Brandon

 I’ve been studying portraiture. very challenging...probably don’t yet have it nailed. 

First a charcoal “gesture drawing to establish large planes of dark and light;

Second:  light charcoal on pastel paper...similar goals, less charcoal; lightly start first fill in of pastel.

Third: final color correction, add details.

I think I should have quit when I was ahead. Oh well

Blue glass bowl with fruit

 Yummy fruits...the Italian plums (from which prunes are made) are courtesy of my sister from the plum tree in her yard.

6” x 8” water soluble color pencils on paper.

Simplify, simplify, simplify...watercolor!

 Small still life...#1 top left; simpler...top right; simpler, bottom left....water soluble color pencil and gouache 

Final: bottom right...watercolor and gouache 

Trying to simplify as I draw...though I don’t know if this is as important as seeing....hum

At First Blush

 Ripe nectarine. This is a drawing I made to familiarize myself with my model...Nectarines can be tough because their dramatic markings can distract from the form defining colors/shapes. I shall probably do more simplified, watercolor studies.

8” x 7.5” 

Water soluble, colored pencils on paper

The stuff of sketchbooks.

Pepper...Red study

I have been painting studies of individual fruits and vegetable; first a value study followed by a color study. All work is ala primo.

BluePlate Special #1

The first....BluePlate Special#1; a study of blue and orange. This is the first of a series I am currently painting. The format of this work in controlled always square, always cool grey tablecloth and cobalt glass plate; fruits and vegetables will vary. This is my means of studying color. I’ve plans to study oranges using anything but blue to neutralize the yellow oranges.

BluePlate Special #2

I am uploading these a bit backwards...this is BP S #2; the one from the other day was painted later; the one tomorrow hasn’t happened yet.

These are fake Jonagold apples...It didn’t have real ones....they have a Matt finish...nice color. I had used too much blue in the tablecloth in BP S#1...sonI adjusted this in this painting. 

Oil on gessoboard; 10” square

wow...big changes.

I have moved to Israel. I am living next door to my sister for the first time in 32 years. And I have an unobstructed, partially aerial view of farmland in the Judean Hills near Jerusalem. The Mediterranean light is amazing; I am painting, drawing, landscapes as well as still lifes...Corona virus has opened up opportunities to study at the Art Students League in NY.

Trying to find my way using social media to garner a following for my work. 

I am working on a series of stilllives I call BluePlate Specials; they are oil on gesso board 10” square. The premise behind these are that if the values are spot on, and temperature of the color is ok, the color will take care of it self....you can even explore fanciful color and the image will still be believable.