Cheese Portrait #1: Colby Jack

I am doing a short series of Cheese Portraits in egg tempera.

They are from life, so need to be finished in one session.

Today I did Colby Jack.

This is not a good photo and I haven't posted these to socials, because I want to do it as a whole group.

It might get more work too, I don't know yet.

I brought a block of cheese to class and made this thing, because I had no idea what I was doing.

This was actually a very difficult painting, more than I realized when I started it.

That yellow-orange color is hard to work with value-wise, plus the marbling.

It might have been easier in oil because the palette can be pre-mixed and stay open, unlike egg tempera.

And it had to be done alla prima.

I'm still not sure if I quite "got it", but whatever, it's good practice.

It's 4x4, mini.

More cheese next week.

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I feel like I am very all-over-the-place artistically.

It's a little overwhelming but at the same time I'm doing it to myself so there must be a reason...

I'm now all over the place with my plein air palette right after deciding to stick to ONE standard palette...

Just in the last few months I have gone from all sorts of plein air to cat fur to topiary cats to 1400s virgins to Beelzebub to anglerfish and now... cheese.

I said to Doug, I am all over the place.

This is worrying; maybe I am lacking consistency.

Doug said it's ok and a good thing and fine, and I'm exploring my world artistically and not something to worry about and to just be myself. And then he told a story about Picasso which was relevant and encouraging even though I hate Picasso.

While I trust Doug and he will give critique, he's also one of the most positive and supportive people I have ever met so maybe he's too positive- leaning?

I don't know.

Maybe I'm just having too many dark thoughts about Life in General, which I'll write about later.

Hike Age Hike Paint Dinner Dance

A couple of boathouse friends and I planned on walking over to New Jersey over the GW Bridge for a hike and lunch in the woods.

Aimee wanted to leave later than me, because I wanted to paint.

So the plan was I leave at stupid-o'clock, paint, meet Bitz and Aimee, and we hang out.

Then I had to meet Sharon for dinner and afterwards go to Daya's Juilliard performance.

Oh, and I absolutely HAD to stop home before going to the show.

I can't believe it; my timing for everything worked out perfectly!

HIKE

I left early and walked over the GW Bridge.

This was my first time doing this- I should have done it years ago!

Entrance is at 180th and Cabrini, beware of cyclists!

There are 2 observation decks on the bridge and there is definitely enough room to paint.

So I'll have to do that this year.

I have never been to the Ft Lee Historic Park before, so exploration was in order.

If you walk the bridge there is a staircase before you exit leading to the Long Trail.

I saw a deer....

Don't jump ....LOL? Who writes LOL after that?

I want to paint this scene.

AGE

I was thinking Thoughts while hiking, and was a bit upset to be honest.

An artist I follow posted some reels about possible upcoming travel workshops to his Instagram, and I watched almost all the way through.

He is late 20s. Many years of academic training.

He's high-end. That whole world is, just like dance.

I think he still lives in his parents' house in NJ.

Extensive traveling experience; he CAN just go to Europe for a few MONTHS to paint.

He talked about a scholarship, but wasn't sure yet about application details.

He said send a message if interested.

I sent a message.

I also mentioned I have to see and am a maybe because I have to put my daughter's college tuition first.

He said "oh I forgot to say it's for young people."

WOW.

Disqualified for age.

That hit me so hard because 1) I might not be in my 20s anymore but I'M NOT OLD and 2) I was one of those "young" people once who never had those kinds of opportunities. Unheard of for my life.

I still have never been to Europe.

I have a lot of thoughts on this and will write them in another post but it felt like a sucker punch.

Like I never had access to opportunities when I was "young" and now I'm considered "too old" for it.

It's very upsetting. (And I'm not feeling great about Life in General these days but later on that too.)

I have worked and worked through a hell of a lot of hard life to keep my art.

I said to him I'M NOT OLD and also there are a lot of us who never had those opportunities when we were in our 20s.

After a little while he responded and said "You're right, I haven't fully thought it out but I'll keep thinking about it."

HIKE

I felt a little better.
Kept hiking.
Wanted to get to the lower part of the park.

What I did not know is that the ONLY way down to the lower part of the park to get by the water is literally to climb down the mountain.

I did it.

Think about an extremely steep, never-ending treacherous zig-zag stone staircase (with missing steps) surrounded by pricker bushes.

And, while I lightened my gear, I was still carrying a fair amount.

It was freaky and scary and i never want to do that again... but at the same time I am glad I accomplished that physical feat!

When I got to the bottom there were yet MORE stairs to go under the road and down again, so I did that.

I figured by that time I was so invested I HAD to take every single stair there was.

This is the mountain:

Phew, I made it!

Time to paint.

6x8 oil

Today I sketched out the comp with vine charcoal, which was very helpful... especially when getting many elements onto a small panel.

I am happy with this little painting, and it was nice to be out again with my Belly River box, which is 15 years old now.

Bitz and Aimee showed up with Reign the Dog.

There were ducks and Reign went right into the river after them... thankfully she didn't catch them!

I like these purple Caput Mortuum rocks.

We started the walk back to NYC around 2:15.

It involved a partial climb back up the damn mountain which sucked.

We made it though.

The walk back to the bridge sucked.

Going back over the bridge was nice though.

I will go back for sure but not to both parts of the park on the same day- ONLY the upper or lower part.

DINNER

I made it home right at 5pm and stayed home for exactly 8 minutes.

Sharon hadn't left yet so we met up and went back into the city together.

Dinner was supposed to be Greek at 6:15.

We went to Columbus Circle.

Sharon said we won't get there by 6:15, let's go somewhere else to not be rushed.

So we walked and didn't find anything and realized we were 4 minutes away from the Greek place so we ended up there after all... AT 6:15!

DANCE

We had a nice dinner and went to Daya's show, which was of course ASTOUNDING.

I was very tired and in need of a hot epsom salt bath when I got home!

Back to the Beach

I have this Painting Goal to paint the sunset.

And I think I can do it, too. especially if I pack convenience colors for the palette.

(And maybe even if I don't)

I really am loving my new Vasaris.

There are some workflow issues with this painting, some things I need to do differently next time and that's fine. I lost a little steam where the water meets the sand, and the wind was picking up.

That's the good thing about painting a lot, just try again next time.

8x10 oil

A lady walking her dog took my picture and we now follow each other on instagram.

Her dog is really cool.

I thought I might do 2 paintings tonight but did not because 1) it was getting cold and 2) the sunset tonight was not good.

I painted around Beach 127th and walked back down the shore to around Beach 102.

Many people were walking their dogs.

This dog dug holes everywhere.

He would not abandon his dog hole when his people called him, which I thought was pretty funny.

I saw his evidence several times walking back.