Detail from Tony’s Figure

I have a collection of artworks from half the Circle this week as our numbers continue to be reduced by contingencies related to sickness, travel, and weather.  Margaret gave us a two-session pose.  I led off with an enlargment of Margaret’s face from Tony’s painting.  Such an exquisite expression, and economical strokes.  Below you will find his entire painting, and those of the rest of us, including a drawing from our Friday mentor, Peter Clive.  Peter has taken to working in pencil because, I believe, he spends so much of his time overseeing us, that he doesn’t have enough time to work up a painting.

Tony’s Figure

Fletch’s Portrait of M

Peter’s drawing

Aline’s Figure

Aline’s Portrait of M

Margaret also posed for this painting that gave me fits last month:

Seated Nude

Talk about willowy!

But “willowy” implies height and Margaret is not at all a tall person.  Perhaps that is why my brain  balks at the sight of such a willowy creature inhabiting my artspace when I think of the model as being compact and petite.  Have I been fighting my own preconceptions?  It is, as the King of Siam remarked with a sigh, a “puzzlement”.  (“The King and I,” the musical.  Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr starred in the movie–before your time?)

On my snow day last week, I worked on the half-completed 16×20 from the week before, and brought it closer to satisfaction:

Aline’s Figure of B

I had to reconcile some proportion discrepancies and fill in the background.  The first problem was solved by carving away at her back and belly, shrinking the hand, and thickening the leg that is closer to the viewer.  I’m still not happy with that thing she is resting her right hand on, but not sure it warrants any more attention as I don’t count this one among my masterpieces (using that word loosely!).

In addition to the Tuesday and Friday meetings with the Circle, I painted with the Sunday Sinners, a  small group invited to the studio by its owner.  I love this figure study that I completed, but the photograph cannot do it justice because of the many paint strokes that catch the light.

Aline’s Figure of G

I need a break from all these nudes, and I am taking it this weekend.  Going up North to paint en plein air.  I will have something different to show you next Monday.

Aline Lotter is currently exhibiting:

at the Hatfield Gallery in Manchester (Langer Place, 55 S. Commercial St., Manchester, NH); at the Bartlett Inn in Bartlett; at the Red Jacket Inn in North Conway;  at her law offices at 41 Brook St in Manchester; and at her studio by appointment.

In February, you can also view some of my paintings and drawings at the McGowan Gallery in Concord, NH, and at the Artstream Gallery in Rochester, NH.  Receptions for those shows are, respectively, Feb 1, 5-7; and Feb 2, 5-8.