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Drawing on experience. About a week ago I did a lot of art…a commission, a long painting session, a drawing session, and another long painting session. I have the feeling that the first session, the commission, affected the others. Or, rather, I was affected by the commission.

The commission was difficult. An adult daughter asked me to paint a portrait of her deceased parents, who had been my friends. I should have declined, since I only paint portraits from life. But my fondness for this family caused me to seriously consider going against my usual art practice. I finally agreed to do a portrait if I could push the photo reference.  That is, I would paint a black and white portrait that would say “this fun painting is a blatant copy of a snapshot.” Sounds easy, but it wasn’t. I struggled with small color photos to create a likeness of these people that I knew. After three days of painting and numerous wipeouts, I finally had produced an acceptable portrait.  I was exhausted. I am showing the commission, with permission.

The day after my three day painting marathon, I attended my usual portrait session where I would paint a live model for six hours. Sounds hard, but it wasn’t. Not after the previous project.  First of all, I didn’t have to please anybody. Not even the models. Models are either not interested in their portraits or they politely like all the portraits.  So I felt no pressure to please anybody but myself. Another mitigating factor was that I could see color and use color. Color is fun. And, I had fun painting this woman. I am showing her portrait, without permission.

The following day, I was lulled into drawing at a weekly workshop. There was no stress and my drawings illustrate this.  As the workshop host said, “it’s only paper.” I felt free to draw in different styles. I am showing two of my drawings.

And two days later….

I don’t want you to conclude that my artwork became progressively easier because I was relaxed. Paradoxically, the heightened focus required in executing the commission carried over to my painting and drawing later in the week. I never relaxed my attention. I was focused. I had no wipeouts. I drew upon my experience.

Museum Portraits. I went to the Huntington Library yesterday and wandered into the Gallery of American Art. Let’s face it I am a portrait person and took it upon myself to take photos of many of the portraits and their accompanying descriptions. I intended to contemplate and read about them later, rather than extend my viewing time at the museum. 

So, I am undertaking an experiment. I have not yet read the museum information for the portraits. First I will comment on the portrait. Then, after venturing some thoughts, I will look at what the authorities have to say. I will share some or all of their thoughts.

I fell in love with this painting…strokes, expression, sense of movement. I am fond of ethnic furnishing and like the patterned rug or tapestry on the wall. This casual unconventional furnishing implies the uniqueness of this young man.

Charles Stuart Forbes

by John Singer Sargent

1882

“This lively study of the artist Charles Stuart Forbes demonstrates Sargent’s masterful ability to capture his subjects’ likenesses with a bold. economical use of the brush; each stroke adds significantly to the composition. The off-center placement of Forbes gives the work a casual atmosphere, as though it were done spontaneously.”

This man is important. His black coat and folded arms add weight to his thoughtful demeanor. His face, which shines through the neutral background, holds my interest.

Charles Wellford Leavitt, the Artist’s Cousin

Cecilia Beaux

1911

“…Charles Leavitt was a successful engineer….In this portrait, Beaux depicted Leavitt next to the tools of his trade, conveying a sense of the sitter’s assured confidence throughout his direct gaze, crossed arms, and calm demeanor.”

I am taken with the subject and design of this painting. The stripper is seductive with very simple cues…her expression, her teasing posture. The dark background with leering men is an inspired contrast to the limelight.

Burlesque

Milton Avery

1936

“In his painting Burlesque, Milton Avery featured the lead striptease artist, wearing a black feather headdress and briefs, with a chorus line behind her. The subject is characteristic of social realism in the 1930s that depicted popular entertainments and other scenes from daily life.  However, Avery’s use of simplified shapes and unconventional color choices, as in the faces of the audience members, aligned his work with the modernists of his day.”

This is portrait of masculinity…square jaw, chest hair, muscles. The view is straight on and nearly symmetrical, which to me, draws further attention to his manliness. He is powerful but, because of his downward gaze, he is not menacing.

Top Man

Walt Kuhn

1931

“Top Man depicts early 20th century trapeze artist Vittorio Falconi….he stands on a bare floor with muscular arms, well-developed hands, and a monumental chest—the physical attributes of his profession.  His pensive expression conveys the more cerebral aspects of his artistry.”

I think that the artist used this massive, interesting woman to create a wonderfully composed painting. The color palate is striking, the values are dramatic, the shapes repeat themselves, there a flat surfaces and patterns. The woman’s posture and expression are daunting.

Virginia

Belle Baranceanu

1926

“On a sketch for this painting…Baranceanu wrote that individuals ‘are at every moment the chief and essential links in the chain of human affairs; if we leave them out, we lose all sense of compassion.’”

Today I did a portrait of a ten year old. So, this portrait, which I viewed yesterday, has new meaning for me today. Although the red on the face is overwhelming, I have discovered that rosy cheeks do help define the subject’s youthfulness. As always, I do enjoy paintings with loose brush work.

Irish Girl

Robert Henri

1927

“From 1927 to 1928, he (Henri) painted over 140 portraits of children on tine Achill Island off the northwest coast of Ireland. In these paintings Henri favored vivid colors and bold brushwork. His portraits capture the individuality of his sitters and the nature of their environment; here, the girl’s ruddy cheeks suggest the cold, windswept climate of Achill.”

This portrait is fun. Not knowing its date, I imagine that this man is proud of his unique station of being an automobile owner and driver. The world is his own. the clouds even echo his haughty demeanor. 

Yankee Driver

Thomas Hart Benton

1923

“The subject of Yankee Driver is Bill Benson, a weathered Vineyard native who did odd jobs.  For Benton, island old-timers stood for traditional values and the American past.  The waves and curves animating the composition—from the profile of Benson’s sleeve to the wispy clouds—were characteristic of Benton’s work.”

This artist was able to capture finery…the texture of the fur coat, the gleam of the gold, the pleats of the sheer skirt. However it is not a natural portrait. Who sits in a chair in a fur coat and hat? This seems to be an effort to ensure an image of prosperity. I wonder if it was a commissioned portrait.

Caller Waiting

Kenneth Hayes Miller

1928

Kenneth Hayes Miller imbued the bourgeois woman in Caller Waiting with the monumentality and gravitas of an Italian Renaissance Madonna.  Wearing a fur coat and gold necklace, the sitter has the solidity, generalized features, and enigmatic expression of characteristic of women painted by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael.

This was an interesting exercise…I looked and learned. I enjoyed this examination of museum portraits.