What I have been working on and planning in the early parts of 2015

I am in the process of developing a new online portrait class as well as a local monthly class at Donna Downey Studio in Huntersville, NC. The portrait continues to interest me and still so much more to learn. I have had my Asaro head sitting in my studio the past year or so. It was one of those tools I must have but I soon forgot about it and then one day I saw it staring at me and realized maybe just maybe I should figure out how to use this in my work. I mean I didn't want to draw a robot machine looking heads so how could I adapt this to something more realistic? I have worked up a couple of drawings leaving out some of the planes that I didn't think were really necessary. I started looking at photographs of faces and started breaking down the face using this Asaro head as my template. I still feel like I need some work to do before I present it as a course so there is still more to do but I can see already that my portrait work is benefiting from this sometimes tedious process.

I am also starting to paint with more and more color. Not necessarily using alot of colors but sticking to about 6-7 colors and mixing those colors to get different shades and tones. I seem to be getting more loose with my work. I no longer want to get super realistic except for maybe the eyes. I like creating deep three dimensional eyes so that is where I go in with my tiny brushes and retarder to make smooth glassy looking eyes. I am also working on some larger pieces with more perspective backgrounds. I have been using my iphone as a tool. I started to take some pictures of my backyard and surroundings and incorporating figure work in them through a layering process. Here are some of my Iphonegraphy and following that are some painting ideas in the very beginning stages.

I continue to grow and change as an artist. I feel the work I am doing now is starting to represent who I am more than ever but I still have a long way to go. I am looking to go more and more towards the abstract but with the experience of a draftsman. To really understand and illustrate what is around me. That is one of the reasons I love drawing so much. It is in the drawing that I become a better draftsman and to create 3  dimensional and realistic. It is through the painting that I can then push beyond that to something more mysterious and not so easy to identify. I am still in the baby stages of my work so I will be busy the rest of my life continuing to be the student. As I go I love to share some of my experiences and that is where the teaching and the love of teaching comes in. Thanks for taking the time to read my post. I will be back here soon.