Not as mean as he looks!

[Valerie Warner]

This was my first portrait from life that I actually finished in the sitting. The hubby of one of us artists who gather in Sacramento on Fridays. I'm so new to this I just wanted to post it and get some feedback. Thanks.

[Valerie Warner]

Here's the model next to the piece.

[Michele Rushworth]

Good skintones -- and great character study!

[Valerie Warner]

Thanks Michelle for your encouraging words. Your work is exactly what I strive for. Though I have earned "a living" with my art for many years, portrait painting is to me the ultimate challenge and reward. I'm trying very hard to get to know my paints, my vision of color and become the best drawer I can in order to reflect these bodies we inhabit on canvas. Hopefully, the lay person viewing our paintings will recognize their Godself/Spirits and be awakened to their personal possibilities of unlimited power and love. Maybe it's time to do a self portrait.

[Michele Rushworth]

How kind of you to say such a nice thing about my work! Your portraits already show a high level of skill. If I was to give you one suggestion to improve your work overall (having checked out your website) I would say that you should make a New Year's resolution to paint only from your own photos, and especially no photos taken with flash. You'll immediately see a huge jump in the quality of portrait you can paint, and your creative enjoyment will increase too, since the result will be all your own creation.

Study the SOG threads on how to take reference photos if you're not sure what you're aiming for (it's not very hard and doesn't require any special equipment to get started). Then you can create some great new samples and you'll be on your way!

[Valerie Warner]

Michele,
I can't thank you enough for your time and generosity and courage to point out something so important to me as an artist! All of my other work is from my own experiences, my absolute own creations and I insist on this and take pride in it. It is the only way I will paint. For some reason, I dismissed this when it came to portraits and portraits are what I considered to be the tops. I wondered why the "Grant Boy's" portrait and "Erin" felt so like labor rather than joy. Those are the ones I accepted from the parent's fotos. I did NOT hold myself in high enough regard about MY personal ability to convey our spirit. It almost makes me cry. It is my New Year's resolution to value myself as an artist. I'm looking forward to seeing how that pigment flies!

[Timothy C. Tyler]

Val, I think this is one of the best portraits I've seen. The surface has a quality that is rare. I'm reminded of Fechin. I see in your work great promise. I too hope you'l work from life more. I think your skill excedes your references sometimes. Tim

[Valerie Warner]

Tim,

To receive a compliment such as that coming from an artist of your stature is
INSPIRING! ! ! ! !

Thanks. It fuels my fire to keep going, going, going . . .