Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Thank you Karin Jurick!


I've been following Karin Jurick's now famous blog Different Strokes from Different Folks ever since the cow assignment in Week 8 . I felt like a kid with her nose pressed against the Toy Store window looking at the other kids play and have fun with the assignments she was giving. Like a "sign" she announced a year-end three week project and I knew this was the time to jump in with both feet and without a life jacket.

Being the professional artist she is I was amazed that she promptly replied to my email and let me know there were 130 applicants for this assignment. I saw how here participants went from a beginning group of 55, and bounced from 48 to 83 in the following months. I believe others were like me and decided it was now or never because this was such an intriguing project. I want to know who paints Karin!

As for my assignment, I was so lucky to have this handsome man as my subject. He is wearing a hat, has facial hair and is back lit by a beautiful scene of snow laden trees. He has tiny flakes of new snow on his shirt and hat. I took artistic liberty in making the snow more obvious on his hat and shoulders and omitted the trees in the background. I would like to read or hear his feedback on the painting and it is his if he wants it. It is oil on 12x12 Ampersand gessobord.

12 comments:

dominique eichi said...

Welcome Sheila to DSFDF group of artist. I am still working on my portrait but am almost finished . Yours is great, I love the quality it has.
Your other pieces are very nice too, I love the different textures you put in your work.

Kathleen Harrington said...

Sheila,
Isn't this a fun project? I like your treatment of this mystery man. He looks like a very kind, down to earh person.
Kathleen

Camille LaRue Olsen said...

Welcome to the group, Sheila! You have done a beautiful job here; I can sense the peace and calm of the snowy scene affecting him. Wonderful.

Edward Burton said...

Great portrait, Sheila. Really nice handling of the fellow. Welcome to the group as well!

Unknown said...

Sheila, I'm glad you decided to join. Your portrait is awesome! I'll look forward to checking back on your blog to see what else you've been up to. And as far as mediums go, I guess we all like to experiment, but then feel comfortable with a medium and our work gets known for that. Not that I'm known, geesh.

Vern Schwarz said...

Sheila, this is a beautiful portrait. I really like your composition and the skin colours you used. They really work with the snow.

Pete said...

Sheila, you really captured the look of someone out in the cold. This was such a fun project!

Kate Merriman said...

Sheila,
Thanks for your comment to my blog today! I love what you did with this challenge and it was my first try at submitting for DSDF too.
Funny that on my first visit to your blog, I am sitting here watching Bones, first season, which I just bought at Target! As a forensic artist, I'm sure you'd love it.
Looking forward to seeing more of your painting!
Kate

James said...

Thanks for painting me. :^)

The group self-portrait is and interesting invention from Karin. http://paintingdiary.blogspot.com/2009/01/different-folks-portrait.html is now up on my blog (I am a great procrastinator and not a portrait painter.) I hope you are not too disturbed by it. You can read my comments over there.

You did great with my photo.

Carol Horzempa said...

Welcome to DSDF blog Sheila. This is my second challenge so I'm rather new to this also. What an experience to meet so many creative talented artist! It makes one push them self to a level they didn't think they could reach. I love your painting and you captured the cold snowing atmosphere and the warm expression of the this gentleman in your painting.

Dean H. said...

Hi, Sheila...
Very nice portrait! I like your edge control and contrast.
Your blog is looking great!

Victoria on Okinawa said...

Sheila your portrait of the young man, James, looks almost encoustic(sp?),not an easy process and if you used only oils wow! to make it look like you used encoustics is something else. Thank you for your encouraging comments on my blog.