Brandon

Brandon Monotype, Monotype Print, 14' x 16"

"A man's friendships
are one of the best measures of his worth."
~ Charles Darwin

Looking contemplative, that is my buddy Brandon.

A soft print, but I went back into his hair and shirt with a wash to strengthen things up. 

Ashlyn

Ashlyn, Monotype Print, 14" x 16"

More with the monotyping portraits of my friends. I am so happy to create one-of-a-kind prints of my one-of-a-kind friends.

This is Ashlyn, our local cat girl and my go-to person when I need to clean areas of my house.

This is a pretty good Monotype. I like how clean her features came out and there is quite a good likeness.

“Think left and think right and think low and think high. 

Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try.”

 ~ Dr. Seuss

Chris

Chris, Monotype Print, 11" x 14"

"True happiness consists not in the multitude of friends,
but in their worth and choice."
~ Samuel Johnson

Again in this series of my friends.

This is Chris, even clad with a key around his neck.

This print came out awesome. It's really clean and sharp. I think it came out great.

Justin

Justin, Monotype Print, 11" x 16"

So a little while ago I worked a series of portraits of my friends.

This one is my buddy Justin.

I really like how the scratched away areas float on the surface of the print. I took a wash and covered the background. It made a nice flat tone. The features were a little distorted in the pressing, It almost ends up looking like a Picasso portrait.

Danielle's Mom

So Danielle's Mom died last week Wednesday. This weekend I am going with her to Kauai for the memorial service. She asked me to do a few drawings for the memorial. It was a rough activity. I never met the woman before. I had been meaning to, but we kept missing each other.

As I looked through the pictures I tried to think about this woman.


I did my three drawings.

Mom with Dog, Oil Pastels on Paper, 2' x 3'

Fisher Family, Oil Pastels on Paper, 2' x 3'

Mother-Daughter, Oil Pastels on Paper, 4' x 5'

"Memories are the key not to the past, but to the future."
~ Corrie ten Boom

Student Sitting on a Chair

Student Sitting on a Chair, Watercolor on Paper, 11" x 14"

"We live amid surfaces, and the true art is to skate well on them."
 ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Yesterday I was subbing over at Kailua Intermediate. This is a drawing of one of the students in the classroom I was in.

There is a spontaneity with this watercolor I really like. It also has a remarkable likeness to the student.

Rosemarie

Rosemarie, Watercolor on Paper, 11" x 14"

"Genius is the ability to put into effect what is in your mind.
There's no other definition of it."
~ F. Scott Fitzgerald

So this is a portrait of a co-worker, Rosemarie.

It is regrettable she looks so serious in this picture, as normally she is so bubbly and full of joy. I happened to sketch this while she was reviewing some paperwork. Perhaps that was the reason for the dour look on her face.

I have been using a Goldenrod, oops it's called Spanish Orange, pencil to do the initial sketches. I really like how the yellow is leaking through in the highlights. I think it creates a neat effect.

Girl at Starbucks

"Art is beauty, the perpetual invention of detail, the choice of words,
the exquisite care of execution." ~ Theophile Gautier

I pulled this one together after doing a quick sketch at a local Starbucks.

The recent rain effected cable service making my home wireless spotty at best. So taking the opportunity, I did this sketch.

I do like some things about this painting. I was trying to show the face being lit by her computer screen while her whole form is back lit from the window behind her. I debate whether or not this worked.

I really like how I made the cup and specifically the reflection or refraction of her arm through the plastic cup.

Danielle Awakening

"The most potent muse of all is our own inner child."
~ Stephen Nachmanovitch

So this is one of many watercolors I hope to put up today. The weather out in here has been dreary and rainy. So much so it was hard to get a good images of these particular art works.

So there looks to be a proportion problem with the head and the body, but both are rendered well so I am unsure if it is very noticeable. It may also just be the perspective.

Monotype Profile: Matthew