Marina from life
 

20" x 16", oil, about 2 3/4 hours

Here's my attempt to paint our fellow forum member, Marina Dieul. Last week she was in Philadelphia giving a workshop onher photography techniques, equipment, and philosophy, and how they can be used in portraiture.The following day she posed for a group of eight local artists at the Philadelphia Sketch Club. I was determined to finish this entirely from life and not fiddle with it later,even though I'm not entirely satisfied with the transitions around the eye sockets-- so here it is!

Alexandra, I really like this! It is great for such a short period of time. :)

You know, you mention the Philadelphia Sketch Club. I recently had the opportunity to reframe a watercolor portrait from one of the founding members of that club - Margaret Geisel. It was of a woman, probably painted in the 30s or 40s. My client bought it at a tag sale for $5.

Oh, very, very nice, Alex! I think it is wonderfully painted, with such elegant and expressive hands and beautiful bone-structure in the face. You have captured such a strong, intelligent personality. Marina looks as though she is about to get up and continue telling you an idea she had previously - like she is suddenly inspired. Really great work!

Wow!

How lucky you are to have had the chance to paint Marina, she is so beautiful , and you have really captured her elegant nature!

Your painting is loose and fresh and impressionistic, and her likeness is on the money. Wish I could have been there as well!

PS This a fabulous example of how on the spot accuracy does not depend on little details

In this quick study the pose says a lot (i'd say more so than the close up). Like the others have said, you can see she's a very elegant woman!

Really well done Alexandra!

Thank you all!

Michael, I think I took on slightly too much in the short time, but I was afraid I would overwork a head and shoulders, so I deliberately brought a larger canvas with the intention of painting more of her. In the end I could easily have gone on, but it was a test of discipline to stop right there and accept what I had done. That is a strange coincidence about the Sketch Club. It's a venerable institution.



Thomasin, "strong and intelligent personality" is an apt description of Marina! I am glad it came across--that and her striking appearance and bone structure. It's fun to paint someone you know and actually put something of their personality into the painting as well as capture their likeness.

Chris, I refer likewise to your comments. It would have been great if you'd been there. I am sure you would have enjoyed hanging out with all of us PA artists.

Christy, I'm glad the pose says a lot, Actually I was lucky to get the angle I did. Since I'm nearsighted and I got there late, there were limited spots available, so I snuck in under some standing artists, got a chair and set up my easel down low right in front of the model stand. I've never painted looking up at that angle before and it was fun trying something new

I'm glad you posted your beautiful painting, Alex!
Well, it was a strange feeling not to be behind the easel for this time, but I really enjoyed watching the paintings in progress during the breaks. And as I worked hard the day before, It was nice relaxing on a chair while you were all struggling :)

I must say that I recognize myself a lot in this painting, you really captured a certain aspect of my personality in a short time.

It was a good idea to take the larger canvas. Good sense of unity. I like the unfinished feel of the eyes - it encourages that feeling of becoming that Thomasin also captures so well.

Thanks, Marina! I was wondering how you would feel seeing your portrait on the forum. It occurred to me after posting that I could have asked you first. I'm relieved you think it captured something about you, though in my opinion it does not measure up to the real you. Thanks so much for giving us Phila. artists your time and knowledge.

Peter, thank you. Yes, the eyes were definitely in the process of becoming. You can say that again! I am glad you see the positive in it. I also enjoy seeing that process, often slightly unfinished, in others' work but it is harder to appreciate in my own work. Not that I like everything highly finished. On the contrary, I like to see evidence of brush marks. But this was like taking a test and being told "time's up" when you could have easily answered the last couple of questions.

Michelangelo could have finished the slaves for Pope Julien's tomb but I am very glad he didn't. I think so often there is more creative tension in the becoming than in the become. Solid drawing by the way.

Mentoring: What is a role model?
 

Alexandra!

This is such a solid study! The likeness (from what I have seen of Marina in this forum) is fantastic and the way you have positioned her on the canvas in that classic L-shape echoes the elegance of the sitter. My attention is also called by the fact that the point of view is slightly below sitter

Thanks for the additional thought, Peter.

SB, that was a wonderful link. I'm going to pass it on to so many people I know. On the forum there are so many artists whom I consider to be role models in so many ways, personal as well as artistic. It's true, age doesn't matter.

Thank you, Carlos! Such nice words--I really appreciate what you say about placement. when I'm doing a life study I enjoy looking back and forth between the canvas and the model or a few minutes, imagining where to place the figure. Then I just make a stab at it. I would say I get it right about 80% of the time, and this amazes me when I think of how much planning I put into a large canvas. Just the act of doing this is, for me, one of the exciting parts of painting from life.

By the way, Marina is not only an exemplary model, but also an amazing teacher. Her workshop was extremely informative. It opened up all kinds of possibilities and ideas. I know my opinion is shared by the other artists who took her workshop.

I think it's how you recognize a good work : you can leave it at any stage of the process ...



Carlos : I found that posing was not that hard ( at least for 3 hours) I'm a very quiet person, and don't care staying still. The most difficult is not moving the eyes, when there's very good painters around you doing live demos and you can't watch them !
I'll be in France this fall, I will not have a lot of free time, but it could be possible to organize some SOG european event ??? It would be a fantastic opportunity to meet you and some others !

I like the fact that despite the short time span, you managed to give equal importance to each part of the figure, including the shawl. Everything looks very convincing and reflects your energy and concentration
Ilaria.

Alex, i'm so glad you posted this painting - it has a wonderful sense of movement and grace. (And I'm so sorry to have missed the workshop and the gift of having Marina as a model!)

Thanks so much, Ilaria and Linda! Wish you both could have been there.

Alex,
I so enjoy looking at the results of your open studio, I'd whish that I could join you some day.

This is beautiful, so alive, fresh. You really have captured Marina! Like Allan, I wish I could have been with you all.

Allan and David, it would have been great to have both of you there. I often wish we were not so spread out geographically. Maybe, Allan, you will come to the PSA conference one of these years, then we can at least have a conversation in person if not actually paint together.

Alex,
I would love to be with you all at the PSA conference AND go painting together too. Maybe some day?

Things are getting into shape for me, over here, I have gotten some serious requests for portraits which I hope will open a marked for me.

Allan, that's such good news! The hardest part is getting started. Please keep us informed.

p.s. I edited this because there ARE people who know who you are.