Old Sailor

"Old Sailor"

oil on canas

Carol Horzempa

Last year my husband and I met this old sailor while vacationing along the Florida Gulf Coast. He was on his way down to Sarasota in his sail boat and was kind enough to let me photograph him. I always wanted to paint this pose but was afraid it was too difficult. Now I have found I really enjoy painting the human figure, even hands and feet! This painting has been entered in this weeks Seated Figure Challenge on Daily Paintworks.

Smoking Scection

"Smoking Section"

6x6 oil on masonite panel

Carol Horzempa

Carol Marine posted a photo on Daily Paintworks challenging artists to paint a crowd scene.  This was a lot of fun but next time I will use a larger format...very challenging! 

Snowbirds

"Snowbirds"
6x8 oil on canvas
Carol Horzempa

This is my submission for the Alice Thompson's Calypso Moon Artist Movement monthly challenge. The title of this challenge is "Painting History." Alice asked us to capture a moment in time we witnessed that involves people, tell why we chose the subject and how it relates to us"

This painting was inspired by a photo I took on Florida's Emerald Coast while walking along the beach on a foggy overcast day. I spotted two "Snowbirds" sitting in plastic lawn chairs and couldn't help but snap a picture. The woman in red seemed to be waiting for her partner to wake up after being lulled to sleep by the rhythm of the waves or could it be boredom? The three figures in the far distance are my husband and son with the family dog.

This is our favorite beach that we often visit while vacationing in the south where our son lives. We just had our first snowfall today so in a few weeks we will be heading south again just like "Snowbirds" for a little fun on the beach and time with our son during the Holidays.

Going Forward

"Going Forward"
8x8 oil on Masonite
Carol Horzempa
NFS

I decided to take my time with Karin Jurick’s Different Strokes From Different Folks challenge. I focused on the perspective, values and painting “just what you see” like Karin suggested. I used just three colors, Winsor Newton Cadmium Red, Rembrandt Yellow Ochre Light and Ultramarine Deep, plus Utrecht Titanium White.

Using a ruler with a small brush and thin wash for the lines made it easier for me to get the figures drawn in the right places. This was a slow process but with a lot of checking proportions, measuring one shape against another and correcting the values every so often, I was pleased to see that my figures started to look believable.

Someday I must make a goal for myself to do these challenges with less brushstrokes, limit my time spent and not get caught up in the detail. Aside from that I feel I learned a lot from this challenge and am quite pleased with my results. Be sure to check all the amazing submissions on the 52nd-54th week challenge on DSFDF blog.

Update: I've had this blog since the first of the year and participated in DSFDF challenges each month since. Thanks to the dedication of Karin Jurick and all her hard work on her DSFDF blog, she has made it possible for artists near and far to connect and be challenged.It has been a humbling experience to receive so many encouraging comments on my work from artist whom I admire and respect. Thank you so much!

Walkin' the Dog

"Walkin' the Dog" 
5.x7.25 oil on canvas
Carol Horzempa

NFS

This is my interpretation of Karin Jurick’s DSFDF challenge. I took the liberty of cropping Karin’s reference photo again. I added the girl who is supposed to be me (like about 20 years younger) walking Shawna.

I experimented with a textured surface made from priming a canvas panel with Utrecht Oil Priming White. I love this surface to paint on since it doesn’t absorb the paint like water base gesso does and I like how my brush glides across the oil base surface making it easier to control. I am also pleased with the fact that my paint stayed fresh and didn’t become dull as it dried.

Day Watch

"Day Watch" 
 6.5 x 9 oil on canvas
Carol Horzempa

This is my submission for the DSFDF challenge. Karin Jurick posted a reference photo of what seems to be a lifeguard on duty in a rowboat on a Lake Michigan beach.

This was by far the hardest challenge for me so far. I enjoyed painting the figure and boat but the water, which I thought would be the easiest part turned out to be my biggest challenge. I learned a lot though and would like to try painting a boat scene again.

Diana's Love for Her Hound

"Diana's Love for Her Hound"
     pastel drawing on paper
                  NFS

This is my submission for Karin Jurick’s DSFDF Challenge. We were asked to draw or paint an entire marble sculpture of goddess Diana and her hound. I decided to put away my paints for a while and work on my drawing skills. Karin suggested taking our time working on the three dimensional qualities, details, weight and elegance of the sculpture. My focus was also to capture Diana's loving gaze at her hound as he licked her thigh.

After reams of practice drawings with vine charcoal, one even upside down and backwards, I finally felt confident enough for the final drawing without having to use a grid. The drawing was sketchy so I could correct as I went along, while continuing to work on values, form, and edges at the same time.

I decided to do my drawing on Canson Mi-Teintes pastel paper using the smooth side. I used Stabilo CarbOthello Pastel Pencils that are soft enough for glazing and firm enough to sharpen in an electric pencil sharpener to keep their points sharp for detail.

My experience of working in hard and soft pastel years ago while studying under the guidance of the late James C. Prohl, classical realist painter and teacher has been a big help in this challenge. I never thought I could go back to doing such detailed work again or even have the patience. Thanks to Karin Jurick, she has again come up with a great challenge that stretches my skill further than I thought I could go. Be sure too check the Different Strokes from Different Folks blog for the many wonderful versions of Diana and her hound.

Sandpiper Watching

"Sandpiper Watching"

6x8 oil on wood panel

I'm in the middle of packing for a vacation down south to Florida. I decided to take time out and see if I could do a seascape from Karin Juirick's photo in the DSFDF Challenge. This is a bit of a stretch for me since I rarely paint figures in my oil paintings or the seashore. Now I can’t wait to do some plain air painting down in the Florida Keys.

This the most fun I had in Karin’s challenge because I loved painting with a beautiful tube of Winsor & Newton Manganese Blue Hue oil paint which hadn't been opened in years. I also realized that the little girl who I made to look younger started looking more and more like my daughter Carrie when she was a child.

Now back to packing for a couple weeks of lying on the beach in the sun and a littler sandpiper watching after a long cold winter. Maybe I will even get a chance to paint some seascapes!