Portraits plus...
 

Looking over these posts on this forum, I have a curiosity about what other subjects portrait artists paint either on a regular basis or every now and again.

Do you allow yourself 'free time' to paint ????? to keep your creativity alive and free or are you all so busy that you do portrait after portrait like a production line.

As portrait artists, do you consider 'free' or 'experimental' projects important to allow yourself extra time for increased expression to freshen up your creativity?

I am painting two figuratives, a cow painting and a landscape right now. Then again, I do not get a whole lot of commission work.

Kimberley,

That is interesting. Do you have a favourite subject?

It seems you are quite versatile. I really enjoy your work.

Does your creativity flow better because of your confidence with some subjects?

Hi Ngaire,

I must admit that I spent most of my available time on portraits, either thinking, planning or painting them. But that is mainly because it is so new to me. I joined this forum last winter ( northern winter that is ).

But before that I used to paint mostly watercolor landscapes and nature morte.

I am certainly not going to quit that. I plan to make some nature morte to paint in oil. Some of them with flowers that I like to do, it build up a fresh attitude to colors.

I would not mind to show some of these earlier things in here if Cynthia would allow us to.

Maybe there could be a week of total madness, showing a couple of the things we do to recover from the hard labor of portraiture. One week and then it should be removed, how about that ???

For Christmas ?

Allan

Ngaire,

Yes - my favorite it painting a figurative. That way I can control the costume, the story - the whole thing. I do find that if I have been painting figures for a couple months without anything else then I am a bit less confident when I go to do a still life or landscape. That's why I try to fit those in here and there so I won't lose anything I might learn along the way.

What else are you painting Ngaire?

To Allan and Kimberley

I am not sure if Cynthia would let us, but I think as a special week of interest it would be interesting to see other subject interests from the members here on this forum. Why not a Halloween special Cynthia?

Kimberley, I was fortunate for a while over the last couple of months to have had a few life models with the community artist group I initiated but at the last one I was left to hold the purse as those that promised to come to share the costs didn't turn up.

So I am trying to tighten my skills up now with still lifes until I can afford to buy my own modelling time. I do still like to play with modern work to keep the creative spark burning and the freedom of expression from it.

If there's a Halloween special, I would like an animated writhing Medusa head for my photo on the left.