Likenesses

Capturing a likeness is such a tricky thing. In this past six weeks of drawing and painting portraits, I think I have gotten better at it; at least I have improved on the placement of features so that people don't end up with either moon or horse faces! But capturing the likeness of an animal is even trickier—especially if you start out knowing that this is a beloved pet and someone is going to be judging your effort minutely for resemblance.

I'm painting an "in memoriam" portrait for a friend of a friend. My friend sent me several good reference photos, and one in particular that looked like it was doable, but then she said that the preference was for one of the other, "smiling" pictures, because that's how this dog will be best remembered. So, I gave it a shot.

I may be doing more versions of this one, perhaps trying the one from a different angle. This one feels a little more gape-y than smile-y. And the all-grass-everywhere background isn't pleasing me so much, now that it's done. But this was great practice, and I'm sure I'll be able to pull it off eventually.

This is "Mathilda, #1."
Pencil, watercolors, on Fluid watercolor block (140 lb.)
7.5x9.25"

Background for context

Although I didn't do too well with this background (because I was impatient and therefore not precise), I wanted to put it in as part of this portrait of Triste, because sometimes surroundings tell just as much about a person as a depiction of their face.

My friend Triste is in many ways a typical New York chick—that is to say, abrupt, caustic, funny with a bit of an edge, an embracer of left-wing politics and emphatic values and opinions. But she also has this softer side that wouldn't seem to "go" with her personality: she's an amazing baker, has made a garden almost worthy of the secret one in Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic, and creates a simple but classic and beautiful background for her life in her 100-year-old farmhouse in Pennsylvania with her husband and two dogs.

I think I caught her likeness pretty well, apart from going a bit too orange with her colors. This was fun to paint—it made me remember the good times we had when she was a Californian. I hope we see each other again sometime soon.

"Triste"
Pencil and watercolor
9x9" Bee multi-media sketchbook

With the Beat

March 24th will be the 101st birthday of poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, best know for his first collection, A Coney Island of the Mind. He was the co-founder of San Francisco's iconic City Lights Booksellers and Publishers in 1953, and published many of the Beat poets (although he did not consider himself one of them). He was arrested in 1957 for publishing Allen Ginsburg's Howl.

Upon his 100th birthday last year, the City of San Francisco proclaimed his birthday "Lawrence Ferlinghetti Day," in the tradition of the celebration of Bloomsday in Dublin for poet James Joyce's Ulysses.

I was recently approached to make a rather grand project for this year's celebration, and although I didn't feel I could take it on, I did agree that I would do various pieces of artwork to take note of the day. Since my mind has been on portraits this past six weeks, the first thing I undertook was a portrait of Ferlinghetti, based on a photograph (photographer unknown) that I found online. I believe it was taken within the past couple of years, so I hope it is still a fairly accurate depiction. He looks to be an amiable fellow! #Ferlinghetti101

"Lawrence Ferlinghetti"
Pencil and watercolor
9x9 inches, Bee sketchbook