Heather Lenefsky Art: February 2016

'Indicate don't duplicate' is my mission for 2016 and second year of Watts Atelier! Well, that among everything else. I plan to focus on cleaner, better designed gesture. By feeling through the pose and not getting hung up on what its surface looks like exactly, one has got a shot at improving form and rhythm through indication. Curvy contours are quick to seduce, just like all the little details of fur, or subtle nuances in a face. I'm still striving to ignore them and "see less" as Richard Schmid puts it.

I rolled back from Baja California and my 35th birthday to jump into a few commissions and recoup the cost of the Poncho of my dreams.

When my friend requested a painting of her Teddy Ro in a dog post thread on instagram, I was really excited to get the pictures of her Teddy Bear like Pup... Haha! Yeah, she totally wanted an actual Teddy Portrait! I nearly said no because this stuff is hard, really hard. I mean he is an Icon, long since passed, and good reference is tricky to find. I finally sacked up and jumped in to complete this sketch from a decent black and white photo reference. It turned out to be a lot of fun to invent the color! I am so glad I didn't scare off! Perhaps all those Sorolla studies I did in 2014 surfaced to act as my spirit guide.

'Sketch of Teddy Roosevelt'

8x10" oil on canvas

private commission

Alla Prima Teddy Roosevelt Portrait Sketch, by Heather Lenefsky, Painting of Theodore Roosevelt

I recalled Robert Watts' composition class, and several thumbnail sketches where he 'engaged the edge' by running the object off. I decided to crop down on his hat to make his portrait more a focal point, and add a little interest. The sky seemed like it ought to have a bit of a mood, so I grayed it down. This is an alla prima sketch, so I completed it wet into wet over a day or two before the paint could start to dry- in this way it has that brushy look as if I had painted it from an actual model. I really prefer to work this way! The dogs bellow are also alla prima sketches.

'Tito'

10x10" oil on canvas

private commission

Portrait of a Terrier by Heather Lenefsky, Dog Art, Dog Oil Painting

These dogs were so much fun!! Going forward I want to keep working on form indication underlying the fur, and find more creative ways mix up my brush strokes.

'Murphy'

5x7" oil on canvas

private commission

Welsh Terrier Portrait by Heather Lenefsky, Welsh Terrier Painting, Dog Art

Our first Plein Air class was rained out, and we spent the day in the studio with photo reference. Ben Young helped me lighten the value on the more distant rock formations of the Monument Valley sketch. He also lightened up my shadows that faced the sky, and explained how shadows closer to the viewer have more light as we are looking down into them. It was done alla prima as well in one day.

'Don't Fence Me In'

8x10" oil on canvas

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