Patty, a photographer I worked with in Dallas, modeled for me on several occasions. Her composed, serene manner was primarily the reason I enjoyed painting her, in an effort to capture that component in the portrait. I never completely finished this piece and recently located the reference photo's. Generally I don't like working from photographs, but I'd painted her so many times, it was not as difficult for me to finally complete this one. I was born in Tuscon, and I have inherited several Arizona native blankets and rugs, and as Patty's family are important members of the Navajo, I decided to include the pattern in the background.
"Emil Hospodar" 15" x 15" Pastel
This portrait is the final image in a series of sketches prepared for the Biomedical Visualization Graduate Program at the University of Chicago. Started initially as a demonstration at a national meeting of the Association of Medical Illustrators when I painted one of the Program Directors, all of the Directors' portraits now grace the hallways of the school. It's been a fun project for me as many of these professors have been important figures in my career as a surgical illustrator.
"Olivia" 17" x 14" Pastel
Olivia, a Great Horned Owl, broke her wing and came to live with a 'foster' family who nursed her back to health. They only had two photographs and wanted something to recall this unique opportunity to bond with such a beautiful wild bird. I was honored to attempt to do justice to this magnificent species.
Island Arts Magazine
The Spring issue features an article on my annual Mt Washington painting retreats. I gather together a group of 'plein-air' painters and we converge on Mt Washington in Strathcona Park on Vancouver Island, BC, for 4 days. A highlight of the park, is Paradise Meadows, an alpine valley ringed by a well maintained boardwalk, preserving the delicate alpine mosses and unique plant life. At the end of August, the meadow is ablaze with red, yellow, orange and pink colour, and at that time of year, there are almost 16 hours of light each day. A painter's dream, come true!
The Old School House Arts Centre
Qualicum Beach, February 19-March 17
To celebrate their 30th Anniversary, TOSH invited the artists who had exhibited over the years. It was an outstanding representation of many of the top creative talent in the Discovery Islands. Each artist submitted one piece resulting in a magnificent show. The TOSH website features current and upcoming events at http://www.theoldschoolhouse.org. Chris was an early member of the 'Friday Night Painters' in Dallas, Texas. Our group was unique in that we focused on long poses, sometimes lasting several weeks. Occasionally we had difficulty tracking down models, so we'd recruit from within the group. He was a good sport and held this pose over several sessions. That original group spawned at least 5 offshoots as the popularity of classical realism took hold.
