15th Blogiversary!

Time to

Celebrate! 🎈

 In 2008 I published my first blogpost on this day. It is here but I will not be

encouraging you to read it ... very dated.

I have been painting fairly steadily ever since that first

blogpost and do not see any reason to stop.

To celebrate my 15th year of blogging (and making art), I am going to have a guest

artist on this blog! I don't think I have ever done that before.

Stay tuned for that post coming in the near future. For now, for today, I will share a couple progress shots of my recent painting.

A few days ago I heard a podcast (there were not too many of those in 2008) about an artist who will be 92 years old this May and still making work. She doesn't do the kind of art I do,

or enjoy, really ... she is considered by some the "Mother of Photorealism" -

Audrey Flack.

But her voice impressed me and so I looked her up and found a video interview with her by her high school friend, Ronnie Eldridge. Produced by CUNY tv (City University of New York) about a year ago when she was 91.

I took some screen shots of her and studied her as she spoke.

Here is my journey painting her portrait:

I decided to use this shot for my portrait.
She does not look 91 does she?
It is my wish to be just like her at that age.

Next I did a study sketch.

A little back-story about the panel I used. It was an experimental

piece that I painted over so there is lots of texture!

Here is the underpainting.

Anyway, I thought I was finished, and sat with her

for a bit.

I realized I wanted to paint her very subtle earrings,

and I wanted the window behind her shoulder

to be a bit larger for more light for the cactus!

Audrey Flack at 91 
Oil on canvas panel
10" x 8"

I was going to post one of her photorealism paintings,

but you can look her up to see those if you are interested.

Thank you for reading this and if you have been reading

since 2008, a very big Bravo! to you.

For a little over a year now I have had a website

and to tell the truth,

I really enjoy it! 

There is still lots of work to do there; 

I need to add paintings, add more information about how to buy paintings, 

info about the shipping & handling, etc etc.

Here is my website address link:

TeriRobusStudio

and if you would like to keep in touch with me and my work, please feel

free to sign up for my newsletter "Studio News"  - link below:

Keep In Touch

Our 5th Challenge Painting

Below is a photo of what I chose as an interior -

our 1st parameter. I did not use the photo as reference. 

My easel is set up in the room.

Painting by Egon Schiele - he may have used a pointed

something (pencil? end of his brush?) to incise the ripples in the water,

and the lines on the boat. 

Our 3rd parameter. 

My incised lines are on the pillow shams and the lampshade.

My sketch - done at my easel 

in the bedroom

First sketch - realized perspective was wrong ...

Following our parameter #2, I found some collage pictures

that I thought had to do with what I wanted to

convey ... dreamlike, with apparitions sitting around, 

 bed linens, wall color, lamp and night sky.

The addition of the cat snagging the comforter

was just out of the blue ...

My cohort's paintings:

Timi Johnson

Timi simplified the corner of her home

 where a coatrack stood. She used papers from her Italy trip,

and gorgeous colors.

Patrick Ripp

Patrick used a vintage style photo for the woman with the grapes,

his own photos of his (late) kitties, 

AND photos of Timi and my original paintings! I love the chaise's impasto,

and his wall brush marks and color.

I thought their paintings were terrific!

Here is mine.

Little Dipper Dreaming 
Collage and oil on Multimedia Artboard
mounted on a 1/4" birch panel, with a 3/4" cradle
11 x 14 inches

This challenge was both difficult and fun.

It was hard to figure out my composition, 

then how to incorporate the collage items ...

but I loved finding the cat to add to the bottom left corner, 

did you find it immediately or after looking for awhile?

Lastly, we painted a still life 

before having our challenge reveal.

Holiday style!

Our next challenge (#6) is in the thought stage. We have our parameters and

are finding our painting to exchange (yes ... yikes) and clarifying

exactly what all the parameters consist of.

Thank you so much for reading, commenting and supporting working artists!

Wishing you all the very best of the new year,

staying safe and healthy and doing things you love.

🎨

Teri

TeriRobusStudio

 

Back to it! (Red Vase Still Life)

 

Back to painting again after a trip to visit family 💕. For those who are

subscribers to my newsletter I chatted a bit about that.

Jumping back in the saddle, so to speak, 

I bought a cute, fresh bouquet at Freddy's and dug up an 

old canvas with a greenish underpainting

(i forgot to take a picture of that)

and started splashing paint around.

Here are some photos, though not many in-progress.

bouquet in blue vase

the (first) painting & the bouquet

Red Vase (8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas)

While I liked that little painting,

the more I looked at it,

the more I felt it needed to

have it's (now red, not blue) vase completed!

So, I found another 8 x 8 canvas

with an old painting I could paint over, 

 and added the rest of the vase

& some blurry fruit and reflections ...

it is a tall diptych!

Red Vase Still Life
16 x 8 inches
oil on canvas

This was so much fun but I haven't forgotten about my portrait project!

I will embark on it again very soon.

For an update about my studio remodel; 

the walls are painted, we laid flooring in,

and I have decided not to paint the cabinets.

The cubbies that came from our guest room are

the same color so that makes things easier.

I will be painting the back panel of those cubbies

with a pop of color, but not a distracting pop,

something nice and calm.

It is getting there! So much organizing to do.

I would love it if you will sign up for my newsletter;

here is the link:

Teri's Studio News

and my website link 👇

Teri Robus Studio

Thank you so much for looking at this blog ...

and the website ...

and for signing up!

Please let me know if you have any

questions about paintings,

or about painting!

Happy Turkey Day 🦃

&

Happy Painting!

🎨

Portrait Practice 22

 

Pvt Cartwright is my most recent portrait - the following photos demo

how the painting developed.

(Again, if you are new or would like to refresh your memory

about my project, go HERE.)

Private Miles Cartwright

I love how this one turned out.

Thank you for reading my art journal. I will have one more (at least) painting

to do when we return from our family trip.

That will be of my late father-in-law, Hugo Edward Robus, Jr.

I may do other portraits from this yearbook; as a friend said, "Don't stop now"!

It remains to be seen if my interest holds, and it may for a few more.

Cheers and take good care!

TeriRobusStudio

🎨

Portrait Practice 21

 

Hi - I am almost finished with the paintings I've been doing 

from photos in the 1942 Army Air Forces Training Center yearbook.

(Please check the first post I made at the beginning of this project

HERE if you haven't been following, or to remind yourself what this is about.)

This portrait and the one contained in my next post, 

are those I have made were of the guys in the back of the yearbook,

the detachments of African American officers and cadets.

Sadly, in 1942, their place in the army and in the world

was just like the yearbook; 

they had to go to the back of the bus, 

the back of the restaurant, 

the back of the movie theatre, etc, 

if they were allowed to enter at all. 

Sergeant Johnson

Sergeant J Johnson

The unit to which Sergeant Johnson was assigned was called 

Detachment Headquarters, Second Platoon. 

There were no white soldiers in this unit. 

Their superior was a white man,

Major Wade T Leary.

 

[I may need to paint his portrait, because

the photo of Major Leary made me cringe 

a little ... his photo

made him look like a martinet.]

I salute those men & women who joined the Army Air Forces 

and other branches of the military during this time,

and were met with prejudice

across military and public domains.

If you are interested here is a 

 Wikipedia link discussing ethnic minorities

who were involved in/drafted into the US armed forces

during WWII.

Thank you so much for reading. I am nearing the end of

my project; my final post(s) will be done in November because of family travel.

So, until then, take good care

and stay healthy

and safe!

TeriRobusStudio

🎨

Portrait Practice 20

 

My 20th portrait is of Cadet

Howard Lorenz.

Cadet Howard F Lorenz

Thank you for reading!

TeriRobusStudio

🎨