Portraits, and Other Paintings....

Hello and welcome back everyone!

In addition to the narrative painting that I recently completed, I have been working on other paintings as well... Portraits have always intrigued me, and some of my favorite artists were fabulous portrait painters - John Singer Sargent, Cecilia Beaux, Joaquin Sorolla - they each depicted the uniqueness of human features with their own, individual flair. I wanted to give you a preview of my portrait promo postcard that I will be mailing out rather soon :

Front of Postcard:


Back of Postcard:

(Click on the above images for a closer look!)

Here are three stages of the painting process of a commissioned portrait that I just completed of an adorable little girl named Kaitlyn:

Stage 1- Underpainting using ultramarine blue and alizarin crimson, mixed with turpenoid.


Stage 2 - Shadow masses have been painted, leaving the white of the canvas for the brighter, lit areas.


Stage 3 - Final painting!
"Kaitlyn," Oil, 10"x8"

So if you would like to commission me to do a painting of your loved one, please contact me! I would love to work with you. :-)

In addition to portrait painting, I completed a still life just this morning. Still life set-ups are always wonderful exercises in color, value, shape, and composition:

"Artsy Attire," Oil on Linen, 10"x8"

Finally, I have created some new illustrations - I just love the balance between illustration and fine art oil painting - newfound lessons I come across in each artistic realm are transposed into the other as I paint. For example, reflective color bouncing from the violet table onto the glossy flower vase in "Artsy Attire" made me more aware of the reflective color that would bounce from the cobalt water up onto the lower planes of the fish's lips and underbelly, as well as the boy, in "Freshwater Friends". There's never a dull moment in the world of art!

"Freshwater Friends," Watercolor, 7.5"x10"


"Freshwater Friends" detail


"Panda Pal Pleasantries," Watercolor, 7"x11"


"Cockatoo Comrades," Watercolor, 7.5"x11"


"Bold Buffalo Brothers," Watercolor, 7"x11"

I hope you enjoy the featured paintings! Thanks so much for stopping by, and come back soon! Also, please contact me for more information if you are interested in a portrait!
(aliciatemplin@sbcglobal.net)

*All images copyright Alicia Templin 2010*