A Start and a Finish and more on the Workshop...

Work in progress: 20" x 24" oil, Notre Dame Future (my title, not the commissioning family's title...) This is a couple of hours into a painting of two cuties on Saint Josephs Lake in South Bend, Indiana. If you'd like to watch the second hour of this painting, it's HERE.

This is my finish of Kathy Holcomb's portrait. She's declared it beautiful and that's cool with me.

Sixteen artists have indicated their interest in my online still life painting workshop February 20th and I'm going to limit the group to 20, so do let me know if you're interested and I'll be sending out details and a PayPal invoice to that group in a couple of days. Email me at susan@susancarlin.com We're going to have a blast!

Painting workshops- Rockwall, TX and ONLINE

This week I got to hang out with with the coolest artists. Eleven fun, enthusiastic painters in Rockwall, TX were in my two-day painting workshop and they each impressed my socks off.
Below is Kathy Holcomb who, with her husband Richard, let me stay in their pretty guest room and fed me very well, indeed. They also took me with them to see a great performance called Celtic Crossroads. Thank you, Kathy and Richard! As a thank you, I'm painting a portrait of Kathy and have gotten this far for a quick demo during the workshop. I promise it will look like her when I'm done!

Let me know if you'd like me to come to your town and give a painting workshop there!
It only dawned on me that I hadn't taken a group photo until after a few had already left, so these are only seven of the eleven- Donna, Marie, Gleneva, Ginnie, (me scooching down) Kathy, Helen and Shannon. Missing are Linda, Nancy, Trudy and Dianna.

Helen, working in oil.

Nancy, working in pastel.

Shannon's oil painting of her grandson.

My gracious host, Kathy, and her oil painting.

Marie and her self portrait in oil.

Gleneva and me. (My shirt says, "Life is Simple: Eat, Sleep, Paint." Sometimes it works out just that way!)

Donna- a very good painter, and also gave me home-made peach preserves. Mmmm.

It was beautiful the whole time I was there until I drove out of the parking lot. I snapped this before going over the long bridge over Ray Hubbard Lake. By the time I go to the other side, I had to hide under a gas station's roof from hail and simultaneous lightning and thunder crashes. The flashes were hair-raising! Minutes later the sun came out again. Texas weather- never dull!

I'm offering a one-day online painting workshop Saturday, February 20th, so if you want to paint at home, following step-by-step as we paint a simple still life arrangement together, I think it'll be fun, you just might learn a LOT, and it will certainly eliminate the hard part of going to a workshop- schlepping all that stuff! You can be right at home, watching me on the internet, and painting along with me as I explain and show each part of the process. The cost will be low- $50. for the day, which will include two quick assessment/suggestion sessions online (if you wish), plus you'll be able to replay the private, password-access broadcasts as often as you like for a month following. If this sounds good to you, email me susan@susancarlin.com and I'll send you more details closer to time.

Love, Susan

Caroline- pastel portrait

What a sweet face to paint! This is Caroline, or Carrie Lu, and her portrait is in pastel, 20"x16".

I've taken this photo indoors, at night, with fluorescent lighting, so the background seems more yellow-green than the painting, which is more of a grey-green-blue in reality. I painted much of this portrait online, but finished it up today at home- in my pajamas! San Antonio is getting so much rain today I thought it best to not open the gallery and focus on this painting. Carrie Lu made the day a wonderful one. I only had to get out in the muck late in the day to pick up my new glasses. Rimless trifocals- so stylish.

Now that I've completed this portrait, I'm turning my attention to preparing for a two-day workshop I'm giving in Rockwall, Texas (near Dallas) on Tuesday and Wednesday next week.

Want me to come to your town to give a painting workshop? I'd love it! Gather 8-12 of your artist friends, find a place to set up our easels and let the fun begin! Contact me- susan at susancarlin.com - and we'll figure it out.

Susan

Salon entries in, now back to commissions...

I submitted these paintings into the 2010 Salon International today -two days before the deadline! It might be wiser not to share that, in case none are accepted, but we're friends, right? I guess I count on you to help me celebrate if either is accepted and encourage me if not. I'm pretty proud of these paintings, whatever happens.

Gentleman Traveler, 14x11 oil

Sisters In The Sand, 16x20 oil

Tonight (Wednesday, January 13, 6 p.m. Central time) I'll be continuing work during my online broadcast on the pastel portrait of Carrie Lu.

I hope you'll come by and chat with me and my fun group of artists and friends while I paint.

Gentleman- nearing completion

I've been working on this painting the last few days and really enjoying the process. I liked the initial "slap dash" lay-in and I've had a lot of fun fleshing the subject out and refining more, while trying to leave some evidence of the fresh feeling of the underpainting.
I'll be working on the pastel portrait of the little girl again on Wednesday evening if you're able to join me online at 6 p.m. Central time. I may work on it before then, too. If you'd like to get an email whenever I'm painting online, you can add your email address to the top subscription form in the sidebar of my blog.
It's wicked cold here in San Antonio right now so we're getting a taste of what our friends to the North experience more often. I'm sure ready for the return of our usual weather. In the meantime, I'm off to a dance lesson and hope it'll help warm me up...
I hope you're doing whatever keeps you warm and happy, too!

Slap Dash and Wicked Fun

I painted this yesterday online for fun. Boy, I loved it. It's rough, unpolished, exhuberant and colorful. I want to paint more often like this. Took about an hour and 45 minutes and I had great company all the while. Want to watch? Go here.

I'll get back to the more careful paintings soon, and I will likely fiddle with this one (polish it) just a bit, but I hope to arrange to do more fun fast paintings this year.

Pastel portrait broadcast at 5 p.m. tonight

All the Christmas commissions have arrived at their destinations and I'm taking a bit of time to work on something for myself. Above is an about-midway-through progress image of what's on the easel now. I'm calling it Corner Chair as a working title, but a friend has suggested Not Schmid in case anyone were to confuse the model for the famous and amazing artist Richard Schmid, who also wears a Greek fisherman's cap. It has many days of painting to go, but perhaps you can get the idea of it from this shot. If it turns out well enough, I hope to enter it into a competition. I've been doing most of the work online, so there are hours and hours of recordings of it getting to this point at www.ustream.tv/channel/susancarlin .

Tonight at 5 p.m. Texas/Central time, I'm breaking from working on Corner Chair to begin a commissioned pastel portrait of a beautiful little girl. Perhaps you'd like to drop in at the above link and watch or log in and chat? It's not polite to brag, but the nicest people come hang out with me. It's a party every time I paint! Hope you'll join me.
Susan

Winding up 2009 and Looking forward to 2010

I hope you're enjoying the holiday. As you might guess, mine is being full of painting, as well as family and friends and feasting. Heaven!

This is the portrait I did for the portrait exchange on the Different Strokes From Different Strokes blog. The lovely woman is Marilyn King, who also painted my portrait. My colors in this photo seem wonky compared to the original, but close enough, I think. If you'd like to see the broadcast recordings of me painting this portrait, you can go here for Part 1, and here for Part 2.

I raise my portrait prices at the beginning of each year, but always honor the current price if a deposit is placed before the end of the year. If you were thinking you might want a portrait this year, let me know and we'll arrange a deposit to hold this year's prices. susan@susancarlin.com

As the new year approaches and you start to think of your New Year's resolutions, or ways you'd like to tune your life a bit closer to your heart's desires, I send my encouragement to live your dreams. The world will be a better place for you and for all of us if you do, I'm certain!
Love,
Susan

Holiday commissions complete

I finally completed this 10"x8" oil of Kyra above. The reference photo had been taken by a cell phone of her still in the hospital after being born prematurely.

The portraits below were 10"x8" oil commissions I didn't think I'd have time to do before Christmas, but worked many, many hours online and off this week to complete. If all goes well with the drying and the varnish and the post office, the family will have them in time for the big day.

Each of these young people are so beautiful, I know their parents must be proud.

Now I'll be turning my attention to a couple of paintings I hope to enter into competition. I'll let you know how that's going in my next post.

I wish you the happiest of holidays, full of comfort and joy and love.
Susan

Latest portraits

I've been busy and loving every minute...

I really enjoyed painting this 12"x12" oil portrait of Ike and Kirby, adorable Jack Russells.

George Davis, 20" x 16" oil. This is the portrait I only had a black and white reference photo to work from. I'm pleased with the outcome.
Next up on my easel are four 8" x 10" oils, portraits of four children, the youngest 17 years old. I'm not sure I'll be able to get them done before Christmas, but I'll give it a good try.
After that, on my portrait schedule, is a 20" x 16" pastel of a beautiful little girl, then a 20" x 24" oil- an epic painting of two boys on the shore of a lake in autumn, Notre Dame is across the lake reflecting in the water, ducks swimming on the surface... quite a project.
Somewhere in there I want to work on a painting or two for myself- to enter into a couple of competitions this next year.
I hope you're enjoying your woolly sweaters and earmuffs and the scent of wood fires in the air. Even here in San Antonio we've begun bundling up. Saturday evening we played tourist and took a boat ride on the Riverwalk. The lights were wonderful and we loved the wry and witty commentary by our guide. The other riders appreciated the big blanket we shared with them. Cuddle up! Share a little spiced cider or eggnog with your favorite people. We're on the eve of new beginnings. Have a warm holiday!
Susan

Precious memories and an exciting future

I promised to send the finished (tiny) portrait of Nanny, since I'd included an image of it in progress. This is a 5" x 7" oil that is shipping out today in time for Christmas. Doesn't she have a kind, sweet face?

Below is a series of progress images of a 16" x 20" oil that I'm painting from a black and white reference photo. I'm only a couple of hours in on this one, but thought I'd show you what I see as I go along...






Along with an image of this painting finished, I'll send you an image of the two cute Jack Russells I'm finishing up right now. Both are giving me a steady, expectant gaze from the canvas...

I can hardly believe it, but my house is decked out for Christmas already and it's helped to put me in the holiday spirit in a big, big way. It's working to alleviate some of my shock at finding myself the mother of someone having her 28th birthday next Monday. I was 26 when she was born. The years are flying by and I'm SO grateful to be spending these current ones painting and learning to paint ever better.
Whatever it is that makes you feel alive and engaged and excited to get started... that's what I wish for you this Season.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Since I decided to return to being a professional artist, my gratitude list has grown longer and more enthusiastic. I'm living my dream of painting for my living, which is bounty enough, but I enjoy such a wonderful network of people interested in what I paint -some are other artists, some are friends, many are people who've visited my gallery- I'm thankful beyond explanation for the feeling of connection I have now. As a doctor, I often felt isolated, so I appreciate each reply to my newsletters and I dearly love those wonderful people who come chat with me while I'm painting online. Thank you for letting me share what I paint with you.

Angela and Aurora, oil, 24" x 18"

This is the start of a tiny oil portrait- 7" x 5"- that I got to do yesterday during my Wednesday broadcast, with the family who commissioned the painting in the chat room, talking about the impact the subject had on their lives. I really enjoyed the session. I'll be sure to send an image of the finished portrait when it's completed.

La Villita, where my gallery is located, is having its holiday open house on Saturday, November 28th. I'll be in the Gallery and hope you'll come by to visit and have some refreshments. The annual lighting of the Riverwalk is Friday, November 27th. It's magical to see the Riverwalk all glittery with lights for the holiday season!

If you're near San Antonio December 3rd, you're invited to attend the San Antonio Art League and Museum Gala, 6-10 p.m. FREE to attend. There will be live music and appetizers and hors d'oeuvres and lots of great paintings!
I'm one of 144 artists who donated a 12" x 12" painting (mine is a cowboy's profile) to the silent auction.
San Antonio Downtown Market Square Hotel
(formerly The Radisson next to UT Downtown)

As you can imagine, I'm busy painting portraits that will be gifts for Christmas, all of them honoring and celebrating someone special. Oh, I love my work!

I hope your Thanksgiving was filled with family, friends and much love.

Big smiles and and a tender moment

Angela and Kristy, oil, 11x14 Smiling cousins. It's still on my easel and still wet, but it's close to finished so I thought I'd show you. I painted much of it online yesterday... hours and hours online. Thank you to the sweet folks who kept me company.

These are the artists in my Marble Falls portrait workshop last week. Enthusiastic and hard working, they also kept me laughing and wishing I lived closer to Marble Falls. Thanks, Ya'll!

Midnight Wedding Aboard Ship, 14x11, oil

The way the man in this portrait looked at the painting when he came to the studio to pick it up was equal to getting Best of Show at a prestigious competition. Better. It was a difficult painting to do and from a frankly terrible reference. I struggled and maybe even cursed a few times. Pretty sure I did. But the client's happiness with it made it all worthwhile.

For the remainder of the days before Christmas, I will be glued to my easel working on the several commissions I've promised to be done by then. Except when I'm at dance lessons. I'm a little dangerous on the dance floor yet, but it's so much fun! Old dog. New trick.

Go have some fun today!

Himalayan Kitty and progress on Angela

Maxxy, oil, 14 x 11
This was a fun commission. The client who commissioned it tuned in to watch the finishing touches during my broadcast yesterday and sent this email today:
Morning, Susan thank you so much for yesterday…. I smiled the whole time that I was watching you paint Max…. He’s is perfect, I could be happier ….. I am so glad that I found you!!
Words like those mean the world to me. I love my work.

I worked another few hours on this commission yesterday, also. So much yet to do, so much to change... Portraits are like intricate puzzles where you have to craft each piece yourself. It's challenging and exasperating... and thrilling when you finally get all the pieces to fit. (The background is undetermined yet, so I've covered the white of the canvas with blue and green just as a placeholder.)

Double Vision and Progress

Yesterday these two handsome people walked in and it took me five whole seconds to figure out how I knew them - I'd painted them last year! Here they're standing with the giclee print I had made of their portrait. The larger original was commissioned by Fairmont State University in West Virginia where Dr. Daniel Bradley had been president. He is now president of Indiana State University. Cheri Bradley was the first president's wife to be painted in the official portrait for that university. The Bradleys are a team and preferred that way of being portrayed. Cool, yes?

I painted online last night and made a little progress on the portrait of Angela and Aurora. In case you wonder, I love every part of the process of painting a portrait. Each piece of the puzzle that I get right is a little thrill. And last night I had the additional thrill of getting to talk with those who came to watch the broadcast, and with a friend who was in the studio with me.
I'm completely spoiled now.

Workshops and starting a commission

Howdy!
Last week was chock full: One four-week Painting Workshop had its last session on Monday, the Langley dedication was on Wednesday, and I had a two-day Portrait Workshop on Friday and Saturday. I'm glad not all weeks are so busy, but I did love every minute!
I completely forgot to get a photo of the ten wonderful artists who impressed me greatly with their brave work in the four-week workshop, but let me tell you- Peggy M, Marilyn, Glenda, Dolly, Lorelei and Rhoni drove down from Marble Falls, worked their tushies off and drove that long drive back each Monday. Peggy M, Ruby, Pam, Mary and Gaye didn't have so far to drive, but worked just as hard. I was honored to have each of them in the workshop.

I did manage to get a photo (above) of the Portrait Workshop artists: L-R: Pam, Shelley, Motoe, Nancy, Janet (me) and Sherrie- in New Braunfels, TX. The young blonde woman in the middle is my niece Stella who modeled on the second day. I came away with such respect for how hard these artists worked and for their passion to learn.

This was my demo for the painting workshop- Attempting to show thinking and painting in three main values as a way to begin each painting.

Yesterday, Monday, in a huge rainstorm, three artists still showed up for their first session of a four week workshop. They each pushed themselves past their comfort zones and we were all shocked when it was time to go. I love my work.

There's still room in the two day Portrait Workshop in Marble Falls (just west of Austin) November 3-4, in case you're ready to move your portrait skills forward and have a ton of fun at the same time- contact me for more info.

Angela and Aurora, 24"x18"

Today I began this portrait commission online. I had good company while I painted. It has a long way to go, but I already love the happy feeling it has.

Whatever it is you love to do, I hope you got a good healthy dose of it this week!

Susan

Langley Elementary School Dedication

Well, it was marvelous. Last night was the dedication of the new school that was named after Ralph Langley, the subject of the mural painting I finished recently. As I walked in the main entrance of the school, the mural hung facing me above the corridor directly opposite. In other words, you can't miss it! The original oil painting is two feet by 4 feet, and was presented at a luncheon yesterday to the law firm founded by Mr. Langley.

It was borrowed back briefly for the dedication last night, and brought on stage by two adorable children. I was invited up to be introduced as the artist responsible for the mural at the entrance to the school. Very nice.

The whole program was quite moving. It was a loving memorial to Mr Langley who died six years ago but who has left a lasting legacy here in San Antonio.
His daughter, Janis, was the spokesperson for her family at the luncheon and at the dedication, and is responsible for commissioning me to do the painting. I wrote her a thank you this morning and this was part of her reply:

I can't tell you how thrilled we are with your work, at every level. The design was way beyond what I expected (I don't know what I expected, really) but the notion of the print was true brilliance.

I hope and bet you will get further work from this- comments were made by NISD that this sets a new level for these "murals," so wouldn't that be great?

Thanks so much for being part of this effort, going above and beyond just doing a painting!

With deep appreciation,

Janis

Those are the kind of words that can keep an artist painting, don't you agree?

I had to document this... me dressed in something other than rumpled, paint-spattered clothes! My fabulous artist friend Laura Jeanne Pitts made the gorgeous jacket I'm wearing. I felt like a million bucks last night.
Now it's time to continue work on my lengthening schedule of commissioned portraits and also try to tuck in a competition painting or two along the way. Thank you to everyone who wished me well and kept me company as I painted the Ralph Langley mural painting!