From my Sketchbook: Luana Sketch

"Luana Sketch," 9x12. Oil on Gessoed 140 lb. Canson Watercolor paper. From Life

From my Sketchbook: Francesca

"Francesca Sketch," 9x12 in. Oil on Gessoed Canson 140 lb. Watercolor paper. From Life

"Bovine on Red"

"Bovine on Red,"13.5 x 19.5 in. Black charcoal and white chalk on Red Fabriano Tiziano Paper. This was an interesting challenge. This drawing was conceived around a black, white and red themed show. I had fun working on the values.

"Time and Cherry Blossoms"

"Time and Cherry Blossoms," Oil on Hardboard, 18x24 in.

From the moment I caught the model with that slightly pensive amused gesture and her beautiful silk robe, I knew that I wanted try to capture it. The painting would be a concept piece. The concept took some thinking and working out but once I hit on the Japanese doll, the whole thing resonated with me.

I used to collect international inspired dolls when I was a young adult. These were not dolls to play with, they were to wonder at and imagine.... flamenco dolls, Irish dolls, German dolls and the like all in national costumes. So here is the model fondly remembering a doll she had in her childhood. Also the glance while fond is also a bit bittersweet  -where did the time go? She belongs to a vast world; she doesn't belong to a place or a time per se. I wanted that positive image of her to come through my painting of her.

I then had to capture that reverie on youth and time in the background elements. I wanted some Japanese artwork in the background to tie her pensiveness, the robe and the doll together. I came upon one of those untranslatable phrases in Japanese, "Mono No Aware." It is when you look at a thing and say, "Ah!" realizing in that moment the beauty of the thing, its impermanence and transience all at once. The concept has infused Japanese literature, philosophy, and aesthetics. Cherry blossoms have come to be associated with the "Mono No Aware" concept more than any other thing due to their exquisite beauty and two week life span.

I incorporated the imagery in the background to pull it all together. The Japanese scroll on the left side wall  contains the calligraphy reading "mono no aware" and the cherry blossoms are on the viewer's right in the print on the wall.

My palette for this painting was: Winsor Newton Yellow Ochre Pale, Gamblin Cadmium Yellow Medium, Winsor Newton Light Red, Utrecht Raw Umber, Utrecht Cadmium Red Light, Rembrandt Viridian, Gamblin Coblat, Winsor Newton Indian Red, Rembrandt Ivory Black and Gamblin Pure Titanium White.

On the "Mono No Aware" and the cherry blossom concept, you can start with the following links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mono_no_aware

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_blossom