Wrapped Silver Goblet: FINAL

Wrapped Silver Goblet

11 x 14 inches

oil on panel
(see previous blog posts about this painting)

This painting will be showing at the Open Studios Exhibition at the SomArts gallery here in San Francisco October 3- 29. Come see the exhibit at one of these two events:

Private Preview Gala, Saturday, October 3, 2009 (ticketed event)
Exhibition Opening Reception, Sunday, October 4, 2009 (free event)

More info at ArtSpan.org

See a higher quality version here

I'll be teaching two workshops on still life painting in summer 2010, one here in the San Francisco Bay Area and one in Florida. Details to follow soon!

Wrapped Silver Goblet: Video 1

My new painting Wrapped Silver Goblet is almost done (see the first post about this painting here). I've been filming the process of creating this painting, so here is my first episode: A demonstration of how I developed the preparatory contour drawing in pencil:

(Click here to see a higher quality version)

In the video I mention transferring a drawing to a panel using trace paper. A lot of people ask how this is done so here is a how-to I wrote up for a student recently:

1. Draw a straight-line block-in of your composition with pencil on white drawing paper. Make your drawing the same size and shape as your painting panel.
2. When your block-in drawing is done, lay it down on a table (not an easel) and overlay a sheet of tracing paper. Tape down all 4 corners with removable artist's tape.
3. Trace your drawing onto the tracing paper with a hard pencil (H or HB). Be sure to trace the corners of the drawing too, so you can line it up correctly on your panel.
4. Remove the tape, flip over your trace paper drawing and scribble gently with a soft pencil (2B/3B) over all the lines you can see through the trace (OR you can use transfer paper, which you can buy in rolls at the art supply store).
5. Arrange the trace paper drawing-side up (scribble side down) over your panel. Line up corners with the drawing. Tape all the corners.
6. Using a hard pencil (2H) go over all lines of the drawing to press the contour lines onto the panel. Occasionally lift one corner to make sure the lines are transferring.
7. When you have traced all your lines, discard the trace paper. Your drawing should be transferred to the panel. Move the panel back to the easel
8. Refine your drawing on the panel with a 2B pencil, working from life. (Otherwise all your lines will have the dead, "traced" quality")
9. Varnish the panel to seal the surface. Optional technique is to trace over all your pencil lines with a sepia-ink fountain pen or brown ultra-fine sharpie. Either way, seal the surface of the panel with varnish. Allow to dry. (I use damar varnish thinned with Turpenoid and with a small amount of Titanium white mixed in. Shake it in a jar to mix.)

Artspan Open Studios 2009

My studio will be open to the public October 17 and 18, 11am to 6pm as part of Artspan's San Francisco Open Studios.

Come see several of my paintings from my Wax Paper series, plus plein air oil sketches from my month at the Hudson River Fellowship, as well as many paintings and drawings, all framed and ready to hang.

My studio is near the corner of Carl and Cole Streets, accessible by the N-Judah line. There will be large signs posted on the corner that weekend directing you to my studio door.

My studio is also listed in the official Open Studios guide.

Saturday, October 3, 6-10pm

Private Preview Gala, SOMArts Gallery (tickets)

My newest painting, Wrapped Silver Goblet, will be on display, along with a first glimpse of over 400 artworks by San Francisco artists.

Sunday, October 4, 4-7pm

Opening Reception, SOMArts Gallery (a free event)

More details at ArtSpan.org

Perez Fine Art

I've been invited to show my work at Perez Fine Art online galleries for painting and drawing, I'm honored to show alongside such a wonderful group of artists. Perez Gallery also posted a really nice welcome to me on their blog. Please click over and take a look at all the beautiful work!