MAY 16-17 2015
MT. TABOR ART WALK
5015 SE Hawthorne, Portland OR
This is my ninth year participating in one of the best art walks in Portland. The neighborhood is home to many artists who will be showcasing their work, and this year I will be hosted by Realty Trust, 5015 SE Hawthorne. Visit the MTAW website for a free map: Mt. Tabor Art Walk I will have new drawings on display, plus I’ll be working on a new drawing at the show! Hours are 10am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday, May 16-17.
FEBRUARY 1– MARCH 2 2015
ART BAR AT PORTLAND’5 CENTER FOR THE ARTS
1111 SW Broadway, Portland OR
Coinciding with the Portland Jazz Festival, my paintings and drawings will be on display at the ArtBar at Antoinette Hatfield Hall (Performing Arts Center). The First Thursday opening is February 5 from 5-8pm, and the show will be up for the entire month of February.
It’s always a great feeling to start off the New Year with a new portrait painting. This year is especially meaningful to me, because before I started this painting in early December, I hadn’t painted in almost a year. As an artist, that long absence from painting can make one feel very hesitant to bring out the brushes and canvas again. There’s the feeling of being out of practice, and even worse… fear of not being able to paint anything at all! Well, I got out my brushes, relished in the familiar smells of the oil paints as I mixed my palette, and took a deep breath and started to paint. Trusting that all my years of painting experience had not disappeared, I began the process of building my painting. I paint in layers, and for the first time I’ve documented this process in a slideshow. I’m still not quite finished, but it’s mostly there. I’m going to set it aside for awhile, and then see if there’s anything else it needs…
JANUARY 12–16 2015
MITTELMAN JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER
6651 SW Capitol Highway, Portland OR
My portraits of jazz musicians will be on display in the MJCC lobby during the week of January 12-16, in conjunction with George Fendel’s Jews in Jazz workshop and concert on Thursday January 15. The free concert, offered at 1:20 and repeating at 7pm, will feature music from famous Jewish jazz musicians presented by George Fendel, a local jazz pianist and radio DJ. I will be working on a new pencil portrait in the lobby during George’s presentations.
The first musician portrait I painted was in 1998, and my subject was Linda Hornbuckle. For the painting (which appeared on her CD “Clearly”) I photographed her at Music Millenium, and later in her living room as she sang. Sadly, Linda passed away last week, after a two year battle with cancer. I will always remember this beautiful woman and her beautiful voice. The community will always remember her as the great soul diva of the Northwest. Tonight, I am donating a large print of the painting at “More Love for Linda”, an all-star benefit to help with her medical costs.
To attend, or donate, visit http://www.crystalballroompdx.com/events/130472-More-Love-for-Linda—A-Community-Benefit-for-Linda-Hornbuckle-featuring. A video tribute featuring Linda singing Amazing Grace, accompanied by the late Janice Scroggins… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwZoQkdNea0
This is the fourth year I have been creating original drawings for Thara Memory’s American Music Project’s Benefit Concerts. This one of Bennie Maupin, along with my drawing of Terrell Stafford, auctioned for $2000! I am so pleased to be able to contribute to programs like this that bring essential arts training to our students!
I did several 30 minute portrait studies during my weekend at the Vancouver Wine and Jazz Festival… this is one I did for Lamar Savage, commissioned by his wife for his birthday. I think he liked it!
Norman Leyden was a nationally known conductor, composer, clarinetist, and educator. He was best known as the conductor of the Oregon Symphony Pops orchestra, however he also worked with Glenn Miller during his years in the US Air Force. More recently, Mr. Leyden performed at the Hollywood Bowl with Pink Martini. I photographed Norman during his induction into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame in 2008, and used one of the photos for my pencil drawing of him. It was recently on display at the “Tribute to Norman Leyden” concert at the Arlene Schnitzer Hall in Portland. I was very fortunate to have met Norman just weeks before, and he seemed so pleased with the copy of the pencil drawing that I gave him. Norman Leyden passed away July 23, 2014.
This is the second grant that I have received from the Regional Arts and Culture Council, and thanks to this opportunity, I was able to attend this year’s Annual Portrait Society of America’s Conference held in Washington DC. I observed painting demos featuring the top portrait artists in the country, and received portfolio critiques from the same portrait artists. One thing that was emphasized was the importance of drawing from life, which I have been neglecting for much too long. Since returning from the convention, I have been inspired to sketch from life on a regular basis, and now I see why it is so important in my progression as an artist. This 30-minute sketch was done while my daughter was in town for her birthday this month.
During the past few months, the film crews at Oregon Art Beat have been filming in my studio, and on location, for my segment on Oregon Art Beat! The segment is finally airing tonight, but you can also watch it online any time here . Thanks to Robe Imbriano, Greg Bond, and William Ward for doing such a great job!
