Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

NOLA NOW II: The Human Figure

2012-02-03T17:32:00.002-05:00

I'm happy to be included in the Contemporary Arts Center's 2012 show NOLA NOW II: The Human Figure.

NOLA NOW is an online database and series of exhibitions in 2011 and 2012 initiated by the New Orleans Contemporary Arts Center (CAC). NOLA NOW documents current work by visual artists living and working in greater New Orleans (Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, Plaquemines, and St. Tammany parishes). Curated by Amy Mackie, Director of Visual Arts, Contemporary Arts Center, NOLA NOW, Part I: Swagger for a Lost Magnificence (October 1, 2011 – January 29, 2012) brought together work described as a pining for the past.

NOLA NOW II, curated by Don Marshall, Executive Director, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation (Founding Executive Director of the CAC), includes three exhibitions: Landscape, Seascape, Cityscape (February 25-March 25, 2012), Abstraction (April 1-29, 2012), and The Human Figure (May 5-June 3).

These exhibitions are part of the CAC’s 35th birthday program focusing on past, present, and future work by local artists.

Join me for the Opening Reception on May 5, 2012, at the Contemporary Arts Center, First Floor Gallery, 900 Camp Street, New Orleans, LA 70130.

Join me for the opening of the Academy's Self-Portrait Invitational

2012-01-10T19:17:00.000-05:00

I'm excited to be a part of this self-portrait show, only the third of such since the Academy's inception. These are hosted every seven years (or so). The first was in Feb 1995, the second in March 2003, and the third, a bit late, will be in January 2012.

Self-Portrait Invitational Exhibition
Academy Gallery
The New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts
5256 Magazine Street
New Orleans, LA 70115
(504) 899-8111
www.noafa.com

Opening Reception
Saturday January 14, 2012
6-9 p.m.

Participating artists include Auseklis Ozols, Kim Bernardas, Jean Cassels, Will Crocker, Claude Ellender, Diego Larguia, Carol Peebles, Victoria Ryan, Phil Sandusky, Billy Solitario, Garth Swanson, Nell Tilton, Patti Adams, Marianne Antoine, Errol Barron, Tony Benjamin, Kathy Brombacher, Tom Bruno, Jose Maria Cundin, Tucker Fitzhugh, Robert Guthrie, Susan Hotard, Gretchen Krasny, Lori Lockwood, Allison McAshan, Laura Mitchell, Peter Schnore, Jean Seidenberg, Karen Stasny, Chris Stebly, Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux, Kathleen Trapolin, Tim Trapolin, Janet Urrate, Magtillt Van Thiel, Dell Weller, Kris Wenschuh, June Woodbrige, and more!

I am happy to report that my painting "Self-Portrait with Hat" has been awarded 2nd place in the Portrait Society of America's Members-Only Competition 2011.

Painting: Self-Portrait With Hat

2012-01-10T19:05:00.036-05:00

"Self-Portrait with Hat," original oil painting by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux, 16" x 20", oil on linen, 2011, collection of the artist

I was thrilled to be invited to participate in the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts' third self-portrait show, held every seven (or so) years.

When I sat down to paint my portrait, I tried a few different vantage points and efforts. In fact, three failed paintings stand before this one, the keeper. After a few rough attempts, I decided to paint a companion to the portrait of my husband Troy, in his favorite hat, that I painted in 2009.

"Portrait of Troy," original oil painting by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux, 16" x 20", oil on linen, 2009

I have painted Troy many times, starting when we met in graduate school in 1996. This one, painted in a couple of hours on a Saturday afternoon in 2009, is the keeper. He could be reading, or writing code, as he often did, on those Saturday afternoons, in Washington, D.C. It's worth noting that my morning's painting was a wash. So I came home from painting group to paint this one fresh, after hours of looking and correcting, but having nothing to take home.

In any case, I wanted my portrait to look at his, across the room.

Here we are together:

A few sessions in to painting my self-portrait, I lost the hat. I knew I was done.

This painting debuts at the opening of the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts' 3rd Self-Portrait Invitational Exhibit 2012.

join me for Garden District Gallery's Holiday Open House

2011-12-13T17:00:00.005-05:00

Holiday Open House

December 14, 2011-January 9, 2012

Garden District Gallery

1332 Washington Ave

New Orleans, LA 70130

504-891-3032

http://www.gardendistrictgallery.com

Featured Artists:

Patti Adams

Katie Arimura

David Armentor

Kim Bernardas

Nini Bodenheimer

Jean Cassels

Kat Fitzpatrick

JoAnn Greenberg

Martha Guthrie

Patricia Tait Jones

Elayne Kuehler

Laura Mitchell

Carol Peebles

Michael Prokos

Glinda Schafer

Jacques Soulas

Phil Thompson

Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

Kris Wenschuh

and more

Opening Reception

Wednesday December 14, 2011

6-8 p.m.

Painting: Trees III

2011-12-13T16:59:00.007-05:00

Trees III
original oil painting by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux
5"x7"
oil on panel
2011

to inquire about this painting, contact Patti Adams at the Garden District Gallery 504-891-3032

Painting: Trees II

2011-12-13T16:58:00.000-05:00

Trees II

original oil painting by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

5"x7"

oil on panel

2011

to inquire about this painting, contact Patti Adams at the Garden District Gallery 504-891-3032

Painting: Trees I

2011-12-13T16:57:00.000-05:00

Trees I

original oil painting by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

5"x7"

oil on panel

2011

to inquire about this painting, contact Patti Adams at the Garden District Gallery 504-891-3032

Happiness is

2011-11-28T19:38:00.001-05:00

New brushes

from Rosemary & Co.

Workshop Announcement: Portrait painting offered in January

2011-11-09T20:01:00.004-05:00

I'm pleased to announce a 3-day portrait painting workshop held on January 14-16, 2012 in New Orleans.

During this workshop, we will work from the live model for a total of 18 hours--the equavalent of a 6-week class.

On the first day, I'll demonstrate the method of painting a portrait alla prima, and for the next 6 sessions we will work from darks to lights, modeling the head in a limited palette with bravura brushwork.

Please join me!

For more information, visit Studio Thibodeaux - classes

To register, call 504-944-7900

Painting: Marsh and Trees

2011-11-07T20:04:00.001-05:00

Marsh and Trees

original oil painting

by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

6"x6" oil on panel

To inquire about this painting, please contact Studio 831 at (504) 304-4392 or

info@studio831royal.com

Painting: Riverscape in Red and Blue

2011-11-07T20:01:00.001-05:00

"riverscape in red and blue"

by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

oil on board

5"x7"

SOLD

Painting: Nude

2011-11-07T20:00:00.004-05:00

nude

original oil painting

by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

oil on linen

16" x 16"

To inquire about this painting, please contact Studio 831 at (504) 304-4392 or

info@studio831royal.com

Painting: Reclining Nude in Gold Light

2011-11-07T19:59:00.001-05:00

reclining nude in gold light

original oil painting

by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

oil on linen, 12" x 16"

To inquire about this painting, please contact Studio 831 at (504) 304-4392 or

info@studio831royal.com

Painting: At the Fairgrounds II

2011-11-07T19:57:00.000-05:00

at the fairgrounds II

original oil painting

by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

oil on canvas paper

12" x 9"

To inquire about this painting, please contact Studio 831 at (504) 304-4392 or

info@studio831royal.com

Painting: Sleeping Dog and Chair

2011-11-07T19:51:00.000-05:00

Sleeping Dog and Chair

original oil painting

by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

6"x6" oil on board

To inquire about this painting, please contact Studio 831 at (504) 304-4392 or

info@studio831royal.com

Painting: Nude

2011-11-07T19:50:00.000-05:00

Nude

original oil painting

by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

6"x6" oil on board

To inquire about this painting, please contact Studio 831 at (504) 304-4392 or

info@studio831royal.com

Painting: Morning

2011-11-07T19:05:00.001-05:00

"Morning"

Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

oil on canvas, 4"x5", 2011

To inquire about this painting, contact Patsy Adams at the Academy Gallery at (504) 899-8111.

Painting: Noon

2011-11-07T19:02:00.001-05:00

"Noon"

Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

oil on canvas, 4"x5", 2011

To inquire about this painting, contact Patsy Adams at the Academy Gallery at (504) 899-8111.

Painting: Night

2011-11-07T19:01:00.000-05:00

"Night"

Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

oil on canvas, 4"x5", 2011

To inquire about this painting, contact Patsy Adams at the Academy Gallery at (504) 899-8111.

Painting: Afternoon

2011-11-07T19:00:00.003-05:00

"Afternoon"

original oil painting by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

oil on canvas, 4"x5", 2011

To inquire about this painting, contact Patsy Adams at the Academy Gallery at (504) 899-8111.

Painting: Sleeping Dog I

2011-11-07T18:02:00.001-05:00

Sleeping Dog I

original oil painting

by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

5"x5" oil on panel

To inquire about a painting, please contact Studio 831 at (504) 304-4392 or

info@studio831royal.com

Painting: Sleeping Dog III

2011-11-07T18:00:00.001-05:00

Sleeping Dog III

original oil painting

by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

5"x5" oil on panel

To inquire about a painting, please contact Studio 831 at (504) 304-4392 or

info@studio831royal.com

Two more paintings added to French Quarter gallery

2011-11-07T17:59:00.000-05:00

Here are two more small paintings added to the show at French Quarter gallery Studio 831.

Sleeping Dog I

original oil painting

by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

5"x5" oil on panel

Sleeping Dog III

original oil painting

by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

5"x5" oil on panel

To inquire about a painting, please contact Studio 831 at (504) 304-4392 or

info@studio831royal.com

Painting: Floating Nude

2011-11-07T13:32:00.000-05:00

floating nude

original oil painting

by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

oil on linen, 12" x 16"

To inquire about a painting, please contact Studio 831 at (504) 304-4392 or

info@studio831royal.com

Miniatures show paintings

2011-11-05T18:00:00.011-04:00

I am pleased to present these paintings as part of the 2011 Annual Miniatures Exhibition at the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts.

"Morning"
Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux
oil on canvas, 4"x5", 2011

"Noon"
Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux
oil on canvas, 4"x5", 2011

"Afternoon"
Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux
oil on canvas, 4"x5", 2011

"Night"
Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux
oil on canvas, 4"x5", 2011

Contact Patsy Adams at the Academy Gallery at (504) 899-8111 to inquire about these paintings.

The 2011 Annual Miniature Exhibition
Academy Gallery
The New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts
5256 Magazine Street
New Orleans, LA 70115
(504) 899-8111
www.noafa.com

November 5 - December 3, 2011

Opening Reception
Saturday November 5, 2011
6-9 p.m.

Join me for the opening of the NOAFA miniatures show

2011-11-03T16:34:00.011-04:00

Please join me for the opening of the 2011 Annual Miniature Exhibition, in which I have four paintings:

Portrait sitting

2011-10-30T11:57:00.001-04:00

Troy helped me prepare for a portrait sitting today by sitting for a practice run.

French Quarter gallery shows several paintings

2011-10-24T18:56:00.000-04:00

French Quarter gallery Studio 831 is hosting an exhibit of my portraits, nudes, and small works.

Paintings by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

Studio 831
532 Royal Street
New Orleans, LA 70116

(504) 304-4392

info@studio831royal.com

floating nude

original oil painting

by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

oil on linen, 12" x 16"

at the fairgrounds II

original oil painting

by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

oil on canvas paper

12" x 9"

nude

original oil painting

by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

oil on linen

16" x 16"

reclining nude in gold light

original oil painting

by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

oil on linen, 12" x 16"

Sleeping Dog and Chair

original oil painting

by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

6"x6" oil on board

Riverscape - Study in Red and Blue

original oil painting

by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

5"x7" oil on board

Nude

original oil painting

by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

6"x6" oil on board

Marsh and Trees

original oil painting

by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

6"x6" oil on panel

To inquire about a painting, please contact Studio 831 at (504) 304-4392 or

info@studio831royal.com

Join me for Open Studio

2011-10-24T18:21:00.000-04:00

Please join me and 20 New Orleans artists for the 2011 NOLA Open Studios.

Take a walk through artist studios in Marigny, Bywater and Saint Claude neighborhoods, visit with artists, and see where they work!

Saturday November 12, 2011

Studio Thibodeaux

928 Port Street

New Orleans, LA 70117

noon - 6 p.m.

For more information, visit http://www.nolaopenstudio.com/

Portrait of Heidi

2011-10-06T11:48:00.002-04:00

Portrait of Heidi
Original Oil Painting by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux
14" x 11", oil on panel

To inquire about this painting, contact sarah@studiothibodeaux.com.

I painted this portrait last night at the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts' figure studio. I have painted Heidi about 6 times now, and this one has turned out the best. I have found that I need several attempts to get the final painting, even though I paint a new one each time.

Wet panel carrier

2011-09-30T17:43:00.000-04:00

I was traveling and needed to improvise a wet-panel carrier.
Here's what I came up with.
Worked pretty well!
What does everyone else do?

Check out my new portfolio!

2011-09-13T18:02:00.000-04:00

portfolio by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux | Make Your Own Book

Mitchell Long's plein air paintings

2011-07-08T16:58:00.000-04:00

Visiting Mitchell Long's studio is never boring. There are piles of paintings on the floor, on the wall, everywhere. The working studio spills out into the hallway where the artist builds frames and waxes them. It's a beautiful space, north light coming through the windows, the hallway a jumble of furniture and found objects.

And then there's the new work. Mitchell shows me a tableful of new paintings, painted in plein air in the French Quarter. He ventures out in the morning or evenings, when the light is best and the temperature not so punishing.

Painting en plein air has its ups an downs. Some painters have to deal with wildlife and bugs. For Long, it's the people in the Quarter. An antiques dealer knocks down his makeshift easel, tells him to move along. But there are also acts of kindness. A woman buys him a cup of coffee in the mornings, as he's setting up.

He's working on a series of small paintings, approximately 3" x 7". The compositions mirror those of his larger works, panoramic views of buildings and sky with lush brush strokes and color harmonies with the tension of pink and blue skies.

He's working on gathering this new series for sale online on his website. If the meantime, email him at long.mitchell[at]gmail[dot]com.

Artist Brooks Frederick teaches charcoal drawing workshop this weekend

2011-07-07T13:33:00.000-04:00

Artist Brooks Fredrick is teaching a 2-day drawing workshop this weekend at the Garden District Gallery.

Houma native Frederick lives in New York, where he teaches drawing at Adelphi University. He spends his summers in Louisiana.

Locals may know him from the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts, where he taught figure drawing for two years.

His workshop will concentrate on the medium of charcoal and explore the range of effects from highly refined to physical and gestural.

All skill levels are welcome to attend.

Fee is $180 for the class, which runs Saturday July 16 and Sunday July 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, email info@gardendistrictgallery.com or call 504-891-3032.

Head Study

2011-07-07T10:07:00.003-04:00

Head Study

10" x 8"

oil on linen

$600

Flower

2011-07-03T21:14:00.001-04:00

Nothing so humbling as painting a flower.

Many attempts and failures.

What I observed today is how green the shadow color is, how the color lessens as the light fades, and how cool gray green are the lightest lights.

Gilbert Stuart

2011-06-29T21:01:00.001-04:00

Can't pass a Gilbert Stuart without stopping.

Doesn't he make everyone look like George Washington?

Man (Head and Shoulders)

2010-10-18T13:26:00.001-04:00

"man (head and shoulders"

by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

oil on board

7"x5"

2010
$275

Saturday at the drawing group we had a model with a strong light on one side, which created a strong shadow plane in the face. The face is lit from the side. One of the students commented that he felt as though he were drawing too tightly--in too small of an area. I left that day thinking we tend to underplay form. Form! We need to get the overall feel of light and shadow--the way a light curves around a round sphere. After we do that in a general way to we move on to the details of eyes, eyes, etc. In some cases there is very little left that needs to be done . . .

To inquire about this painting, email sarah@studiothibodeaux.com.

riverscape in gray and blue

2010-10-15T18:57:00.002-04:00

"riverscape in gray and blue"

by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

oil on board

5"x7"

2009

SOLD

More paintings in this body of work are available for sale.

portrait of libby

2010-09-14T18:26:00.023-04:00

portrait of libby

oil on linen, 16" x 16", 2009

To inquire about this painting, contact sarah@studiothibodeaux.com

portrait of brian

2010-09-14T18:25:00.011-04:00

portrait of brian

oil on linen, 16" x 16", 2008

To inquire about this painting, contact sarah@studiothibodeaux.com

the green hat

2010-09-14T18:25:00.010-04:00

the green hat

oil on linen, 16" x 12", 2009

To inquire about this painting, contact sarah@studiothibodeaux.com

portrait of samira

2010-09-14T18:25:00.009-04:00

portrait of samira

oil on linen, 16" x 16", 2008

To inquire about this painting, contact sarah@studiothibodeaux.com

painting - Mary in profile

2010-08-07T21:30:00.007-04:00

mary in profile

oil on panel

2010

Here is Saturday's painting. It ended up being a low-key study as Mary was backlit. And as I was out of my favorite color, Transparent Oxide Red, I used what I had with me, which was Raw Umber. Quite different effect. I find that I am continuing to play red and green off of one another. . . .

We had a good group this Saturday. Enjoyed seeing some friendly faces and some new ones as well.

I had a good feeling that our friend Big Daddy was with us.

Next week is the last session of the summer, the continuation of a 4-week pose with Mary as artist subject and Gabe as artist. Next week Gabe is our model.

After that, likely a landscape excursion on Aug 21st. Stay tuned . . .

head study - mary

2010-07-11T13:24:00.000-04:00

"Mary"

oil on panel

2010

"Mary" (detail)

oil on panel

2010

Mary was our model yesterday at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop's weekly open studio.

It's good to get back to the routine of painting from life every week. I do a head study most Saturdays. What a joy to paint from life after a few weeks of studio work! Just to swish the paint around and run everything together--just the feel of the paint is, well, I can't describe it. (magic?).

This week there was a birthday party across the hall and the kids were wild with sugar. Our opera this week was a mystery without Fred to identify it. Wonderful work by all: Will, Mike, Chris, Howard, and Craig.

We are putting together a landscape excursion later this summer.

Stay tuned!

new painting - Mary McLeod Bethune

2010-07-06T11:36:00.000-04:00

"Mary McLeod Bethune"

12" x 12"

oil on board

2010

demonstration from Saturday's class

2010-06-28T13:51:00.000-04:00

Here is a painting demonstration from Saturday's class.

Workshop Demonstration

2010-06-14T15:56:00.002-04:00

I am back from teaching a three-day workshop in portrait painting in New Orleans.

Thanks to all who attended and to Blake and staff from the New Orleans School of Art and Craft, who were welcoming as always.

As always, it was wonderful to be in New Orleans. We spent three days talking about art, sampling the city's great food, and, best of all, painting!

Here is a step-by-step demonstration of painting the portrait alla prima I presented at the workshop.

First, I tone a white board with acrylic (raw umber). It dries in just a few minutes.

In class we do a drawing in charcoal for placement (composition). Then "fix" the drawing with paint (oils).

In this demonstration, I jumped that stage and moved on to adding paint. I am drawing and painting as I go along.

I begin this painting with the lips and nose, as I find those to be the areas of greatest interest.
Second, I define the eye socket in shadow and take that dark all the way down the face, creating a unified shadow area.

I also block in the light side of the face.

I block in the shadow of the eye on the light side of the face.

I punch in the darks of the eye brows to further define the eye sockets.
At this stage, I define the shadow side of the face.

This is a single tone that unifies the shadow side of the face.

I also punch in the jawline and the darks of the eyes.
At this stage I add the darks of the hair and refine the light side, shadow side, and highlights to create unity and remove edges that are too sharp.
To conclude I add the darkest dark of the hair, paint the ear, and suggest the neck.

I refine the nose and mouth, redoing highlights, and then stop before I ruin it.

invitation

2010-05-12T17:05:00.000-04:00

Please join me for an opening reception this Sunday.

Exhibtion:
Paintings by
Lynn Mehta & Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

Location:
Philip Carter Winery
4366 Stillhouse Road
Hume, VA 22639-1825

Exhibition:
May - July 2010

Opening Reception:
Sunday May 16, 2010
2-5 p.m.

head study

2010-04-03T22:36:00.000-04:00

Here is a 3-hour head study of our lovely model Ravenna.

This is the 7th sitting with Ravenna, not including some other sessions in January. So we have painted her many times over the past weeks.

Lesson from today: let's call it the cumulative effect. The more times you paint the same person/same pose, the better you get at it. The later efforts are smoother, the color finer, and the brushstrokes more decisive.

This has been true for me many times over the years, and I'm seeing the same effect in others' work in the group.

A cool idea: paint Ravenna tomorrow from memory . . .

Reminder: No class this Saturday

2010-02-24T11:27:00.002-05:00

Quick reminder that Portrait Painting and Working from the Figure are taking a hiatus this week.

Next session: March 6.

Portrait continued - Day 2 of 7 - eyes and nose

2010-02-24T11:26:00.000-05:00

Day 2 of 7

Saturday was day two of our seven day portrait.

Changes:

I darkened the cast shadow under the chin. Refined the light side of the chin to give her an elegant neckline.

I put a middle tone over the nose and then with a darker warm brown, restated the nostrils and the cast shadow under the nose.

Reworked the dark side of the nose and shadow inside the eye socket.

Added the strong highlight over the dominant eye.

More to come. . .

No class this Saturday (I'm out of town) but back Saturday March 6.

Early stages of a portrait

2010-02-19T12:30:00.000-05:00

I thought I would post how we start a painting in my alla prima portrait painting class.

First we tone the canvas. I put a tone on with acrylic paint so it will dry quickly. The purpose is to get rid of the stark whiteness of the prepared canvas and work on a middle tone. On a middle toned canvas, the lights look lighter and the darks look darker. (It's so simple!)

Then we draw the figure on the canvas using charcoal. This is not a detailed drawing, but rather the purpose of this stage is to get a sense of the placement of the figure on the canvas. If the drawing looks poorly placed, I simply wipe it out. The charcoal comes off easily with a paper towel.

I usually do this drawing/erasing process about 3 times to get the figure where I want it to be. I encourage my students to do the same. Don't trust where you put it the first time, just so you can rush in to the painting. Slow down, look closely, and decide if you really want the figure right there. It is easy to change at this stage, and will be much harder later.

Then when satisfied with the placement of the figure, outline the charcoal lines with a thin lines in oil paint. I use a medium brown, but the color is not important. These lines are there to mark where the figure will go.

The key things I look for at this stage are

a balance between the negative spaces on the canvas
overall correct drawing proportions
a feel for the center of interest versus the areas that will "trail off."

In this portrait, the center of interest is the eyes. It is my intention to have the viewer's eye travel from the strong light hitting the forehead and light side of the face down the neck, where it will hit a blocky necklace she is wearing (not yet shown). As the eye travels down further the painting "trails off" -- the color is less saturated, values closer together, and edges are soft.

I don't worry about

the features - sometimes I don't put them in at all. Rather, I put the overall "egg" shape of the head and an indication of the changes of plane a the cheekbones and eye sockets.
modeling - This stage is not about shading. It's not important to fill in the cast shadows or darks at this point. Just outlining them is fine. The darks we put in at the next stage, in their proper color.
exactness - I may not have everything right but that's okay. I see each stage of the painting as a process in looking and correcting, and I'm not worried about getting this drawing perfect. I make corrections to the drawing throughout the entire process. This is one of my favorite things about painting alla prima vs. painting the the classical realist method. There is room to move things around as you go.

Next, blocking in color:

Once the drawing is in place, it's time to jump in with paint.

I usually emphasize putting in the background color first, because having the background color there helps one find the flesh tones in the foreground better. However, in this case, the background is pale and similar to the ground of the canvas. So I left it as is. (This is also a personal preference.)

At this stage I block in the planes of the face in an overall way. That is to say, I mark the change of plane of the cheekbones and the cast shadow under the chin with one tone. Then I find an overall lighter tone for the light side of the face.

I also block in an overall dark for the hair. I will later put the lights on top of this tone.

I am going for an overall unity of the head, so I make sure I overlap the planes. In other words, I suspect that from far away you cannot see the difference between the light side of the nose and the cheek, except with the highlight, so I will run those areas together.

Some things to remember:

cheeks and nose are rosier (more pink!). Forehead is less pink.
I push the color (more color!) at this stage because as we move forward adding on the lights, the color will become less saturated as we add white.
soft eyes - Don't paint the eyes. Paint the eye sockets. In this case, our model is bathed in strong light and is wearing strong eye makeup. Keep the eyes soft and then add the hard lines in after. You may find that there are fewer hard lines in the eyes than you think.

More to come as this painting progresses.

Portrait painting demonstration at Utrecht April 17

2010-02-17T17:01:00.001-05:00

I'm doing a demonstration of the alla prima oil portrait at Utrecht Art Supply in April. Please join!

Portrait Painting in Oils - Demonstration
by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux
Saturday April 17, 2010
1 - 4 p.m.
1250 I Street N.W.
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 898-0555

Painting: Nude in Red

2010-02-14T17:58:00.003-05:00

"Nude in Red"

Original Oil Painting by Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

11"x14" oil on panel

This is a new painting I did yesterday at "Working from the Figure" at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop.

We used our usual purple drape behind the model and a maroon cloth to mask the pillows, and it seemed a symphony of red. I worked the figure with some green tones to work against the red.

Snowy Saturday - Are we having classes?

2010-02-04T13:51:00.002-05:00

Alas, another snowfall is imminent.

The National Weather Service has issued the following Winter Storm Warning:

Message: NOAA-NWS-ALERTS-DC20100204145900LWXWinterStormWarningLWX20100207030000DC from w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov
Sent: 09:59 EST on 02-04-2010
Effective: 09:59 EST on 02-04-2010
Expires: 22:00 EST on 02-06-2010
...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM FRIDAY TO 10 PM EST SATURDAY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW WITH NEAR-BLIZZARD CONDITIONS...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM FRIDAY TO 10 PM EST SATURDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* PRECIPITATION TYPE...HEAVY SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS...STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 16 TO 24 INCHES.

* TIMING...SNOW WILL BEGIN MID-MORNING FRIDAY...AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING. CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE RAPIDLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON...WITH HEAVIEST SNOWFALL OCCURRING BETWEEN SUNSET FRIDAY TO SUNRISE SATURDAY. THE MOST HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR FRIDAY NIGHT...WHEN THE COMBINATION OF HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG WINDS WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO BELOW ONE-QUARTER MILE...PRODUCING NEAR-BLIZZARD CONDITIONS.

* TEMPERATURES...HIGHS IN THE LOWER 30S FRIDAY. FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY...TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN THE MID 20S.

* WINDS...BECOMING NORTHEAST 10 TO 20 MPH FRIDAY WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY.
To find out if we will be holding classes Saturday at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, please do the following:

Call Capitol Hill Arts Workshop at (202)547-6839 after 8 a.m. Saturday morning.

There will be a message on the answering machine letting everyone know whether or not the building will be open.

I hope we are on.

Saturday morning we'll be finishing up a 4-week pose with Nicole:

During the last sitting we

refine the face adjusting the color and values and edges (OK, everything)
eyes: once eye sockets are in right, put in the irises, restate the eyeline and keep the rest soft!
always squint to see what stands out (in a bad way) and tone it down
squint to see what should stands out (in a good way). Use that information to build up your lightest lights and culminate in highlights

In the afternoon Working from the Figure plans to have the third of a three-day sitting with Ravenna.

At this point, I look over the whole thing and then decide what to work on. Emphasis is on making sure the light hits and cascades across in a way that makes sense:

punch in dark darks even darker
make sense of the drapery
refine hands and feet
leave overall softness but place in sharp strokes where necessary

Looking forward to seeing you, weather permitting!

Cheers,
Sarah
http://www.sarahgriffinthibodeaux.com/classes/

P.S. If it snows, paint in Lincoln Park: (look how lovely):

World enough, and time

2010-01-22T15:06:00.004-05:00

Painting the figure takes time.

I like to think of four sessions of three hours each as a good time frame for painting the head and shoulders.

One session spent on visualizing the subject, placing it on the canvas, and "fixing" the drawing on the canvas.
The next session to block in the darks and the main areas of the clothing,
then the third session to refine the areas of interest, and
the final session to refine or repaint where necessary and bring up the highest highlights.

Last week I started a demonstration where I got to steps one and two:

I like to think of painting as a process of looking and correcting, looking and correcting, looking and correcting.

"Portrait Painting in Oils" continue this Saturday morning at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Our model is Nicole and if we are lucky she will grace us with an aria (she is an opera singer!). Slots are still open so if you would like to do a 3-week portrait, feel free to register.

If you are joining for the afternoon open studio "Working from the Figure" -- an open studio where artists can work from the nude model -- please come prepared for a three-week pose. Our model Ravenna is booked with us for the next three weeks so we'll set up a single pose Saturday and continue it till February 6.

Please join this Saturday! Looking forward to seeing you.

For all the info and details, visit
http://www.sarahgriffinthibodeaux.com/classes/

Cheers,
Sarah

3-week pose in open studio

2010-01-20T15:23:00.000-05:00

We had good attendance Saturday for the return of "Working from the Figure," and we have the same model for the next three times, so we're going to have a three-week pose.

Bring drawing or painting supplies . . .

See you Saturday . . .

oil sketch

2010-01-17T20:46:00.000-05:00

Here is a quick oil sketch I did in about 40 minutes.

I had been working on another painting for about 2 hours, but I just wasn't satisfied with it. So I wiped it out and started over.

We have a lovely model who will be back the next 3 weeks at the Saturday open studio.

New pose next week though, so this one is finished.

Happy New Year! Weekly classes start Saturday

2010-01-15T11:55:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year! I hope that this year you find ways to enjoy the art of painting.

I've just returned from teaching a wonderful 3-day intensive workshop in portrait painting in New Orleans. We had freezing weather, but great students and terrific models. We painted for 3-days straight. I regret that I have only a few photos because, alas, my camera's 1-gig disk has finally gone out. It recorded only a few of the photos I snapped. Will try to recover these!

Our hosts at the New Orleans School of Art and Craft were hospitable. And it was great to have the art supply store on hand. New Orleans Art Supply stocks Williamsburg paints, an amazing brand of high-quality paints (lots of pigment in there!) and an array of canvases and brushes. We were happy to be the inaugural class!

Please join June 4-6 as I'm offering it again. This time in air conditioning.

June 4-6, 2010 - New Orleans
Location: New Orleans School of Art & Craft
3620 Royal St., New Orleans, LA 70117
For more information and to register:
http://art-restoration.com/school/courses/paintport.htm

Classes
Coming up this Saturday we have the January (winter) session at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop in Washington, D.C.

The winter session is short--4 weeks--just enough to give you a taste of the class and see if you'd like to take a longer one (7 weeks) offered in spring.

"Portrait Painting in Oils" will continue in its Saturday morning slot at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. In January it will be offered as a 4-week class, and February and March we'll have a 7-week class. I won't be teaching in Spring II of 2010 (April & May) so if you are interested in painting the portrait alla prima, register for January or Spring I. Register online at chaw.org.

"Working from the Figure" -- an open studio where artists can work from the nude model -- will continue to be offered in 4-week sessions in January, February, and March at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop. I love this session because it gives artists a chance to just work together. Register online at chaw.org. Starts Saturday January 16. Register now!

Please join this Saturday! Looking forward to seeing you.

For all the info and details, visit
http://www.sarahgriffinthibodeaux.com/classes/

Cheers,
Sarah

New Orleans Workshop

2010-01-13T19:28:00.000-05:00

Here are my demonstration paintings from the weekend workshop:

Our models, Edward and Julie, were terrific, and so was the class.

I regret that I only have the following photos, as my camera's disk must have worn out and the files wouldn't open.

Bob's painting of Julie:

Margo painting:

Robert Liberace demo Jan 14 in Vienna, Va.

2009-12-16T16:29:00.000-05:00

Passing along this announcement from the Vienna Arts Society:

VAS is hosting their monthly meeting on Thursday, January 14th at 10am with a free demonstration by Robert Liberace...http://www.robertliberace.com/portraitsOil/gallery.htm

Free to the public. People with disabilities may have trouble getting into the center.

Vienna Art center
115 Pleasant St NW
Vienna, VA 22180

www.viennaartssociety.org

Upcoming classes and workshops

2009-11-30T17:10:00.001-05:00

I am happy to announce classes and workshops for 2010.

Workshops

I'm happy to announce three weekend workshops in 2010. The workshops condense a weekly class into a single weekend: Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. They begin with a demonstration of the alla prima technique, and continue with painting the model from life for the subsequent sittings. I have found that workshops give you a burst of information that stays with you for the rest of the year.

January 8-10, 2010 - New Orleans
Location: New Orleans School of Art & Craft
3620 Royal St., New Orleans, LA 70117
For more information and to register:
http://art-restoration.com/school/courses/paintport.htm

April 16-18, 2010 - Herndon, Va.
Details to come.

June 4-6, 2010 - New Orleans
Location: New Orleans School of Art & Craft
3620 Royal St., New Orleans, LA 70117
For more information and to register:
http://art-restoration.com/school/courses/paintport.htm

Classes

"Portrait Painting in Oils" will continue in its Saturday morning slot at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop. In January it will be offered as a 4-week class, and February and March we'll have a 6-week class. I won't be teaching in Spring II of 2010 (April & May) so if you are interested in painting the portrait alla prima, register for January or Spring I. Register online at chaw.org.

"Working from the Figure" -- an open studio where artists can work from the nude model -- will continue to be offered in 4-week sessions in January, February, and March at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop. I love this session because it gives artists a chance to just work together. Register online at chaw.org.

In January, I also have the privilege of team-teaching a course with Ellen Cornett and Carolina Mayorga on the still life. In "Three Views: A Unique Study of a Still Life" each of us will offer our perspective on art-making and students will have the chance to do a still life in each of 3 media. Thursday nights in January. Register online at chaw.org.

I hope you will join me in enjoying the world of alla prima painting.

For all the info and details, visit
http://www.sarahgriffinthibodeaux.com/classes/

Please join for student show opening December 11

2009-11-23T19:00:00.002-05:00

Please join me in celebrating a year of art-making at the CHAW student show.

Location:

Capitol Hill Arts Workshop

545 7th Street, S.E.

Washington DC 20003

(the corner of 7th and G Streets, SE)

Exhibition:

December 11-22, 2009

Opening Reception:

December 11, 2009

6-8 p.m.

Capitol Hill Arts Workshop offers classes in the visual and performing arts to children and adults. For more information visit www.chaw.org.

Three Upcoming Competitions

2009-11-18T18:15:00.000-05:00

5th Annual Members Only Competition: Portraits by Medium
Postmark Deadline: December 14, 2009
Exhibit Dates: April 22 – 25, 2010

In its fifth year, the Annual Members Only Competition varies each year by subject or medium. This year members can choose their medium and enter in one or more categories: Drawing, Oil, Pastel, Sculpture and Watercolor. All winners will be recognized on the Portrait Society’s website, The Art of the Portrait Journal, featured in International Artist magazine and an image of their winning work will be shown at the annual conference.
http://www.portraitsociety.org/membersonly-competitions.htm
12th Annual International Portrait Competition
Postmark Deadline: March 1, 2010
Exhibit Dates: April 22-25, 2010

This competition showcases the finest in portraiture and figurative art, today. Open to all artists, the top fifteen finalists are invited to exhibit their selected artwork at the prestigious The Art of the Portrait conference in Washington, D.C. Prizes total more than $50,000 and are presented at a Gala Banquet, Saturday, April 24, 2010.
http://www.portraitsociety.org/conference/competition.htm
Upcoming Butler Exhibit Competition:
Inspiring Figures: Celebrating Women’s Contribution to the
American Figurative Tradition
Postmark Deadline: April 30, 2010
Exhibit Dates: September 12 – October 31, 2010

Inspiring Figures explores the distinctive influence of female artists and their continued importance in the development of American figurative art and portraiture. Opening September 12, 2010 at the Butler Institute of American Art, selected works from a juried competition juxtapose a collection of figures by historic and invited artists. Selected works will be awarded over $15,000 in cash and prizes, included in the exhibit at the prestigious Butler Institute, and in the full color catalog.
http://www.portraitsociety.org/ceciliabeaux/updates.htm

Call for Entries: Capitol HIll Arts Workshop Student Show, December 11-22

2009-11-16T19:16:00.008-05:00

Calling all students of "Portrait Painting in Oils" and "Working from the Figure." Here's a great opportunity to show your portraits and figure paintings and drawings you completed this year.

Capitol Hill Arts Workshop is pleased to announce an exhibit of student artwork December 11-22, 2009.

The show will feature works from the adult visual arts program, which includes figure drawing, portrait painting, and photography.

Students of all fall visual art classes are encouraged to submit work.

To be eligible for the show, the art work must have been done in Summer, Fall I or Fall II 2009 sessions at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, and the work must be framed and wired for hanging.

Work must be ready to hang. All works on paper must be framed, matted and behind glass or plexi. Canvases should be framed unless the sides of the canvas are painted. Everything must be wired. No clip frames.

Eact artist may submit one piece of artwork.

Work must be delivered to the front desk at CHAW between Thursday, December 3 and Wednesday, December 9.

For the show's opening, CHAW will provide wine and exhibiting artists should bring an hors-d'oeuvre.

The exhibit runs from December 11 to December 22 with an opening reception on December 11 from 6-8 p.m.

For more information contact Ellen Cornett at ellencornett [at] comcast.net.

Invitation to Closing Party November 14

2009-11-10T18:01:00.001-05:00

Please join me for the closing party for this show of recent paintings at Studio H Gallery and Workshop in Washington, D.C.

Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

Solo Exhibition - Recent Paintings

Exhibition Dates:

October 17, 2008 to November 14, 2009

Studio H Gallery and Workshop

408a H ST NE

Washington, DC 20002

202.468.5277

www.studiohdc.com

phil@studiohdc.com

Closing Reception:

Saturday November 14, 2009

6:30-9:00 pm

Please join me November 14!

Slots available in Fall II Portrait Painting class

2009-11-09T17:21:00.002-05:00

This is the last chance to register for our current session of Portrait Painting in Oils.

Last day to register is Thursday November 12. Register now!

In this 6-week session, which started Saturday, we have our model in a long pose (formal dress ) for all sessions. (see photo)

Students have the option of doing a head and shoulders painting, a 3/4 figure, or a full length figure.

I hope that this time frame will allow for several options:

to give you more time to work with the same model
to allow for the occasional absence
perhaps to try different angles of the same face
to paint clothing

Here is the general description of the class.

Description:

This class teaches the fundamentals of painting the head in oil. Beginning with a toned canvas, students will execute a careful drawing and subsequently build up the structure of the head from darks to lights. Emphasis is on understanding the structure of the head and learning to mix colors to create realistic and harmonious flesh tones. The class will begin with a demonstration of the alla prima technique, used by John Singer Sargent and handed down through generations of atelier painters and teachers.

We meet Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Fee for the 6-week session is $288.

Exact Dates: November 7, 14, 21, (off Nov 28) Dec 5, 12, 19

Location: Capitol Hill Arts Workshop
535 7th St SE Washington DC 20003
(202) 547-6839 www.chaw.org
Closest metro is Eastern Market.
Instructor: Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

Registration Info:
Deadline: Thursday 11/12.
How to register: call (202) 547-6839 or
or register with CHAW's online system: www.chaw.org

Visit http://www.sarahgriffinthibodeaux.com/classes/
for more information.

If you are interested, make sure to register, and come prepared to paint with a canvas!

See you Saturday!

Sarah

Paint a formal portrait! 6 week Portrait Painting class starts Saturday

2009-11-04T17:54:00.000-05:00

A new session of Portrait Painting in Oils class starts this Saturday November 7 and continues till December 19.

Register now!

We're trying something slightly different this time.

Instead of 3 or 4-week poses with the same model, this time we will have our model for 6 weeks in the same pose.

In this class, our model will be wearing a formal dress, standing. (Think Sargent.)

Students will have the option of doing a head and shoulders painting, a 3/4 figure, or a full length figure.

I hope that this time frame will allow for several options:

to give you more time to work with the same model
to allow for the occasional absence
perhaps to try different angles of the same face
to paint clothing

Here is the general description of the class.

Description:

This class teaches the fundamentals of painting the head in oil. Beginning with a toned canvas, students will execute a careful drawing and subsequently build up the structure of the head from darks to lights. Emphasis is on understanding the structure of the head and learning to mix colors to create realistic and harmonious flesh tones. The class will begin with a demonstration of the alla prima technique, used by John Singer Sargent and handed down through generations of atelier painters and teachers.

We meet Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Fee for 6-week session is $288.

Exact Dates: November 7, 14, 21, (off Nov 28) Dec 5, 12, 19

Location: Capitol Hill Arts Workshop
535 7th St SE Washington DC 20003
(202) 547-6839 www.chaw.org
Closest metro is Eastern Market.
Instructor: Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

To register: call (202) 547-6839 or visit www.chaw.org

Visit http://www.sarahgriffinthibodeaux.com/classes/
for more information.

Please join!

Sarah

Upcoming show at Studio H mentioned in dcist.com today

2009-10-15T14:23:00.001-04:00

The Studio H show got a mention in the dcist.com today.

And here's more:

Preview: Studio H Gallery and Workshop

Painting show opens October 17

2009-09-23T16:10:00.006-04:00

Please join me for the opening of recent paintings at Studio H Gallery and Workshop in Washington, D.C.

Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux
Solo Exhibition - Recent Paintings

Exhibition Dates:
October 17, 2008 to November 14, 2009

Studio H Gallery and Workshop
408a H ST NE
Washington, DC 20002
202.468.5277
www.studiohdc.com
phil@studiohdc.com

Opening Reception:
Saturday October 17, 2009
6:00-8:00 pm

I'm looking forward to being a part of this new gallery/artist space on H Street NE, where all the cool bars and restaurants are in Capitol Hill.

Studio H director/owner Philip Hutinet has big plans for the space. The gallery at Studio H will feature monthly art exhibits from local artists. In 2010, Studio H plans to exhibit work by artists from the mid-Atlantic region, Europe and Latin America.

In addition, Studio H Gallery and Workshop will present lecture series on various subjects ranging from art history to the social sciences. As a working space, Studio H also provides various services including website design, custom illustrations, portrait paintings and public murals.

Visitors to the exhibition will find a selection of recent oil paintings, painted from life, including portraits, nudes, still lifes, and landscapes.

Please join me October 17!

Day one of Portrait Painting class

2009-09-19T18:55:00.004-04:00

Today we started a three-day pose in Portrait Painting class.

When I saw Orelia pose, her face straight ahead against a dark drape, I imagined a Sargent, where the head emerges from a dark background. The dark shirt continues this darkness and allows an inverted triangle of skin provides a counter balance to the head.

Some important points we spoke about in class today.

how lovely a fair person is against a dark background
We considered a white background and then a middle-toned warm beige, and, in the end, decided in favor of the dark drape. Our model's olive skin looks lovely against it, and the cool light on her skin accentuates the glow.
the edge of skin against the background is soft
The way to make the receding planes of the face recede into the background is to run the background color into the skin with a dry brush. Often I've noticed that students paint the plane of the background and the plane of the skin right up against one another without touching. How much I want to take a dry brush and lightly soften that rough edge. Receding planes are soft.
Cool lights, warm shadows
The cool tones of the skin are high in value, and are often so desaturated they may look gray on the palette. The shadow colors are warm and should have no white mixed in (watch out for this). They are in a family of colors I call "gold". Mix the yellow and red for hot color and then desaturate (somewhat) with blue. The warm colors belong in the shadow area and will make the cool tones "pop" (come forward).
Hot reds in the ears
There is a lot of blood in the ears and in the bottom of the nose-- as opposed to the rest of the face. Play up these areas with warm browns/oranges that will let the cool light on top of them play against the warm.
Dark hair belongs to the background
I like to talk about areas belonging to other areas. In this case, when I squint down I see a glowing face and neck against a dark area. I don't see any differentiation between hair and background. Because hair "belongs to" the background, I paint them together as one color/value, and then I will make slight variations of color and value over that. Later I may play up a lighter value of the hair over the dark. Later I may brighten the back drape to reveal hair against background. Even if I do this, I should still not see those details when I squint. The more I paint the more I realize we paint the difference between things, not the things themselves. If we can't see the difference, we shouldn't paint it.

Opportunity to have your work professionally photographed

2009-09-16T10:00:00.000-04:00

Here's a great opportunity for members of the Capitol Hill Art League.

Greg Staley is a photographer who has provided artists with slides and electronic images.

On Wednesday, October 14, 2009, he has agreed to come to Capitol Hill Arts Workshop to photograph artwork for the group.

For $12.50 per artwork, Greg will photograph two and three dimensional art (even through glass) and provide the artist with three electronic images (of different sizes) and three slides.

In order to make it worth Greg's while, we need a minimum of 30 pieces.

Interested artists would need to take the artwork to CHAW between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. and pick it up that afternoon or evening. Artists will be notified when slides are ready for pickup.

Please contact Anne Oman at ahoman1110@yahoo.com if you are interested.

Event: Have your work professionally photographed
Location: Capitol Hill Arts Workshop
535 7th St SE Washington DC 20003
Date: Wednesday October 14, 2009
Dropoff Time: 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Pickup Time: afternoon
Cost: $12.50 per artwork
Contact: Anne Oman ahoman1110@yahoo.com

"Sargent and the Sea" show opens at the Corcoran

2009-09-15T10:48:00.003-04:00

Looking forward to this exhibition of Sargent's maritime paintings. . . .

Sargent and the Sea

SEPTEMBER 12, 2009 – JANUARY 3, 2010

Corcoran Gallery of Art

500 Seventeenth Street NW

Washington, DC 20006

General Information (202) 639-1700

Hours: Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10am- 5pm

Thursday 10am-9pm

CLOSED Monday and Tuesday

In Sargent and the Sea, the Corcoran Gallery of Art brings together for the first time more than 80 paintings, watercolors, and drawings depicting seascapes and coastal scenes from the early career of John Singer Sargent (1856-1925), the pre-eminent American expatriate painter of the late 19th century. The Corcoran’s masterwork En route pour la pêche (Setting out to Fish) (1878), will serve as the centerpiece of the exhibition, and will be joined by other works produced during, and inspired by, the artist’s summer journeys from his home in Paris to Brittany, Normandy, and Capri, as well as two transatlantic voyages. Sargent and the Sea will travel to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (February 14 – May 23, 2010) and the Royal Academy of Arts, London (July 10 – September 26, 2010).

For more information:
http://www.corcoran.org/exhibitions/sargent/index.html

Smithsonian director presents gallery talk on Sargent painting

2009-09-15T10:04:00.002-04:00

Here's another event at the Smithsonian American Art Museum to put on the calendar.

Deputy Director Emeritus Charles Robertson provides a gallery talk highlighting the 1893 portrait by John Singer Sargent of Elizabeth Winthrop Chanler, heiress to the Astor fortune, and her christening silver, presented in 1866 by Mrs. William B. Astor.

Portrait of Elizabeth Winthrop Chanler

Wednesday November 4, 2009
6:00 PM
Meet in the F Street Lobby
Smithsonian American Art Museum
8th and F Streets, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20004

For more information, visit

http://americanart.si.edu/calendar/event/?key=4230&date=2009-11-04

and here for more information on Elizabeth Chanler:

http://www.americanart.si.edu/collections/insight/tours/sargent/index3.html

and more

http://www.americanart.si.edu/t2go/1ga/index-noframe.html?/t2go/1ga/1980.71.html

Slots available in Portrait Painting in Oils class

2009-09-14T11:24:00.002-04:00

Portrait Painting in Oils class started Saturday, and I began with a demo of the alla prima technique.

We have a lovely model, Orelia, and we have a great space and terrific students.

We're looking for one more student to register or else we may have to cancel the class.

In the class, we are painting a clothed model from life, starting on a toned canvas and completing a painting in 3 sessions (two paintings total).

Description:
This class teaches the fundamentals of painting the head in oil. Beginning with a toned canvas, students will execute a careful drawing and subsequently build up the structure of the head from darks to lights. Emphasis is on understanding the structure of the head and learning to mix colors to create realistic and harmonious flesh tones. The class will begin with a demonstration of the alla prima technique, used by John Singer Sargent and handed down through generations of atelier painters and teachers.

We meet Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. - 1 p.m. Fee for 7-week session is $336.

Exact Dates: Sept 12, 19, 26. October 3, 10, 17, 24.

Location: Capitol Hill Arts Workshop
535 7th St SE Washington DC 20003
(202) 547-6839 www.chaw.org
Closest metro is Eastern Market.
Instructor: Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

To register: call (202) 547-6839 or visit www.chaw.org

Visit http://www.sarahgriffinthibodeaux.com/classes/
for more information.

Please join us if you can!

Smithsonian conservator speaks about "the problem of frames"

2009-09-14T09:58:00.002-04:00

Here's an event that looks interesting.

http://americanart.si.edu/calendar/lectures/art/
Wednesday October 21, 2009

The Problem of Frames
12:00 PM
Grand Salon
Renwick Gallery

As beautiful as the paintings they surround, frames are prized artworks within the museum’s collection. American Art’s Frames Conservator Martin Kotler leads a tour through the new Grand Salon installation and discusses the history of American frames, the challenges museums face with framing, and the unique craft of frame making.

Still life in yellow and green

2009-09-13T20:12:00.004-04:00

Portrait painting demonstration from today's class

2009-09-12T20:31:00.003-04:00

Free shipping from Art Students League store

2009-09-03T11:33:00.003-04:00

OOh this makes me miss the League.

Who knew they had an online store?

I recall the room on the first floor of the 57th Street building, where you could grab supplies on the way to figure drawing or painting on the fourth floor. Well now it's online too.

Check it out:

They have a full store with a good selection and right now, free shipping on orders over $100.

Enter the coupon code FALL2009 when prompted on the order processing page to receive free shipping.

Two 4-week sessions of "Working from the Figure" offered this fall

2009-08-27T11:56:00.004-04:00

Weekly figure drawing and painting sessions planned for Saturdays in October and November

Two 4-week sessions of "Working from the Figure" will be offered this fall.

Please join me and Capitol Hill Arts Workshop in a Saturday painting or drawing session from the nude model.

This is a drawing or painting session for artists at any level.

There is no instruction. Artists may work in any medium.

The purpose is to keep drawing skills sharp and practice our craft, while enjoying the company of other artists.

We meet Saturdays from 1:30-4:30 p.m.

FALL 2009 Sessions
Session I: October 10, 17, 24, 31.
Session II: November 7, 14, 21, (off Nov 28) Dec 5.
For all four sessions the fee is $60. Drop in fee is $20.

We need 6 people to sign up for 4 sessions by the first day of the session in order to hold the remaining sessions. So if you are interested, please
register!

We have a lot of fun, sharing art books of current and underappreciated artists. We bring snacks and offer critiques (when asked!).

I often do head studies and will be glad to offer any pointers to oil painters wanting to improve their skills in this area.

Location: Capitol Hill Arts Workshop
535 7th St SE Washington DC 20003
(202) 547-6839 www.chaw.org
Closest metro is Eastern Market.
Monitor: Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

To register: call (202) 547-6839 or visit www.chaw.org or just come for the first session.

For more info, visit http://www.sarahgriffinthibodeaux.com/classes/

How to pack paintings for shipping

2009-08-27T10:58:00.002-04:00

Oil Painters of America provides this useful

article about how to pack paintings for shipping.

Instructional DVD by David Leffel: The Art of Painting

2009-08-26T15:20:00.000-04:00

This is a short trailer for an instructional video of David Leffel painting a still life.

David Leffel on how to make a brushstroke

2009-08-26T15:07:00.001-04:00

In this wonderful video by the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art, David Leffel talks about how to make a brushstroke.

Wine country

2009-08-24T17:21:00.001-04:00

Saturday a group of us drove out to a Virginia winery for a day of plein-air painting.

Our destination was the Philip Carter Winery in Hume, Va. (pcwinery.com), about an hour and a half drive from D.C.

Faced with an 80% chance of rain, we would likely have cancelled the trip, had it not been for the hospitality of the winery. Manager Donna Johnson offered us a corner of the inside to paint indoors.

We all opted for ourdoors until the rains came down. The winery is in the hills with views of the mountains of Piedmont County, Va.

After about 2 hours, the dark sky opened up. At first lightly, but continuing all day.

Tracy and a few others took the painting inside and sipped sangria as a guitarist played.

Marylou discovered that acrylic paints don't do well in the rain. Did much better inside.

Will and Sally worked outside under red umbrellas.

Paul worked in the rain till the end.

We suspect that Hurricane Bill's outer bands were the source of our precipitation.

Seemed to me that this was the kind of rain we have in New Orleans all the time. . . .

The countryside is lush with vineyards and trees and blue mountains in the distance.

Would love to paint there again . . .

For lots more photos, see http://www.studiothibodeaux.com/photography/2009/winecountry/ or http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=641210&l=0c7ef3ba20&id=1046657540

Portrait painting demonstration Sept. 12.

2009-08-24T15:00:00.001-04:00

I'm doing a portrait painting demonstration Saturday September 12 as part of Capitol Hill Arts Workshop's Fall Open House.

Date: Saturday September 12, 2009
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Location: Capitol Hill Arts Workshop
535 7th Street SE
Washington DC
www.chaw.org

It is the first day of the 7-week Portrait Painting class, which starts at 10:00 a.m. the same day.

The event will showcase all the classes CHAW has to offer. Please join.

Sarah Griffin Thibodeaux

NOLA NOW II: The Human Figure

Join me for the opening of the Academy's Self-Portrait Invitational

Painting: Self-Portrait With Hat

join me for Garden District Gallery's Holiday Open House

Painting: Trees III

Painting: Trees II

Painting: Trees I

Happiness is

Workshop Announcement: Portrait painting offered in January

Painting: Marsh and Trees

Painting: Riverscape in Red and Blue

Painting: Nude

Painting: Reclining Nude in Gold Light

Painting: At the Fairgrounds II

Painting: Sleeping Dog and Chair

Painting: Nude

Painting: Morning

Painting: Noon

Painting: Night

Painting: Afternoon

Painting: Sleeping Dog I

Painting: Sleeping Dog III

Two more paintings added to French Quarter gallery

Painting: Floating Nude

Miniatures show paintings

Join me for the opening of the NOAFA miniatures show

Portrait sitting

French Quarter gallery shows several paintings

Join me for Open Studio

Portrait of Heidi

Wet panel carrier

Check out my new portfolio!

Mitchell Long's plein air paintings

Artist Brooks Frederick teaches charcoal drawing workshop this weekend

Head Study

Flower

Gilbert Stuart

Man (Head and Shoulders)

riverscape in gray and blue

portrait of libby

portrait of brian

the green hat

portrait of samira

painting - Mary in profile

head study - mary

new painting - Mary McLeod Bethune

demonstration from Saturday's class

Workshop Demonstration

invitation

head study

Reminder: No class this Saturday

Portrait continued - Day 2 of 7 - eyes and nose

Early stages of a portrait

Portrait painting demonstration at Utrecht April 17

Painting: Nude in Red

Snowy Saturday - Are we having classes?

World enough, and time

3-week pose in open studio

oil sketch

Happy New Year! Weekly classes start Saturday

New Orleans Workshop

Robert Liberace demo Jan 14 in Vienna, Va.

Upcoming classes and workshops

Please join for student show opening December 11

Three Upcoming Competitions

Call for Entries: Capitol HIll Arts Workshop Student Show, December 11-22

Invitation to Closing Party November 14

Slots available in Fall II Portrait Painting class

Paint a formal portrait! 6 week Portrait Painting class starts Saturday

Upcoming show at Studio H mentioned in dcist.com today

Painting show opens October 17

Day one of Portrait Painting class

how lovely a fair person is against a dark background

the edge of skin against the background is soft

Cool lights, warm shadows

Hot reds in the ears

Dark hair belongs to the background

Opportunity to have your work professionally photographed

"Sargent and the Sea" show opens at the Corcoran