Blog


On My Easel: April 22, 2024

Hey folks--Here's a new painting-in-progress currently on my easel, tentatively titled Model Break (24x30", oil on linen). When I came up with the concept, I had the model pose for small studies in my studio, which served as my reference material for this painting.    It's about 95% complete, and my goal is to have it ready for release later in May. I've included a short video for a closer look.   Watch the video     Let me know if Model Break interests you. The right of refusal will be given in the order that I receive collector requests. I'd love to hear your feedback, so drop me a line any time.           [...]

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Painting Spotlight: "Interlude"

                                              Interlude: The Painter Cameron Ritcher In His Studio (oil, 36x24") was painted between August and November 2020. While the painting took dozens of hours to complete, in this video you can see various stages of the painting from start to finish in about 75 seconds.                                     Cameron is an artist friend here in Richmond, Virginia.  He's an abstract painter who is also a very talented musician. This painting was inspired by watching and listening to him play his trumpet while I was visiting his studio. I did some oil sketching on location.    My impression was "Jackson Pollack Meets Chet Baker", the two 1950's cultural [...]

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Painting Spotlight: "Model Break"

I'm busy preparing for a new exhibit opening in May with approximately 25 new paintings, as mentioned in the August newsletter. In the meantime, some new business cards got me thinking about a previous exhibit.    Yep, that's me at my easel.   But this is only a small portion of the original painting, called Model Break (oil, 30x24", 2016). If you haven't seen the painting before, there's a lot more to it, and I'd like to share a bit of its story with you.   Model Break, oil, 30x24", 2016    I began Model Break in late December 2015. The concept began with the model alone, but eventually evolved into a quasi self-portrait and [...]

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Painting Spotlight: "In The Wings, Stage Left"

  In The Wings, Stage Left  Oil, 24x12", 2013    Video introduction to the painting In The Wings, Stage Left was part of a series of paintings for a Richmond Ballet project I was involved with in 2013. Such a great experience getting to know the company, watching rehearsals, and getting to sketch and paint from life. This painting featured company dancer Lauren Fagone as the model.    Before I followed Richmond Ballet or had even met Lauren, I used to see her around town, usually in Ukrop's. Noticing this elegant redhead and the way she carried herself, moving through the produce aisle with a gracefulness one seldom sees in a [...]

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Available Painting Spotlight: Ballad on Broad Street

Author's note 11/24/18: Sold; This piece is no longer available    This blog spotlights the making of Ballad on Broad Street, my 2012 multifigure composition depicting a group of street musicians who catch the eye of a young woman walking by. It's a nocturne set in the heart of downtown Richmond, Virginia, at 123 E. Broad Street. With a canvas size of 48" x 36" it's one of the largest gallery paintings I've created, and it involved over 200 hours of planning and painting. I hope you enjoy reading the story behind it's creation!   To give you an idea of scale, I'm standing by Ballad on [...]

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Available Painting Spotlight: Siesta

Collector alert!   This popular painting, Siesta, was sold in 2013, but due to some unforeseen circumstances for the original buyer, it recently came back into my possession. This blog spotlights Siesta, which is now on the market and available to a new home. For lovers of figurative art, this is a great opportunity to expand your collection. Scroll further down for rich details from the painting, and get a glimpse behind the scenes during the making of the piece.    Through December 31, 2016, I'm offering my newsletter subscribers 10% off any available painting in my inventory, including Siesta.  Contact me if you like to arrange an in-person viewing! *Author update 10/30/16: [...]

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The Sean Paintings

Sean posed for me after I saw him in a local production of The Music Man in July 2013.  The costume department allowed him to borrowed the early 20th-century costuming, & he came to my studio to sit for a head & shoulders study, seen below in a painting I call Sean's New Suspenders.       Sean's New Suspenders Oil on canvas, 16x12, 2013   During the couple of sessions Sean sat for Sean's New Suspenders,  my camera recorded additional poses to inspire another, more complex painting.  I'll review the results of such photo sessions, and if I see an engaging gesture, coupled with interesting lighting, I'll play [...]

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The Joe Paintings: One Model, Multiple Possibilties

  One of the great things about working with a model from life (in person, as opposed to working from photographs alone) is the opportunity to have conversations, learning about the person's life & interests.  This comfort level can inspire multiple paintings of the same model...some are formal, planned compositions, while others are simply loose sketches to explore a particular lighting, pose, mood etc..   Joe is an actor friend from local theatre, who first came to my studio in June 2013.  Since then, we've worked together several times, and this blog functions to collect the results.    Joe posing for a head study, June 2014.  The [...]

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Painting "Joshua's Flowered Shirt"

Although this painting is no longer available, click here to purchase a museum-quality print.   Josh came to the studio for the first time on February 14 with a duffle bag full of clothing options for a potential pose. Being a fashion design major at VCU, he had many visually interesting ensembles. He brought a flowered shirt that really caught my eye, and it's pale green was similar to a backdrop cloth I had placed on a folding screen.   This 16x12 head study of Josh was painted from life in my studio during that first visit on February 14.  It was probably done in about one [...]

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