Gesso, Charcoal and Cardboard

This painting was done in an afternoon workshop at CCC with Bill Carmen, a painter/illustrator from Idaho. We drew our image onto cardboard using charcoal, then slowly added gesso by painting it and mixing it on the surface, being careful not to overpaint and muddy it up. Later we tore away bits of the cardboard to reveal the corrugated core. I also added a torn paper image to my work. November 2003

Watercolor Self Portrait, 1999

Here is a self portrait I painted in the summer of 1999. I guess you could say it is also an 'alla prima' painting...as it was begun and completed in approximately 1 hour.

Alla Prima means 'all at once'

I painted this self portrait in October 2003 using oil paint on canvas board. It was an assignment that I taught the advanced painting class at Clackamas Community College during a short term 'student teacher' assignment. I was finishing up my MAT at George Fox University and had the opportunity to teach adults.

Ari and David, good friends

Here is David with his friend Ariel Kelly. They met on HolyPal in August 2006.

Self Portrait 2006

I was invited to submit a self portrait for a show at Clackamas Community College in the spring of 2006. Here is what I painted of myself, directly from observation in the bathroom mirror. I used only 5 colors of paint: red, yellow, blue, black and white. I started with a wash of paint/turpenoid in the background, then gestured in my features with the brush, built up layers of dark values first, blocking in the dark and light areas. The actual colors came last. As I painted I was thinking, 'hey, this really doesn't look like me, but I'll 'go' with what I'm observing and see what happens'. It felt like I was painting some character, some Mme. Gauthier, some alter ego. I got rather mesmerized figuring out the nose and ear...where do all those intricate shapes go on a painting...how do the lights and darks blend so that the image appears 3d? Those were the struggles I worked on as I painted. It took about 10 days to complete.

WLHS Teachers Dancing

Here I am shakin' it during an assembly at WLHS, April 2006. Lotsa fun. Wearing a borrowed brown do-rag and Hendrix Hoodie...see if you can spot me!

Moving to Germany

It seems strange that in a month, my oldest daughter will be moving to Germany. I'm happy for her that she can live there, as I was able to live in Germany for two years as a teenager. We hope to go visit the family OFTEN! And in about 6 months we can speak German to each other!