Eugenia and Pillows Life Modeling Paintings

Dear Art Lover,     

      Some artists’ models do not work for long or maybe in the same city.  They may be travelers looking for some extra cash [hopefully art lovers as well, for at least:  who THINKS of art modeling as a job opportunity when on the go?].  Eugenia was one model that I did not paint often, however, I would draw or paint her every few years at some life drawing session in Austin, Texas.  Something makes me think that she may still live in Austin, but also that her “real life” revolves around another form of art [jewelry making or theatre?] or perhaps she found a full-time job that found her in conflict with the hours of the life drawing sessions around town.   It can be done perhaps for a short period of time, but it is difficult to make a living as an art model.

     Here you see a portrait of Eugenia that I painted in one session.  On an odd side note, there exists a “Eugene.”  A client found “Eugenia” on my Web site and he wrote to me to ask, “I see you have this wonderful portrait of a boyish-looking woman.  Would you please create a similar painting for me, but of a feminine-looking male?”  Interesting exercise, it was! 

     So, to remind you of the deal:

   

     I would like to offer, for the month of August 2015 only, selected paintings and drawings for about half the price as my going rate these days.  These are older works, but ones that for one reason or several others, I cannot stand the idea of destroying.  You may preview images before I post them here on my Facebook page.  

 

Please contact me directly if you see something you love and would like to add to your art collection.  Here goes the first one… 

Eugenia
12" X 16" Oil on Canvas [framed]
copyright 2000 Kelly Borsheim
http://www.borsheimarts.com/painting/room03.htm

August 2015 Price:  $125  [plus any Texas sales tax and/or shipping]

About three years later, I painted this body crop of Eugenia.  It is basically a composition of pillows, a breast, and her arm draped across the frame.  I later glazed colors over parts of it.  Pillows is one of my quirky favorites.

Pillows
18 x 24 inches, oil painting

by Kelly Borsheim 2004

http://www.borsheimarts.com/painting/2004/pillows.htm 

I offer this original painting to you for only $325 US.  Texas state sales tax (6.75%) may apply.  There is also a $9.50 packaging and shipping fee.

Please contact me for more information.    http://www.borsheimarts.com/contact.htm

Thank you and as always…

Peace,

Kelly

~ Kelly Borsheim, sculptor and painter

http://BorsheimArts.com

Michelangelo The Delphic Sibyl

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

Because other madonnari (street painting artists) are on holiday now, I was able to buy two days in the same spot for making my drawing the last week in September – a Friday and a Saturday here in Florence, Italy. I have not drawn on such active days, people-wise, before, so this was a treat.

I chose to paint Michelangelo’s Delphic Sibyl from the “Cappella Sistina” in Vatican City, Italy. Not being much of a morning person, I started around noon and got a decent start on the portrait drawing. I scratched into the street layers of pastel colors and I am trying to learn to do it in interesting and creative ways. Later, I blended everything with my hands (now raw and very dry: missing my fingerprints even).

Here you see that I am drawing with Carmen and her little brother Vincent: Americans who now live in Korea. Their parents took this image.


An interesting thing happened that evening – well a horrible thing for me. Somehow after this night shot was taken, I managed to use my last 30 minutes of working to make the face of the sibyl masculine! Mamma mia! It was horrible. I could see the problem when I photographed it, but in person the street painting did not look so bad. Still . . . the photographs would be all that would remain. Ugh!


Many years ago, I did a quick life sketch in paint of a rather boyish looking woman, Eugenia. One of my collectors said, “I love this painting, but can you make me another in which the face is the same, only as a feminine-looking boy?” Whoa! What an interesting proposal! Well, I began to study more images of people to determine what made a masculine vs. a feminine face. This task was more difficult than it sounds. Per esempio, one normally thinks of a tapered jawline as being a feminine trait, yet I saw many faces of young men with tapered jaws who looked more masculine than feminine, despite their youth. Allora, what to do?

Anyway, I finished my commission (“Eugene”) to the satisfaction of my collector and yes, the original painting is still available ;-)), but on this night in Florence, I was frustrated that I could not pin down my error. I later studied my photos and was able to grasp better how (and when/why) my circular face became more angular and masculine. Thank goodness the street cleaner passed over this the next morning, so I could attempt to mend my artistic ways.

Pencil Drawing - Seated Female Model

On the 24th of October, I did a pencil drawing of a new model, Eugenia. I have been interested in doing drawings on dark paper with the light shapes being prominent. But I only had a grey paper with me. I began the 1.5-hour session by sketching the figure in with a pencil. But I ended up liking the drawing and only added a wee bit of white pencil to try to round out the form. I am pleased with this figure drawing, especially because of the relatively short duration of the pose.

While I am working to improve my seeing of shapes accurately and this means a study of classical proportion and realism, I am not sure how far I will take this. What I really enjoy about the process of drawing that I am learning now is that I can leave some elements of a work of art only implied, such as the chair and hands. There is enough of a chair drawn there so that a floating figure does not confuse the viewer’s brain and the gesture is visible without all of the details in this pencil drawing.

She is 23 centimeters tall – from foot to head. Signed and dated. If interested in this drawing, you may add her to your collection for only $50 (US) plus $15 shipping from Italy to anywhere in the world. Just send me an e-mail!