Heading out to Philly!

I have over half a dozen commissioned works in progress sitting around my studio - I'd love to post pictures of them, but most are "surprise" gifts that are going to be presented for birthdays, anniversaries, etc. So... to be safe, I'd better not post those! :-)

Life is good right now - I am back to painting, VERY carefully, of course. All the pins are now out of my finger, and at least for the next two weeks I'll continue to wear a splint before starting physical therapy. But, it's nice to not have to worry about those tiny metal pins catching on things...

I'm actually headed out early tomorrow morning to Philadelphia for the Portrait Society of America's annual "Art of the Portrait" conference. This is my fourth year attending, and my first year as a state ambassador. I'll be   volunteering throughout the course of the weekend, but in my spare time, I'm very excited to visit with other artists, including my former painting professor, Sam Knecht, and some recent Hillsdale graduates who--like me--majored in art. On a side note... I hope that someday I'll be able to provide a scholarship for promising Hillsdale art majors who want to travel abroad. When I got the opportunity to study in Florence back in 2006, thanks to some generous scholarship donors, it really changed my life and my art.

This weekend in Philadelphia will hopefully be just as impactful. It's always an amazing and humbling experience for me, where I get to learn from the best of the best.

I will post more about the conference as it's underway. Until then, here is what I worked on today... sometimes I need a break from commission work! And... it's probably about time that I finish this one! I've invested hours in the bookshelf. Well, it's getting very close... :-) I still have some more work to do on the arms, legs and hands, as well as detail work in the rug, many of the books, and the bust of David. Actually, I'm thinking about getting rid of David. He's a little distracting. I could glaze him down so that he's darker or more in shadow. What do you think? Opinions welcome!

"The Letter" (in progress) - 54 x 36" - oil on linen

Frankenfinger No More!

A month and a half after my bizarre injury - following two surgeries, two casts, and a whole lot of prayer - I am finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel! Today the doctor took out two of the pins that were holding everything together; there is still one going through the two bones, making it impossible for me to bend that last joint on the finger. And I will be wearing a splint still for at least the next three weeks. Don't look at these pictures if you are easily grossed out... but if you're curious, here it is, before the two side pins were removed.

The GREAT news is that I am now back to painting comfortably... in fact, yesterday I finished a painting I had been working on off and on at the Society of Figurative Arts - a fun and unusual pose with a nude model. Granted, it took a lot longer than usual, but I don't think my work has suffered from the time off. :-) If anything, I'm stronger and more determined than ever.

"Bone Necklace" - 18x14" - oil on linen panel

Additionally, taking time off from painting was good for me in that I was able to give 100% to some of my volunteer activities, particularly, my job as Texas ambassador for the Portrait Society of America. Last Saturday (May 5), with the help of SoFA's Michael Mentler, I was able to host a get-together and demo for Texas portrait painters, featuring the wonderful Kay Polk as our demo artist. We had a great turnout and the event was very well received. Given that event planning is not my forte, I thought it went very well. Here is a panoramic photo from during the demo, and a group shot, from the event.

I am back to painting and working up a storm - keeping busy with portrait commissions, but also planning a brand new large-scale figurative piece. I'm very excited about it... but you'll have to wait a few more weeks before I reveal it to you. :-)