Over the past couple months I have been wanting to bring more of a feeling of confidence and directness that seems to have faded of late. Sometimes it’s good to refresh and work in a different medium and even subject matter for a while, in order to get out of old habits that may have become entrenched in one’s process.

So I decided to go back to drawing with ink pen. Here I am forced to own every mark because I cannot erase it. I felt like focussing on portrait, partly because I just like portraits and enjoy the challenge. The human form is the most challenging thing one can tackle as an artist, and I knew from previous experience that if I can have some success in that realm it can build back any confidence I may feel is lacking in my work.

I grabbed this image from my travel photos, which I had spotted in a Parisian shop window in the 6th arrondissment:

I had always wanted to make something from this, but wasn’t sure if it fit with the other work I was doing. So now was the time:

I liked this one a lot in terms of the colour and texture in the original photo, and wanted to see how I might try combine the ink pen with water-based media. So I made it again:

In this one I am using gouache. At first I worked with very transparent washes, especially in the detailing of the jacket. I was careful not to cover up the liveliness of the ink lines. You can get the most vibrant colour when you use glazing and let the white of the paper show through.

But when it came to the face and hair, I was pushed to work pretty thickly, more like oil-paint in order to achieve the painterly quality of brushwork I like to see.

Gouache dries darker when you use more water– the best way to hit the correct values is to be bold and use just paint. In the background I used a technique whereby instead of just plain grey, I broke it up into warm and cool light value brush strokes. I was influenced by a wonderful portrait artist I have discovered on Instagram named Nicolás Uribe. Check out his work at https://www.ourpaintedlives.com/.

I was also thinking of Manet’s portraits I love so much, especially this one which I think I may have shared before:

I also had my new friend Heather come to my studio and sit for me. There was a kind of failed attempt at painting her from life which was partly because my space at the time was not very suitable for this due to the less than adequate lighting setup. I have just secured a bigger studio so I look forward to sharing more about that soon.

Although I did achieve a likeness in two and a half hours, I found myself bumping up against what I have noticed in the past– I have trouble drawing and painting people I know from life, because I feel compelled to engage with them as friends. This gets in the way of the quiet and for me fragile, vulnerable process of looking and recording, which takes all of my concentration. And I need to put in a lot of time until I am satisfied. Not everyone can give that amount of time, and I would feel like it is too much to ask to do so.

So I decided to try a new tack by arranging a photo shoot. Heather could only give me twenty minutes out of her busy schedule as a graphic designer and her part-time day job, so I wanted to be as efficient as possible.

Here is an ink sketch from that session, enhanced with opaque white gel pen, because I always end up needing to make alterations in portraiture. So you could say that this is inching into the world of painting by adding a bit of white:

And here is an oil-painting of Heather:

Heather wore this fantastic scarf that I admire which added some pattern energy. And I love the sculptural shape of Heather’s hairstyle. Her dark features remind me a little of Manet’s sister-in-law and a talented artist in her own right, Berthe Morisot. She sat for him many times:

In my research I also did a back-to-the-basics online oil painting course with UK artist Alex Tsavaras. He delivers very good, clear instruction at SIMPLIFY Drawing and Painting and on his Patreon channel. This was a very humbling experience. I admire his direct, beautiful brushwork in his portraits and looked closely at his supply list, which introduced me to some wonderful brushes I have added to my arsenal of tools: Rosemary and Co Eclipse Comber long-haired brushes.

They are synthetic but feel like animal hair, with more spring and muscle than softer sables. They can be used for oil, acrylic, or gouache. I made a few pet portraits and discovered they are fantastic for doing detail such as hair and fur.

I’m in the process of testing the comber brushes on other subject matter such as branches, twigs and fern-fronds in landscape.

And now it’s time to plan the move into my new studio. Talk soon!

warmly,

Val

Back in late January of 2017, when my painting shoulder was finally beginning to show signs of healing, I was feeling more optimistic that my Paris trip could actually go ahead. My good friend Beverley picked me up and took me to one of my favorite French-themed cafés in Vancouver, Le Marché St George.

If you haven’t yet experienced its charms, I highly recommend this locally-owned labour of love. As well as a delightful little coffee place, it’s also a petit magasin selling carefully selected artisanal items including locally grown produce and dairy items, textiles, pottery and other beautiful homemade things. And their crêpes and patisseries are to die for, served on old-world silver plates and spoons in an ecclectic space furnished with mismatched tables and chairs. The staff are often French-speaking and trés sympathique.

Other than to luxuriate in the great food and surroundings, Beverley and I were there to plan out what we would do when she came to join me in Paris in April. We laid out my Paris map and enthusiastically began listing the places and experiences we wanted on our bucket list.

While we were scheming, a bubbly blonde female customer overheard our conversation and came over to our table. “I just came back from Paris myself! Isn’t it fantastic? Here’s a tea place you absolutely have to go to…” She pointed it out to us on the map. Her companion, a woman with long raven-dark hair (I know it’s a total clché!) and blue twinkling eyes joined our conversation. She said she had been born in Europe, and knew Paris well, and impressed me with a few sentences she tossed out in beautiful Parisian French. The blonde woman said, “This is Lynette–she’s an intuitive. She is so gifted she doesn’t need to advertise her services. People just magically appear who need to work with her. She helps them in their lives with her psychic abilities.”

Intrigued, I impulsively said, “Lynette, do you have a business card? I have a feeling you have something to tell me.”

“Yes of course,” Lynette said as she reached into her purse. “Here, give me a call. Don’t tell me anything about yourself right now. When we talk, I’ll know whether or not we’re meant to work together.”

That evening we connected by phone and booked an in-person session. I showed up at her flat with some family photographs. Lynette gave me a reading on one of them, and told me some things about the people in the photo that only I would have known. The way she described the energetic blueprint of these people was fascinating, as it put an entirely new perspective on their characteristics that I had never considered before.

I knew from this intimate exchange that Lynette was the “real deal”. From that moment we set to work, and I began to meet with her weekly. I felt a sense of urgency because I would soon be leaving Canada for almost three months. She revealed to me insight into many of the things that had puzzled me throughout my life, and many revelations on how to cultivate my best self and innate joy in life.

I remain convinced that the synchronicity of connecting with Lynette at that moment in my life was not accidental. After my close encounter with death just a few months before, I sensed and I believe she sensed that I was ready to receive new information, to expand and grow.

It’s more than three years later, and I still consult with Lynette regularly, though less frequently now. I am mostly applying the lessons she has taught me, which I can just say is a lifelong dedicated practise, not easy, but always rewarding. 🙂

I’m excited to share that her wisdom has just been encapsulated in her first audio experience, “Mathamagical”. Produced by the Canadian actor Graham Wardle, you can hear about this wonderful project on his podcast series, “Time Has Come”. If you are curious to listen in, you will hear a fascinating conversation between two very special people who care deeply about their fellow humans. They talk about the significance of integrity, righteous anger and the power of peace. The conversation includes an excerpt from Lynette’s audio experience.

“Mathamagical” would make a great gift for yourself or a loved one. If you are intrigued, here is the Mathamagical website link. Lynette-Elinda can also be found on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and her personal website www.lynetteelinda.com.

Peace on earth to everyone!

xoVal

I’ve been researching portraiture, including a series of painted and drawn self-portraits, and also some drawn portrait studies I made in Paris of people I met there this past Spring. All but one of these were painted from life.