Circus, Circus

Before the Show, 22 x 28, oil on canvas, by Heather Dixon

The kids have joined the circus! Here is my recent painting of my children in this year's Halloween costumes. As usual we did our annual photo shoot but this year I wanted to do a painting as well. I liked the opportunity that a painting offered me to be completely whimsical. (There was not a pony at the actual photo shoot) I had so much fun with this painting that I may have to paint one based on their Halloween costumes every year!

Head and Shoulders Portrait

Oliver Dixon 14 x 20 Oil on Canvas

I just finished this portrait of Oliver this week. It is a head and shoulders size portrait and is 14 x 20 inches. (unframed) I worked from photo references for most of this painting, however, I did get him to pose for me for some of the finish work. He can sit surprisingly still for a 4 year old even if it is only for a short while!

Figurative Painting on a Small Canvas

Playtime 11 x 14 Oil on canvas board

I have been painting figurative oils on a small scale the last few months. This is very different then painting the large canvases upon which I paint portraits. It has been a fun exercise. Above is on of my favorite paintings that has resulted from this new endeavour. It is of Oliver playing with a favorite toy on the sofa. A benefit of smaller paintings is they fit just about anywhere. This one will be making an appearance at my husbands office. Who said you can't have original oil paintings in your cubical?

Portrait of Alex

Alex 24x 30 Oil on canvas

I just finished a portrait of my niece, Alex. She wanted to be painted with her hunting bow. We went to Chandler Park for the initial photo shoot to determine the composition. The monochromatic colors of both her surroundings and wardrobe lent itself to a limited pallet. Texture became a very important element of the overall composition. I really enjoyed working with a more limited pallet and will definitely do so again.

Painting My Aunt Janice

Aunt Janice, 24x36, Oil on canvas

I painted this portrait of my Aunt Janice who is also an artist. I really enjoyed this project, in part, because Janice was a large part of the reason I wanted to pursue art as a young child. I always loved receiving hand-painted Christmas presents from her for Christmas and other special occasions.

I painted her at her easel in her kitchen where she often paints. On the easel is her current project. The main lighting source was the windows behind her which created dramatic shadows and lit up the canvas on the easel.

Sibling Portrait

Hughes Children, 24 x 36, oil on canvas

This is one of several paintings that I have completed in the last month. I wanted to keep the pose casual in keeping with the families lifestyle. The family dog, Sophie, also made it into the painting. I really enjoyed incorporating the children's interests into the portrait.

An Oliver Portrait

Oliver 16 x 20 Oil on canvas

My latest portrait, Oliver with a favorite book, is a companion piece to the one I recently did of Clara. I again used a chinoiserie wallpaper to introduce pattern and color to the background. I think this gives an otherwise classic composition a more modern feel.

My new painting of Clara

Clara 16x20 Oil on Canvas

I wanted to do a painting that was foremost a figurative piece and not a traditional portrait. I wanted it to tell a story with universal appeal. Clara was my model along with one of her stuffed bears. I tried to capture something timeless in her pose and clothing but kept it current through my use of color.

The Sister's Portrait

Dressing Up 20X30 Oil on Linen

My nieces, Maya and Peri, are the subject of my newest portrait. They love to dress-up and I was inspired by a visit they paid us last spring where they dressed up with my daughter and played princesses. The painting was given to them for their 6th birthday (although it was a little belated!) My birthday wish for them is that they continue to play make-believe for years to come and never forget they are princesses!

Avery the Archer

Avery 24 x 30 oil on canvas

Avery was posed holding a bow at the archery range for this portrait. Three arrows are stuck in the back stop. The back stop is a wall made up of cardboard sheets laid one on top of each other on their sides. The texture of this surface in combination with the particle board wall beside it were challenging but very fun to paint. I like the casual feel of both the the pose and the location.

Oliver's Portrait

Oliver 24x30 oil on canvas

Working from photo references of last summer's corn harvest I painted Oliver outside in a cornfield for his portrait. I took some artistic license and replaced the plastic Rubbermaid ice chest upon which he was seated with a vintage one. The full sun lighting presented a different challenge then the interior portrait did. I wanted to capture the dramatic lighting without areas feeling "washed out."

On this painting I used a traditional canvas instead of an ultra-smooth finish. There was a recognizable difference and I will return to using smoother surfaces on the portraits to follow.

The Young Artist Portrait

Young Artist 24x30 Oil on canvas

My daughter Clara loves to draw. I choose to paint her at the kitchen table with a marker in hand as I often find her. I began by taking a reference photo and then did a charcoal study drawing ( picture below.) I used an ultra smooth primed canvas. A smooth surface works better with the glazing techniques that I use. I painted a grisaille (under painting) in burnt sienna onto the canvas. I then used glazes followed by scumbling and some areas of wet on wet painting. My latest discovery that I will use on every painting hereafter is a modern Maroger medium! It is a glazing medium that adds a luminosity to the paint. I mixed a little bit in my thicker paint as well to create a paste so that the entire painting would have the same luminous appearance as the glazed areas.

reference photo and charcoal study - The final painting is slightly different. I removed some of the items on the wall and shortened Clara's hair to reflect a recent haircut.

the grisaille above was painted on the canvas in burnt sienna.

Wonderland Revisited

Wonderland oil on wood panel 20 x24

This is my first multi-figure, portrait painting. I painted Avery, Clara and Oliver playing make-believe in their Alice in Wonderland costumes. I used photo references from our photo shoot at Chandler park. This time I painted the grisaille under painting in the background red. In the story there is a baby that inexplicably turns into a pig so I painted Clara (Alice) holding a little pig. I added poppies in the field to both bring more of the reddish orange color into the composition and because it seemed like an obvious choice of flowers to appear in a Wonderland scene.

Clara's Portrait

Clara Oil on panel 11x14

Here is my second finished portrait. I worked from a photo reference for this one. It was meant to be a study for another painting. I wanted to try starting with an under painting (grisaille) in terra verte (green) like painters from the baroque period and more specifically like Manet used in Luncheon in the grass where he painted the females in green and the scenery and men in red. my grisaille is pictured below. A grissaille is essentially a value study in a single color that helps not only determine value but also composition.

Painting Portraits

Larry Oil on canvas by Heather Dixon

The new year has begun and with it I have begun a new art class. I am taking my first portrait painting class. It is on Saturday at Water Street Art Gallery in Sapulpa and is taught by local artist Evelyn Petroski. We had our first class yesterday and painted from a live model. the image above is the resulting painting. I have a lot to learn on the subject of portraits and I hope that you will be able to see my progress as the class continues. The drawings below are ones I did this week of Avery and Clara this week. They are charcoal, white conte and sanguine drawings on tinted paper. I am considering using them as studies for oil paintings in the future. I will be doing a similar drawing of Oliver next using the same materials. Unlike the painting above these drawings were done from photos as reference rather then a live model. (I do not think I could get the kids to sit still for 30 minutes let alone 4 hours!)

Clara Charcoal, conte and sanguine on tinted pastel paper by Heather Dixon

Avery Charcoal, conte and sanguine on tinted pastel paper by Heather Dixon