Dave

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David Owen is a friend of mine. We’ve spent a lot of time together doing art. He does great pastels, drawings and oil paintings. He does landscapes.

Recently I asked if I could do his portrait. I met him in his studio. I took photos of him from a lot of different angles – some with him standing next to his easel, others showing him painting. When I looked at all of the pictures, I felt more interested in a facial study than a typical portrait. That’s just what I did.

You’ll notice his face is turned slightly to the side and he is looking down. This is portrayed by having the forehead area much larger than the chin, and the right side  of his face is actually smaller in area than the left. His glasses show up below his eyes, not because he’s pushed them down his nose, but because of the view from above. Also notice the different planes of the face with a variety of color and values.

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Wedding Portrait

4

I remember holding her–my heart was on fire. I couldn’t live without her. She was my new bride.

We’ve spent approximately four decades together raising kids, working, losing jobs, getting new ones, watching loved ones die, electing presidents, marrying off our kids, enjoying grandkids. Last year she sat by my bed as I was on life-support for nineteen days. She’s spent several months now, nursing me back to health. My heart is still on fire — only more so.

I’ve portrayed our wedding day as I want it to be remembered for generations. As usual, I break things down to shapes, values and colors. Her veil is made up of different colored blocks. My hair has many shades and values.

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Broadway Fountain

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One of my very favorite places to visit is Madison, Indiana. It is on the banks of the Ohio River just across from Kentucky. It’s main street has one of the largest historic districts in the country. There are dozens of old mansions and store fronts that look the same today as in the nineteenth century. There are art galleries, antique shops and  restaurants. My very favorite one is on a boat that is docked right on the riverbank. I enjoy eating there while looking across the river at the beautiful bluffs in Kentucky.

One of the most famous landmarks in Madison is the fountain on Third Street and Broadway. In this painting, it looks much closer than the vehicles or trees because I have used atmospheric perspective. The figures on the fountain are larger than the vehicles. The fountain is painted over the top of the trees. Both of these things give a feeling of depth. The viewer can feel as though they could walk into the picture. I’ve made the fountain look tall by having it go past the top of the painting. I’ve painted the bottom of the two bowls to create the illusion of looking up.

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SOLD – The Fountain

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This painting is of the famous fountain on Broadway and Third in Madison, Indiana. It is very famous. It was presented to the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876 by the Republic of France. Later the Indiana Order of Odd Fellows bought it and gave it to the city of Madison, Indiana.

I’ve always loved seeing  it during the fall when the trees have changed colors. There is a gorgeous church nearby which makes a dramatic background.

The painting has been at the Madison Table Works Gallery and was recently purchased there. I’m always very happy to have my paintings go to a good home.

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Out the Window

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My favorite things to paint are people, cars, and buildings. Recently I was eating lunch with my daughter in a restaurant in Northville, Michigan. As I casually chewed my sandwich, I was struck by the interesting view out the window – the silhouettes of the window frames and tables inside the restaurant. A lady was seated at a table carrying on a very animated conversation with her friend. The wind blew her hair. At the same time, cars passed by. The shops across the road made an interesting background. I was so excited! I knew I needed to try to paint this scene!

The first technique I used is atmospheric perspective. It is done in layers. First I show the interior of the restaurant. You see the silhouettes of window frames and tables. Words are painted on the window. The next layer is the woman. Between her and the cars is the umbrella. The last layer shows the shops across the street. The items in each layer get smaller than the previous, giving a feeling of depth.

I have portrayed reflected light on the window sills, the tables, the cars and the woman’s face and hair. Finally, I have divided everything into shapes and colors.

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Emma

11

I’ve heard it said that the eyes are the windows of the soul. In my mind, the most important part of any portrait is its eyes. If one looks at someone’s eyes they will see reflections of light on the iris. The “whites” of the eyes are never white. The edge of the bottom eyelid is showing. There are many other things that are apparent. Lips aren’t smooth. Look closely at anyone and their lips will have ridges which have highlights and shadows. These are a couple of things I should mention about this painting.

I had this model next to a window to have natural illumination on half of her face. This was done to show shadow and light and make it more interesting. I wanted to focus on her features, so parts of her head go off the canvas.

The most powerful technique in painting this portrait was emotion. Just as a singer or a pianist put feeling into their performance, I have tried to do the same with my art. Some might argue that I could have a more realistic portrayal with a photograph, but this is art, not a photo.

I love this painting.

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Cana

12

This painting is of the first miracle Jesus performed. You can read about it in John 2:1-11. There was a marriage in the city of Cana in Galillee. Mary, the mother of Jesus was there, and Jesus and his disciples attended. They wanted wine, but Mary told them it was gone. Jesus said, “Woman, what have I to do with thee?  Mine hour is not yet come.”  John 2:4.

Mary told the servants to do whatever Jesus told them to do. He told them to fill six water pots with water, so they filled them to the brim. They took them to the governor of the house. The ruler of the feast, when referring to the wine, was surprised they had saved the best wine for last, since the custom was to serve the best first. He was unaware that Jesus had turned the water into wine.

I wanted to portray the festive feeling of a wedding, so the two men at the right are enjoying a conversation. Mary is showing Jesus that the pitcher of wine is empty. My daughter, Sarah, made the costumes that appear in the painting. She also is the person who portrays Mary. I had three friends come pose for the others.

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