Shadows From the Past

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It was about 1965 or 1966. We were hiking in the Wasatch Mountains. I was there with Cory Massey, Vaughn Brady, Dave Love and Scott Campbell. Life was simple then. We had just pulled some kind of naughty prank. Our worry back then was if Russia would launch nuclear missiles at us. The Civil Rights Movement had started, but we didn’t know much about it. LBJ was president. There was a war in Vietnam, but at that point most of the country supported it.

Life changed. Now, almost fifty years later, most of our parents have died. Both Vaughn’s and Scott’s fathers had been killed in car accidents. Vietnam had come and gone. 9/ 11 is a decade in the past. All of us are grandparents. Life doesn’t have that same happy magic. What has changed?

I’ve tried to give the illusion of the light going from the left to the right. Shadows are blue, light has a yellow tint. The background is vague to give the feeling of long ago . . .

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The Holy Family

4

Here are Joseph, Mary and Jesus in Bethlehem right after the birth. I wanted the baby to look like a baby — the kind you would want to hold and cuddle.  I wanted to show the sacred Son of God with sweetness in his eyes. Mary needed to look like a mother who is excited with her new little son. The picture needed to look like how real people would look, not like the weird paintings from the Renaissance that showed little Jesus with a head too small, holding a cross. Yes, it’s May, but Merry Christmas.

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Cows By the Marsh

2

My wife and I often go for rides throughout Indiana. We like to drive along and turn at random roads. We never know where we’re going. We just want to see what we can see.

This painting is of a scene in southern Indiana. I thought it was interesting to see some cows grazing next to a marsh. There was really nothing special about it, except there seemed to be bands of color from me until the woods in the background. There was definately atmospheric perspective — the  ground closer to me was warmer in color, such as the reddish soil and the green field. The further back, the green became cooler – the first row of trees was a purple color. The next row of trees were further back and the color faded. It became light blue. This gave the scene depth.

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Sketch of a Woman’s Face

3

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Every day I do several hours of sketching with a ball-point pen. This time was a drawing of a woman’s face. I’ve divided it up by sections created by the facial structure — the eyes and brows, mouth and nose, chin and cheekbones. I’ve portrayed light and shadow — the darker shadow with cross hatch. You’ll notice the hair drawn in the direction it naturally flows on the model.

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Smile!

7

Every once in a while I come across someone with a very natural and pleasing smile. This person acted like she enjoyed life and loved people. I wanted to share her warmth with everyone.

I absolutely love doing portraits! They’re my favorite thing to do. Eyes are a reflection of the soul — actually they reflect light just like a mirror. I don’t like straight-on serious portraits that have been done for centuries. A little angle gives interest, and it helps to zoom in on the face — after all, that’s what we’re most interested in anyway! I like to paint with enthusiasm and don’t blend everything together. I always put an undercoat that will be complimentary to the skin color. You can see little bits of blue coming through. This gives some depth and excitement!

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Artists at Montmartre

5

I love Paris. The view from the Eiffel Tower is amazing. The Louvre is breathtaking. I’ve visited two beautiful women there — Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. I’ve taken a boat ride down the Seine at night past Notre Dame Cathedral. I’ve eaten at sidewalk cafes. Paris is absolutely charming, but what do I love the most about that city? Montmartre. It is an area north of downtown Paris. It’s got the beautiful Sacre Couer Basilica, one of the most beautiful churches in the world, but I adore the French Impressionists. Some of them had studios here. I know Renoir and Monet did.

If you go to Montmartre not only will you find great cafes and shops, there will be dozens of artists. That’s what I love. I have a special memory there, walking up and down past artist booths, watching them do portraits. It reminded me of Renoir’s  painting “Dancing at the Moulin de la Galette.” There was a magic there. This painting represents my memory.

I’ll mention two techniques I’ve used — rhythm and atmospheric perspective. The three artists in the front and the umbrellas behind them create a rhythm as the viewer looks from one to the next. Atmospheric perspective gives a feeling of depth. The people who appear closer are drawn larger than the others, and their features are more detailed.

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Logan

4


Logan is a missionary in Spain.

Note the dark background on the left that contrasts with the light on his forehead. The background on the right is light and the back of his head is dark. This technique creates a dramatic portrait.

 

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Shakers

5

Norene and I needed to get out of the house last Saturday. Unfortunately, it was ice cold and the wind was howling. We couldn’t really go many places, so we drove to Franklin, Indiana and had lunch at The Willard, an old hotel that has been converted to be a restaurant. It was a great atmosphere and the food was good.

While we were waiting, Norene pushed the shakers together. I was fascinated by the reflected color in their lids. I decided I had to paint them. The whole technique I used was drawing the shapes and painting in the colors.

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