"Southern Gentleman" (oil on linen; 14" x 11") sold

sold

Today I have a great news to share.  My painting, "Southern Gentleman," got juried into the October figurative show at the Art League in Alexandria, VA.  It's a double honor.  I don't paint figures often, so getting into a figure show is a big deal.  Besides, the juried shows at the Art League are fiercely competitive.  This acceptance marks the third time since July: making three shows out of four definitely calls for a celebration!

I painted "Southern Gentleman" during the three-day workshop with Robert Liberace at the Art League School in Alexandria, VA in March 2012.  Rob is a big name in today's figurative painting in the country.  Just watching him paint was a thrilling experience. The workshop was called "The Painterly Sketch: Advanced Alla-Prima Portrait".

Alla Prima, or "premier coup," is a way of painting that involves the direct application of color without an elaborate underpainting.  Great painters such as Frans Hals and John Singer Sargent, or the contemporary master Richard Schmid, are often linked to this direct, daredevil approach to painting.

On the last day of the head-spinning workshop, I had about two hours left to paint the elderly model.  Speaking of pressure!  The model came for the sitting, dressed in a southern gentleman's outfit.  What fun!  He was a kind, Civil-War buff, who reminded me of Colonel Sanders.

I am happy to report that Rob was impressed with my final effort; so was I.  In particular, he liked the way I handled the forehead of the model and his costume. He said something about "sophisticated"!  I was in heaven.  Now that the painting also made the Art League show, I am doubly proud!