wait, as this is currently on display at the galleries at the New Hampshire Institute of Art. Perhaps I'll throw in a gift certificate to Home Depot if the painting is purchased. Table saws are expensive!

Linda Brandon · 09-17-2005, 09:31 PM

Rob, I'm glad this post got refreshed, because it reminds me to ask you if you had any trouble coming up with the cast shadow of your model on the rock when you used the shot from your studio setup. I guess what I'm asking is if you assumed a time of day from your studio light setup and set up your shot with that in mind.

Rob Sullivan · 10-04-2005, 11:02 AM

Sorry for the late reply, Linda. But, that is a good question.

When I did the plein aire studies for the landscape, I already had in mind the pose for the model, and had my sketchbook on hand with a thumbnail drawing of the figure (done from pure imagination, though I knew which model I was going to use). With the self-timer, I hopped up on the rock and assumed the same pose as the figure (yes, fully clothed

) in order to get the cast shadow shapes on the rock. I later added the shadow into the study.

But, due to budget constraints, my studio lighing setup was Rube Goldberg-ish, at best. Plus, the model could only work at night, so there wasn't even an inkling of natural light in the drawing sessions. Thus, my inherent struggle with this thing. Again, hindsight-wise, this approach will not be repeated with regard to the figure. If ever I'm compelled to do this sort of thing again, I will find a way to employ natural light on the figure.