Nicolas Original Portrait Drawing

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

I have a friend named Nicolas who cheers me up every time I see him. He is smiling almost all of the time. He wears ORANGE after all (the happy, social color), but it suits him really. He has worked in so many parts of the world and in the most interesting jobs, including working for the French Consulate and being an actor in Hollywood. Last night he sat for me while I created a portrait sketch of him.

I hope you enjoy this portrait of Nicolas. He laughed after seeing my sketch and said that now he knows why he will never be married. Modest guy. I do not know if I have ever drawn anyone quite so jovial and I love the personality in this drawing.

Today while I was out spraying fixative over the charcoal and thick paper, my padrone and coinquillino (landlord and roommate, respectively) Luca thought it would be fun to put Nicolas (the drawing, not the man) into his lemon tree. Ok, so each person appreciates art in a different way. Nicolas (the man, not the drawing) would be the kind to turn lemons to lemonade.

But seriously, this original charcoal drawing of a man’s portrait measures 36 x 25 cm (14.25" x 10") and is available.

In the meantime, I have been enjoying schiacciata alla fiorentina, a cake with crème between layers and topped with decorative powdered sugars. It is specifically made by Florentines before Carnevale and has the Florentine fleur-de-lis on the top. It is delicious, and a good thing because the crème makes it not so easy to keep around.

Portrait Painting

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

One of my errands today was to go to Zecchi’s Art Supply store and buy some tela (canvas) for my portrait commissions this month. I ended up toting the roll of unstretched canvas under my arm as I rode my bike – first to the studio for some life drawing and then to my friend Rita’s home for dinner and around midnight back to my home.

It was kinda fun to ride around central Florence, Italy, with an extremely long roll of canvas. I felt like a jouster. I feel like a real artist!

If you would like to get in on the fun, check out my portrait special this month to celebrate eight years of making art full-time:

From your photographs or from life, when possible:
You may choose:
Half life-size or smaller in pencil: $300 per head/person
Life-size (approx.) in charcoal: $500 per head/person
Life-size oil painting – monochromatic (sepia): $700 per head/person
If you prefer color, a life-size pastel drawing: $600 per head/person, life-size
Plus, FREE SHIPPING from Florence, Italy.

Contact me for details (just respond to this blog or visit my site).
Please let me know if this is a gift or if you are having another deadline (such as an anniversary party or wedding) so that I can make sure you receive your original art on time. All submitted photographs must be accompanied by permission from the copyright holder for a one-time use to create a painting from the photograph. And of course, if you were here in Florence, Italy, I would love to make a drawing of you from life.

Thank you for your continued interest and support.

Light Emerging from Darkness

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

Today’s images show you a portrait drawing I created on 22 October 2008 of a male model named Michael. He was a new model for my Open Studio here in Florence, Italy – an American hoping to fund his trip abroad – and was not sure he could pose nude for two hours. However, he held beautifully a standing pose not unlike Rodin’s “Balzac” sculpture.

It was a nice symmetrical pose with this active twist to the neck and many artists drew it well. I, however, had my black paper in hand and was anxious to try out my first white chalk on black paper drawing. So here he is. The original drawing “Michael” is pictured here on the small table I have in my room to work.

You can see that I have on the table some charcoal drawing materials, as well as a few paint supplies in this tiny space. Some days I get fixated on one project and other days, I change throughout the day. That decision is made based on what is going on with any given artwork. And also what mood I am in. For example, if I am refining details (vs. making design decisions), I may find the task meditative or simply dull. One feeling allows me to continue, while the latter entices me to reward myself after a time by working on another project.

I am including here a particolare (Italian for ‘detail image’) of my portrait drawing of Michael. While people seem interested to know that I only had two hours with this model, it takes years of training to draw something as complicated as a face in such a short period of time. I have been trying to push myself to make every mark count – a type of minimalism or better -- efficiency -- that I believe lends more of an awe-appeal to art.

And I was interested in including some of the light on the neck and collarbone as compositional devices, as well as to imply a gesture for the whole figure. I hope you enjoy this artwork.

“Sketch of Michael 2008”
original portrait drawing
by Kelly Borsheim
black textured Mi-Teintes paper
with white pastels
16 x 12 inches
$90 + $20 shipping (anywhere)

And do not forget my Portrait Sale this month to celebrate my eight years of creating art full-time. Let me work from your photos or from life! Contact me for details (just respond to this blog or visit my site).

You may choose:
Half life-size or smaller in pencil: $300 per head/person
Life-size (approx.) in charcoal: $500 per head/person
Life-size oil painting – monochromatic (sepia): $700 per head/person
If you prefer color, a life-size pastel drawing: $600 per head/person, life-size
Plus, FREE SHIPPING from Florence, Italy.

Please let me know if this is a gift or if you are having another deadline (such as an anniversary party or wedding) so that I can make sure you receive your original art on time. And of course, if you are here in Florence, Italy, I would love to make a drawing of you from life.

Thank you for your continued interest and support.

White on Black Portrait Art

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

In keeping with this month’s anniversary celebration and my sale on portraits, I wanted to share with you this portrait drawing I created back in November from a live model.

I have been using charcoal drawings to learn more about subtlety in tones. Anyone who knows me knows that expressing subtlety is a challenge for me. I did many drawings with only charcoal on paper. In recent months I began to draw on a non-white paper and then add white pastel to push up the contrast of my images a bit.

This naturally led to my trying to create subtle changes in tone with only the white pastel on the paper, because if the white pastel and the black charcoal mix, one gets mud -- or a bluish white. Normally, I hate the tool called “the stomp,” but when I want to push my Rembrandt pastel into the paper I am using, nothing beats the stomp. A stomp is basically a very tightly rolled paper about the size of a short pencil that has both ends sharpened to a point. I also use this tool, plus various erasers to create a variety of whites.


In this portrait drawing of my friend and fellow artist Dana, I used only white pastels on a black Canson Mi-Teintes paper they label as “Luxurious paper with subtle texture.”
If I literally only drew what I considered to be the lights, the face would appear to float in all of this black, perhaps a bit like the Phantom of the Opera. And Dana has dark hair. So I chose to imply some hair and a neck.

This look is certainly different from others I have tried, but I am loving the exploration and what I am learning about form from these types of portrait drawings. I hope you find this portrait “Dana” of interest. She is available, too. How about that?

“Dana 2008”
original portrait drawing
by Kelly Borsheim
black textured Mi-Teintes paper
with white pastels
16 x 12 inches
$150 + $20 shipping (anywhere)

Portrait Drawing

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

Although I have not seen his work in a long time, for years I have been an admirer of Texas-based painter Ray Donley’s dramatic and contrasty figures. Recently I have been improving small details on a portrait drawing I created in December of a beautiful Sicilian woman that I know. She is actually one of my madonnari (street painting) colleagues here in Florence, Italy.

While working the edges of the white pastel on a black textured paper, I wondered if Ray had influenced this series of white-on-black portraits that I have been doing off and on these last few months. I thought I was simply pushing the limits of tone with this new material for me, but perhaps there are many parts to my subconscious thoughts.

Anyway, “Jessica” is a portrait drawing that measures approximately 16 x 12 inches. When my friend painter Tish Lowe saw my drawing, she commented how the texture of the paper that I left showing through on the hand and arm resembled fish net stockings. It seemed to go well with this somewhat 1960s looking portrait, as others have observed.

If you would like to add “Jessica” to your art collection or give her as a gift, please click on the PayPal button here or contact me.

“Jessica”
original portrait drawing
by Kelly Borsheim
black textured Mi-Teintes paper
with white pastels
16 x 12 inches
$150 + $20 shipping (anywhere)

Portrait Drawings

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

Buon Anno! or as my friend Elena texted me “Tanti tanti auguri per uno strepitoso anno nuovo!” or “I wish you many, many best wishes for a resounding New Year!”

Last March 24th, I read in nymag.com an article by James Panero titled “An Old Master in Ruins - Why is an El Greco worth less than a Koons? Gallerist Larry Salander called it a moral travesty, and decided, catastrophically, to do something about it.”

I liked the quote:

New York art dealer Larry Salander said, “Art is the human attempt to make one plus one equal more than two.”

Since this January marks my eighth anniversary as a full-time artist, I wanted to do something special. As many of my blog followers know, I have been working in Florence, Italy, and learning more about creating abstract shapes while designing 2-dimensional art. I have also been making portraits of many of my friends here in Italy to continue to put these techniques to work.

Allora, for this month, I would like to offer to create a portrait for you of a loved one (alive or gone) and ship it anywhere in the world from Italy for free. Portrait prices are below and based on the medium and size you desire. And you do not even need to leave your home.

I often work via e-mail correspondence -- sending images along the way for client feedback. So if you would like to send me an image of the person(s) you want to have a portrait of, please contact me via my e-mail address: sculptor@borsheimarts.com.

When I work from photos, I prefer no flash. Directional lighting is more flattering and dimensional. More than one photo is helpful to let me see something more of the personality. I also need a signed and dated release from the photographer to allow me to use the image to create a drawing (copyright stays with the photographer, I only need a one-time release/permission to use the image).

You may choose:
Half life-size or smaller in pencil: $300 per head/person
Life-size (approx.) in charcoal: $500 per head/person
Life-size oil painting – monochromatic (sepia): $700 per head/person
If you prefer color, a life-size pastel drawing: $600 per head/person, life-size
Plus, FREE SHIPPING from Florence, Italy.

Please let me know if this is a gift or if you are having another deadline (such as an anniversary party or wedding) so that I can make sure you receive your original art on time. And of course, if you are here in Florence, Italy, I would love to make a drawing of you from life.

Thank you for your continued interest and support.