A Study of...

 Is there any better way to learn than to study the masters?

These next paintings are inspirations from or copies of some of my favorite artists' work. Sometimes I copy paintings because I like the subject of the piece, sometimes because I want to imitate certain styles of brushstrokes, or sometimes because I want to experiment with similar colors or lighting.

If you look at a photograph, you usually do not see all the diverse colors someone like Monet puts into his landscape paintings. This is where artistic license comes in. It takes time to train your eyes to see something and know what colors to use to interpret it. So I choose to see how other artists have expressed what they see in nature and learn from them.

This is Renoir's original painting titled The Heads of Two Young Girls. I love the softness of the lines and brushstrokes, the saturation of the colors, and the various colors seen in the skin tones. When I copy Renoir's painting, I learn his technique (by trial and error of course) as well as how he interprets his real life subjects. Renoir will express skin tones differently than the High Renaissance artist Michelangelo or the Harlem Renaissance artist Jacob Lawrence.

On the left is my study of Renoir's piece done in 2011. As you can see, I could not mimic exactly Renoir's smooth edges or his contrast of intense and subtle colors. Every time I do a study of an artists' work, it expands my style and understanding of art. 

The following are studies or inspirations from the styles of other painters.

Study of Sir Alfred Munnings' The Poppy Field (20x24)

Monet's House at Givenry (12x16), inspired by his impasto and movement of the brushstrokes

Saint Giorgio Maggiore (12x16), inspired by Monet's lighting

Study of Henri's Jessica Penn in Black with White Plumes (16x20)

Study of Monet's The Train Engine in the Snow (11x14)

Still Life in Pink (11x14), inspired by Russian artist Nikolai Blokhin

Study of Renoir's Jeanne Samary (16x20)

Brasil

My favorite place in the world. Beautiful beaches. Rolling mountains. Palm trees. Brigadeiro. Friendly faces. Guaraná. The world's best football. What's not to love?

Gabriela (9x12)
This is the first painting I did of a little girl in Brasil. 

I hope these paintings can introduce you to some of the faces and scenery of Florianópolis, Brasil. I started going to this incredible coastal city every year since the time I was fifteen. Then I spent a semester living with a family in Floripa working at a community center in a slum. Many of our activities were with children, and I cannot even describe how deeply the children touched my heart and left a lasting imprint. Looking into their faces, sometimes I saw an inexplicable joy, but sometimes it was a quiet desperation. Occasionally I captured a good photograph of this look, and it has been one of my favorite subjects to paint. I truly believe that the eyes in these paintings speak of the reality of these kids' lives. I love painting them and expressing what I see in their faces because they are people very close to my heart. Art always turns out best when you paint something you are passionate about, and I can say that these kids and this place is the beat of my heart.

Acabou o Dia (20x24)

Jorge (8x10)

Julio (8x10)
This is actually a Paraguayan boy, as is Jorge

Guilhermo (8x10)
limited palette of four neutral colors

Textures of Sunset (16x20)
Study of textured brush strokes and exaggerated color

Praia Inglêses (9x12)

As Ruas em Frei Damião (11x14)
This is the favela (slum) I worked in where most of these faces come from. With beautiful mountains in the background, I often thought how surreal it was that I lived in this place.

Brasilian Girl (8x10)
She is one of my favorites. I took a picture of some kids in a classroom making faces, and later I found this look on her face in the background.

Daniela (8x10)
People are surprised to see light eyes and light hair in my pictures from Brasil, but surprisingly there is a high German influence in parts of southern Brasil.

O Canal (16x20)
One of my favorite areas of Floripa is Barra da Lagoa, a fishing village  on the far east side of the island. This canal runs from the lake out to the ocean and at the end of the day is filled with fisherman unloading their catch for the day. Of course the boats and colors and uniqueness of the area caught my attention.

Barra da Lagoa (24x36)

Barra da Lagoa Canal (20x24)
The first ever painting of Barra I did in high school

Luisa (8x10)

Waiting Our Turn (24x36)
We visited a preschool one day to observe the classes and play with the kids. I clicked this picture when they were lined up outside waiting to change rooms.

Honduran Girl (8x10)
This was a commission done for a lady who took this picture in Honduras.