Christmas Break From Being On The Road.

My son Pierce and his partner Maggi and daughter Diver and Pokey the Band Dog pulled into Philly last Saturday.  

Gypsies that they are, they were returning home from being out on the road for the past three months,
touring the U. S. with their band, "Hymn For Her".

Their thousands of fans across the country know them as " Wayne Waxing and Lucy Tight."

As usual they were welcomed by an enthusiastic crowd of hometown friends at the "Grape Room," in Philly's Manayunk section of town.

Here's a drawing I did of the Doorman and the Sound Guy while H4H were doing their sound check.

A few nights later son Mason also performed at the "Grape," in a debut performance of his Raggae band "Tree Rats."
 

This morning they packed up their van and once again headed down route 95 south, where they'll be spending the holidays in their little Airstream Trailer in Sarasota, Florida. Here's a drawing Diver did yesterday showing her and me (I'm the guy in the shorts and turtleneck) romping on the beach.

She assures me a great time will be had by all. Happy Holidaaaaze everyone.

An Artist's Homage To His Daughter.

I just finished a very unique commission for two longtime friends.

It was a portrait of a beautiful woman, and she was the daughter of this very focused man, William S. Gault. Bill Gault was a graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and a respected illustrator and painter in Philadelphia during his long career.

Bill started this portrait of his daughter Lynn, but unfortunately died before he could complete it.
I hesitated only briefly before agreeing to bring the painting to completion for Lynn and her husband Morris.

Lynn's father worked in oils and water color, as I do, and we shared the same approach to painting.
Here is one of his water colors.

I used the same small, but now faded and scratchy photo Bill had based his "start" on, for reference.
But unlike him, I had access to good old Photoshop, to clean and blow up the image.

After laying out my palette, I began what would end up being about a two week job.

I always tell my students to begin with the obvious, which in this case was laying in the initial flesh tones. With oils you must consider "drying times," so I work all over the painting.

The most challenging part of this painting was Lynn's beautiful smile. I had to come up with just the right neutral colors to imply "white teeth in shadow." 

Bringing the portrait to completion was the result of much back and forth and trial and error.

I'm often asked, "How do you know when a painting is finished?" My answer: "Same as knowing when a conversation is over; there's nothing left to say." Happily, my friends Lynn and Morris liked the finished portrait; a "collaboration" between Bill Gault, and Bill Ternay.