Painting from the Master Class

This is the painting from last weeks Master Class, and some details of the painting. The model posed from 10 am until 4 pm with an hour lunch break, Saturday and Sunday. I worked some more on it later in the week. The painting is about three feet wide.

Some drawings...

I've been doing a lot of drawings in charcoal over the last couple of weeks, from live models. Here's a selection.

Master class, Lucian Freud

I spent the weekend taking a master class at the Wackers Academy in Amsterdam. Here's the class portrait after the event. We spent two days of intensive painting from a live model, and a day of lecture (in Dutch.) I understood a little...Later, I'll post some of the paintings by the class. I'm third from the right.

This week's portraits at the IAC

Sometimes I think I'm improving at this portrait thing, sometimes it feels impossible.
These stands are all about 20 minutes, except for the small drawings which are a little less than 10 minutes.

Museum of Art (Kunsthaus Zurich)

We loved the scale of the paintings and the lighting in this beautiful museum. The modern collection is impressive. The crowd of people in the awesome painting at bottom is painted by Ralph Fleckm in 2003 and is titled "Love Parade." Ralph Fleckm was born in 1953. (It really sucks when the artists are born after 1967.)

Zurich

On the tram in Zurich...apparantly, one cannot travel without paying, play music on the tram, put your feet up on the seats, or, SAW THROUGH THE SEAT ADJACENT TO YOU. Remind me to leave my saw at home.

This week's live models

.



This weeks drawings at the International Art Club of the Hague...with thanks to Pien Hazenburg, for her help with the portraits. Drawing from live models is such fun. These poses were from 10 to 30 minutes. It is great going so fast, you really have to draw only what you see, not what you know. I like the strength of the model in the full figure pose, and the expression in the face of the woman posing for the portrait.

T plays violin

Hooray for T, courageously bundled up against the cold and rain, biking off to an evening of violin playing with an orchestra. Notice the hat of mine she has stolen. It looks better on her anyway.

ah, marzipan torte

How can one not love Holland?

Portraits this week - Petra

These stands are between 10 and 30 minutes. The model, Petra, was really fun to work with, since her portraits just drew themselves. The entire class was inspired, everyone did great work.

More guilty pleasures

Yesterday I wrote about things we miss back home. Today I write about one of the things I'll miss in Holland most....Hazelnoot tort, pictured. It's filled with whipped cream and meringue, and frosted with whipped cream and hazelnuts. It's awesome. The best Hazelnoot tort can be found on the Frederick Hendriklaan, at "van der Pluijm Roodenrijs" bakker. They have the best bread there too. Tomorrow: marzipan torte.

Guilty pleasures

This is T's farewell dinner before she left for the states... yes, that's a plate of macaroni and cheese, folks, served on handmade plates from Italy. The pasta is fresh, there are fresh tomatoes and hand-cut cubes of delicious aged Dutch cheese, but the base? The base is butter, milk, and a packet of powdered KRAFT MACARONI AND CHEESE. You can take the American out of the U.S., but some things will never change. Like our craving for this tacky, bright, orange-colored powdered cheese. CHEESE, GROMMIT!

Brussels

We spent the weekend in Brussels with good friends. Fantastic to have the time together. Pictured, N in front of the "World's biggest Tea House," and T, having Tea.