Andrea, This is image nine.  I may sign the painting in a few days and get another photo.  If I do, I’ll upload one more.  We think about you a lot and remember all the fun we had when you visited with your mom.  We miss you.  Tell you aunt and uncle and cousins about this web site.  Hope to see you again soon.  Much love and hugs, Diana

Notice that each time I photograph the painting the color looks a little different.  That is only because the lighting in the room is different depending on the lights I use or where I do the photo or also if the sunshine is bright or cloudy.

Thank you to the many of you in so many countries for having an interest in my work. I hope you have a personal interest enough to appreciate the complications in every person’s life which interfere with our progress. I will just tell you that many things right now are preventing me from making the advances with my work that I would like. I believe I will not be able to have my new project ready for a very important fall show. It would have needed to be ready for the application which is due very soon. My own medical concerns and also my aged relative have kept my schedule too full.
Hopefully I will post the last two or three images of Andrea this evening or tomorrow. Have patience with me as things are very challenging at the moment. I consider myself to be very blessed but at the same time, life gets in the way of our plans sometimes. To you all, Shalom. Diana

Now the spirit of the sweet girl is beginning to shine through, even though I still have some adjusting to do on the features.  Her features are soft and beautiful so I must adjust the skin tones and eyes to reflect this.  When people ask me how I achieve a good likeness, this is my answer:  The mouth shows the expression and the eyes reveal the spirit.  Dear Andrea will soon be out of her teen years.  I’m sure her maturity will reflect some changes since I met her.  Andrea,  I hope you can still appreciate and enjoy this memory we have of you.  I have two more images to show you.  I have not yet signed the portrait.  I will probably post the last image and then sign it.  Hugs and love, Diana

At this point I am refining the skin tones to achieve the correct light and also to balance everything with the clothing colors.  I am still trying to maintain the chiaroscuro of the classic portrait.  As an update for those of you who might have missed it: this person is the daughter of our beloved AFS daughter who lived with us almost a year during our oldest daughter’s senior year in high school.  We have only met Andrea one time, during the New Year celebration more than two years ago when she and her mother spent a week with us.  I can still see her waving to us from the secure airport area as she and her mother were going through security, knowing only so surely that our next meeting was known only to God.  Andrea, if you are seeing this, please let me know by using the contact area on this site to message me.

This is Thursday the tenth of April already. My uncle is closer to the one hundred mark and gaining strength. We took him for a doctor appointment this morning and may have to return this afternoon. We’ve worked in the yard a lot so that takes time but the spring clean up is necessary if all the flowers are going to look good and do well. I love to see the bulbs bloom. I have two orchids in bloom right now too. I am in the process of preparing the very large sketch for my next major painting. I know there is a deadline if I’m going to enter it in the show this fall. I don’t see how I’ll get it done because of all the other things that have occupied my time. I just have to decide what is most important. I can hopefully still paint next year. Right now, there is no one else to help my uncle. I do get a little out of the ‘zone’ when I cannot work regularly. Bruce and I made a trip to Washington, PA to pick up giclees on Monday. That took the whole day. I had Plimoth wife photographed and also The Mountain Stream Heals All. Plimoth Wife is probably my best portrait and I hope someday to sell her so I wanted to have the ability to have the prints. I’m glad she is home again. It will be time to go to my maintenance therapy soon, so I’ll sign off. Oh, another thought; I’ll post another image of Andrea soon and also maybe a photo of the orchids. Till next time, Shalom

The eyes are now brown. I am beginning the very complicated work on the colorful shirt.  I like the choice Andrea made using the bright hat with the vivid and colorful plaid shirt.  These complicated articles are actually fun to paint if an artist is not in a hurry.  We must remember to examine how the light falls on these items as well as how the face is lit.  I really think a portrait is enhanced when the subject is lit brightly on one side and the shadow is dark on the other.  The old masters and modern artists of today call this chiaroscuro.  It can be very difficult to keep the skin tones believable when working on these two contrasting light effects. You will see in following images how the skin tones developed slowly over time until I felt there were soft transitions between the dark and the light. A model or client should never form an opinion when the work is in this stage.  If you were looking at a beautiful child and could only see the first layers (bones or muscle) you would not think this is the end result.  Perhaps this is why some artists never allow their clients to view the painting until it is finished.

When I paint a portrait I want it to have life and spirit.  I work by instinct not education or knowledge.  The one dimensional painting on a flat surface must have layers in order to ‘come alive.’ You can see here that during this painting of layers an artist must have confidence and insight in order to see past this unfinished condition.  Also it is important to look ahead to the desired skin texture, tone, life and beauty so that the artist knows when to stop.  After all, realism can be taken too far.  I am not trying to achieve perfection but to create a work of art.   (The eyes in this image may look blue but they are simply the unfinished under painting in grisaille.)  I attempt to make the original sketch as correct as possible but I will always be adjusting each feature to perfect the likeness and also the attitude and personality.

I have begun to post the work in progress of Andrea. I just posted image three and I realized that each image I post in order actually knocks the previous one down. In other words, I want our family to see the first ones first but the order they appear on this post will be the opposite. If Nelly or Andrea are checking this daily they will see them as I post them but if they find it after all the images are posted they will see the finished work and then scroll down to see the previous one. Well, I’ll just have to settle for that.
To all of you new followers of my post, hi and welcome. I am simply an artist who takes a little time to share what is happening in my studio. There is so much going on, I can’t keep up. I’ve so far never experienced artist burn out or artist block. My mind keeps ticking away and something is always calling me to get started. I simply have to decide and do the piece that is calling strongest. Right now I am working on a tiny view of nature for an artist’s group that meets about every six weeks. Hope I can get it finished. I have a huge piece in sketch that I need to start because it has to be ready for show entry in a couple of months. I have a portrait of my grandson in the works, simple and should be easy. I have an unfinished painting that I started several years ago and it got side tracked by others that seemed more pressing. I don’t like to let things remain unfinished unless I do that as an artistic choice. Hope what I post is at least interesting or inspiring.
My centenarian, mentioned in a previous post, has been hospitalized and is home again. He will turn one hundred in July. His wife is 92. They insist on taking care of themselves but how is that working for them: not so good. Seems there is not much I can do about it. My uncle is witty and feisty and fun to be with if you can tolerate his stubborn side. But he is tough. I’m glad!
The only other thing I’ll mention is that I’ve entered two national and international shows. I’ll let you know if any of my work is chosen. If so, I’ll tell you where to see it. Wish me luck. Diana

For those who follow this blog; I am placing these images on blog as a surprise for a special Foreign Exchange Daughter who lived with us when she was in her senior year of high school. Two years ago she visited us and I took some photos of her daughter hoping that I could paint a portrait eventually. At the moment she is away from her home country and I have not been able to reach her. I decided that I would post these on my blog spot so that she would see them when she checks this out. I will probably make a post on demonstrations to direct others looking for the step by step process in a painting.

Today was a medical day.  Doctor visits and a little shopping. At least it is not snowing.  Tomorrow I will be able to work in the studio but also there are things to do because I am getting visitors from out of state.  They are coming to visit our uncle who will turn one hundred years old in July.  Now, this is not your ordinary one hundred year old man.  When you talk to him, you might guess he is a bright and energetic seventy year old.  Even so, I have to say he has aged about thirty years in the last six months.  So my cousins will be here with me for almost a week.  It will be a joyful time.  Painting will wait till the following week so there won’t be any ‘progress’ on works in progress.  It is easy to put things in perspective when you love your family and enjoy their company. Nothing is more important!  I am looking forward to this time.  Till next week, happy painting!  Diana

I had one of those down days and didn’t want to get into the serious business of painting.  I decided to take the canvas which was already toned and dried and begin transferring the sketch for Portrait of a Young Man.  Actually, this is a really important step because this is where you must be careful to get things right.  Of course we must always be prepared to make corrections.  That is a continual process.  But I like to get the early steps as accurate as possible so that the corrections are limited.  Now lets see if I can figure out how to get the photo image on the blog.

It is March 12, 2014.  Yesterday we did not need a coat.  Today there is sleet, wind, rain and probably there will be snow before the night is over.  I am so glad I moved my studio, formerly referred to as the art room, to the larger space upstairs.  The reason is because it has a heater vent.  I can get cozy and stay here all day.  I’ve been working on the sketch for a very large painting (40 x 58) that I hope to enter in an upcoming show.  I have no idea if I’ll be able to finish it on time.  I don’t want to rush it because I want it to turn out as I envision it. It is all about textures.  I’m also working on several small subjects too.  This is a little unusual for me.  Recently I painted five small (3″ x 5″) individual pieces to exchange with the others in a group of artists who meet once every six weeks. The gathering is social but it is also informative and encouraging.  It was really interesting to see the imaginative and unique images each person had brought to trade as was the custom of the old masters.  Next time we are challenged to create a project focused on a tiny glimpse of nature, such as a detail of a flower or an insect, etc.  Surprisingly, I had already begun a piece that will fit the bill.  I’m not sure if it should be labeled a still life or a landscape.  I may entitle it, “Hide and Seek”.  I will post it when it is complete.

I am almost ready to put my signature on the portrait I’ve been doing for our first foreign exchange daughter.  The subject is actually her daughter.  I’m hoping she will follow this site and read the blog.  I am waiting for her to  e-mail me and then I will begin to post the painting in progress images, one at a time.  I hope it will be a fun surprise for them.

Bruce has been preparing the stretcher bars for the large painting and also for a portrait I want to do of our grandson.  You can see a detail of the sketch for that one on demonstrations.  I guess tomorrow we will stretch canvas.  That is a job for two!

Well, since I cannot paint more after dinner because of the pain thing, I guess I will go mix up a batch of blueberry scones.  I wish you all could join me for a cup of tea and a scone.  Till next time,  Shalom, Diana

Here it is Wednesday evening already!  I would like to spend more hours in the studio but my back started hurting worse again this week.  I’ve been trying for over two years to get it into shape.  The arthritis in the thoracic area is pushing on the nerves in my spine.  Last fall, after a trip to the ER, I was told nothing could be done that I’m not already doing.  I cannot take any pain meds.  Some cause stomach trouble, some I’m so sensitive to that I get violently ill and I cannot work in that condition.  So I work till it hurts too much.  Last night the pain was bad enough that I did not sleep till after two o’clock.

So, I am not making as much progress as I would like.  I cannot keep up with the show schedules but I have a couple of things ready that I can still show.  I am trying to tie up the loose ends in the studio, paintings that I haven’t finished.  Right now I am almost finished with a small portrait of the daughter of our first foreign exchange student.  I plan on beginning soon to post one photo every week of the work in progress.  I am hoping that Nelly will see this and then I can keep her in suspense as I reveal each one.  I hope she will like the end product.  She will have to keep in mind, the photos I used as reference were taken when she was here two years ago.  I am sure her daughter has matured a lot since then.  Our other AFS daughter will have to take some updated photos of her boys for me because I don’t think I’ll be doing a lot of traveling to far away places in the near future.   OK, Manu?

I had our youngest daughter post my web site on her face book page.  I never had any idea how many people that would reach and also from how far away I would get views.  My husband looked at the STATS today, then began to tell me about the special person this had reached, but he couldn’t talk because he was too emotional.  It is so good to have even this connection!

Another person said he was inspired to return to his creative process again.  Great!  If my attempts inspire someone, that gives me inspiration too.  My grandmother taught me to count my blessings.  That doesn’t just mean when things are going good.  As a matter of fact, it is especially important to be grateful in the most difficult times.  When I was too busy raising my girls, I didn’t do art but I did other things that I considered important.  Now, even at my age, I am able to pick up my dream.  I am happy to be creating art, even if it isn’t perfect or up to some critic’s standards. And even though I am not extremely sociable,  I do enjoy the shows where artists share encouragement and inspiration. Tomorrow, Bruce and I will be taking the time to drive my uncle to the doctor.  He will turn one hundred years old in July and has had some difficulty getting around since he broke his hip in a fall a few months ago.  Until then, he was still driving and I was not afraid to be in the car with him.  He is very special to me.  I’m hoping to do his portrait someday.   After we get home, then I’ll get back to the studio and see what I can accomplish.  Till next time, Shalom,  Diana Feb 26, 2014

I attended the Winter Exhibition for the Allied Artists of Johnstown on Friday, Jan.31, 2013.  The juror had been quite selective, only admitting, if I remember correctly, 17 artists with 36 pieces. There was a variety of media including sculpture, photos, oil paintings and many others.  I was delighted to be showing my latest painting, Plimoth Wife and also a small portrait of our beloved cat, Muffet. Plimoth Wife was awarded second place (The Donna Housel Award) which is a fine companion to her Best of Show from the Mr. Fred Roger’s Regional Juried Exhibition in the fall. I was honored to be in the company of such interesting and talented people.  I enjoyed the exciting spirit of the evening, meeting new artists and visiting with so many who shared their thoughts and encouragement.

Today is Feb. 11 already.  I finished my most recent portrait last week, which I will post soon. It will be entitled THE MOUNTAIN STREAM HIDEOUT. This is the third Mountain Stream title although I have used this setting previously. You will probably notice that for my own work, that is, for the paintings of my grandchildren, I like to place them in elaborate or busy backdrops. I do this for several reasons.  One, I like genre paintings, paintings that tell a story.  But the main reason I paint these tedious landscapes as a back drop though, is in order to practice and learn how to paint landscapes.  It is as simple as that.  Sometimes they work well, sometimes they don’t.  Usually the portraits I’m worried about, others really like.  Whenever I do a commissioned work, I make the background a more simple and classic one.   This brings the price into a moderate range.  Both the background and the price are negotiable as are other aspects of a commission. My goal is to create a work of art for the customer, not a copy of a photograph.  Many artists use photos due to the time constraints of the clients and the tolerance of the sitter.  I love to paint children and they are not often willing to be still for more than a few moments.  Even so, it is essential to get to know the subject of the portrait in order to achieve a believable and impressive painting.  Right now I am beginning work on a very small painting of a family member and also a landscape/still life.  You will have to decide which it is. Also I am preparing the sketches and canvas for a large work that I will show if it is ready in the fall.  In the coming months I hope to post some photos of a work in progress. I will end this for now.  Shalom, Diana