Katrina Willis, Evening in Autumn, 2008.
Pastel on paper, 9 × 12 inches.   © The Artist
http://www.katrinawillis.com

There are so many wonderful still life objects around now, so I’m going to weave in a few more still life related pictures into this next week!  This a beautiful gift from my wonderful husband- I drew these flowers in pastel on a gray (75%) toned paper.  It’s challenging to think about color value in the reverse.  So often, I tend to treat darker values as an additive.  We do this with everything.  We write notes with a dark ink on white or light paper.  Even as I type this now, the text on the screen is dark against a light background.  But in drawings like this, the lightest color value really guides the picture; it is a counter intuitive approach, and I get a kick out of the challenge and the philosophical implications.

Katrina Willis, In This Together, 2008.
Oil on canvas, 8×10 inches.   © The Artist
http://www.katrinawillis.com

This study was on its way to becoming a monochrome,  but through the development, it seemed stronger with some added color.  Burnt umber, ultramarine blue and white are the colors in this little study.  I highly recommend monochrome drawings and paintings for those wanting to try their hand at developing more as an artist.  It’s a phenomenal fundamental exercise for very experienced artists as well.

Katrina Willis, From the side, 2008.
Pastel on toned paper, 9×12 inches.   © The Artist
http://www.katrinawillis.com

Katrina Willis, Wireless, 2008.
Pencil on toned paper, heightened with white, 9×12 inches.   © The Artist
http://www.katrinawillis.com

Last night I was visiting with some students from North Park University, and the discussion turned to making observations about United States citizens and their tendency toward independence and self sufficiency.  So I thought I’d make a visual observation to add to the mix.  This quick sketch is “Wireless.”

Katrina Willis, Sleeping Man, 2008.
Pencil on toned paper, heightened with white, 9×12 inches.   © The Artist
http://www.katrinawillis.com

Katrina Willis, Erin, 2008.
Oil on canvas, 20×24 inches.   © The Artist
http://www.katrinawillis.com

I finally finished this little head and shoulders of Erin.  I was really tempted to overwork this and get really picky…  Thanks to Mark, though.  He’s great about telling me when a good time stop arrives.  Sometimes I choose to get a little too close to a painting, and I think he was right… He’ll love to hear those words! : )

Katrina Willis, O Nine O Nine O Eight (detail), 2008.
Pencil on paper, 11×14 inches.   © The Artist
http://www.katrinawillis.com

Katrina Willis, Study of Erin, 2008.
Oil on canvas, 9×12 inches.   © The Artist
http://www.katrinawillis.com

Erin is a great model for this study.  She may very well be one of my favorite models to date.  Hopefully I’ll have a finished painting soon to post with it.  This study took about three hours to finish, the likeness is evident, the values are approximate, and I can safely say that it is one of my most ‘finished’ studies in such a relatively short amount of time!

It’s also worth mentioning that today is one of those days where I felt my work stepping above and beyond the norm. It’s partly because of the modeling expert and partly because I sense a new level dexterity and skill developing in myself.  This is such a gratifying experience!

Photo by Dan Anderson  © The Artist
Click to see more of Dan Anderson’s Photos

If you are interested in purchasing prints of the studies (or the studies themselves) from this last weekend, please see the Purchase Work page.  I’ve also included a sample from that page below in this post.  Thanks for all of your support!