I'm not sure if this is my "art" but I did these yesterday and I like them so I thought why not blog them. They are couple samples of the pieces I paint for the education of the students at the Art Center College of Design where I teach part time. I have two classes back to back on Tuesdays so here are two works painted back to back from scratch of the same model. Deja vu all over again!! The model in and of themselves is study enough, but I also try to create an interesting lighting situation and for this setup I throw a skull in there for an easy 'vanitas' or Hamlet-y theme. I lit the model with a high, bright, focused spotlight going sort of for a caravaggio/rembrandt-y feel. When I do these demonstrations I work quite a bit more restrained than what I consider my "art" but I try to still paint with bold thickness and impasto so the students see that you can get subtlety and light and form without having to paint smooth or timidly. At this point in the class I have the students working with a limited "warm/cool" palette so these are done with burnt umber, ultramarine blue, and white with the emphasis on looking for value and then secondarily looking for warm or cool colors. Those three simple colors can create quite a realistic effect.
For those interested, the word "vanitas" is Latin for "emptiness". It is also an historic genre in art well described by this quote from wikipedia: "Paintings executed in the vanitas style are meant as a reminder of the transience of life, the futility of pleasure, and the certainty of death..." Not sure if all that is coming through, but hey, there's a skull in it. oil on canvas panel, 24 by 18