Results of some of my early experiences with Painting People

There's been so much I've been lucky to explore in this life and and there's always one more thing to learn. I am grateful for my wonderful opportunities and only hope my creative expressions do justice to the spirit of life of those who I am fortunate to meet along the way, especially those who have broken my heart open in some way or another and taught me some powerful lessons.

Quick Sketch Charcoal on Newsprint This was drawn in a life drawing classroom of mostly women with a gentle male instructor.. I couldn't help wondering how he felt. He was a very big man, but guarded. As I attempted to sketch him I kept feeling for an opening, a place to find myway in to capture an image of the person. Interesting to find it was when his back was toward me. When I look at this sketch now. I can see how I struggled with a smaller version of the man, perhaps he was hiding behind his turbulent strength. I even actually drew him thinner than he really was. I've often wondered about why I did that.	Reclining Male Charcoal on Newsprint Yet another from my life drawing class. I walked around the room seeking the door way to him that seemed most assessable. The classes were so different from drawing and painting in my studio. I didn't have to seek anything. I just painted and it was clearly all there in the moment. I like to think its because the atmosphere of my studio is safe, probalby both for the artist and the model.
Stripper Charcoal on Paper I went to a professional studio to draw with other artists once. There was a woman model and I was the only woman artist among several men. So like my life drawing class the dynamic had an interestingly sexual bias. The woman model was incredibly guarded and yet bodily open at the same time. I found it odd that when I first drew her I couldn't capture her face. It was as if she presented her body first. Later during the session after I learned she was a stripper for a living, I asked her to close her eyes and just take a nap. Finally I was able to capture her. I include this picture here because I think it is a competent drawing and a pleasing nude, but I could not find the person here. She was just a body and that aspect of this peice upset me. I don't think I was alone in feeling this. It must have also been picked up on at least one of the other artists because the man to my left presented me with a drawing of me at the end of the session. I have joked with my friends to say that it was the best compliment any woman could get to be drawn with my clothes on when there was a naked woman presented before him. I was appparently more interesting a subject. I think its becuase when I paint I am wide open and I think this artist was looking to capture the essence of painting people as much as I was.	Moon Goddess Oil on masonite 36 X 48" When I painted Jennifer I used alot of purple in the underlaying paint. Later I found out purple was her favorite color. This was reassuring to hear.Something nudged me to pick up the tube. Call it intuition, call it the muse, call it the voice of God. In any case I never know what the nudge means when I get it. I just listen, and do as I'm told... most of the time. I tend to like purple too but at the time I hadn't even read the tube. I was playing with the paint blindly.