Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Morning Light & Moses Botkin Challenge




The Moses Botkin Challenge just rolls around faster and faster each month and along with it each artist is truly set to work with the month's challenge assignment.  The June challenge was to paint a self portrait.  Talk about something that just took me over.  One morning as I started my day I noticed the light in my room to be so soft and seemingly quiet.  I  thought the light would might make for an interesting painting.  I used my iPhone to take the reference photo first thing that morning.  The painting began and every time I would step away from the easel with my portrait in progress I would come back seeing one change after another.  Seeing myself up close and trying to convey the brush work image to canvas took all of me.  I did find the process to be fascinating and would like to try painting a portrait or figure another time.  Taking the challenge made for, "A Painting Day".  I will be posting the other Challenge artist's self portraits as they arrive.  I may not get all the Challenge paintings posted due to the fact I will be off to Bishop, California to meet up with fellow artists for a week of painting, but will do so as soon as I return.  Enjoy!

"Morning Light" 10x8 inches ©, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre





Vicki Ross-"Me", 11x14-inches ©


Diana Moses Botkin-"Mirror", 7x5-inches ©


Robin Cheers-"Self" 8X8-inches ©


Sharman Owings-"Lady in Red aka Me at 60" 8x8-inches ©


Suzanne Berry-"Untitled", 10x10-inches ©

















8 comments:

Debora L Stewart said...

I love the composition and light reflected in your self portrait. It's beautiful, soft and spiritual. I have done many self portraits in my life but none for several years. May have to try another in pastel someday.

mary maxam said...

I think this worked out wonderfully and I like the thoughtful, pensive look here. Have a great time in CA!

Karen M Schmidt said...

Ruth, I really like this ... the way you cropped your face, with your head turned slightly makes it look like you left the scene and then turned to take one more look back before you go. It gives it a very pensive mood.
Have fun in painting in Bishop! That's such a beautiful area ... I've gone that way several times driving from Long Beach to Mammoth Lakes and Yosemite. Much more picturesque than taking 99!
I hope you show us what you paint there!

Theresa Paden said...

You did a great job capturing the soft lighting. I, too, like the thoughtful look on your face.

Mary LaRue Groft said...

I do so like your paintings of horses. I was just looking at "Moonlight On The Plains" and thinking how wonderful the expression on the horse's face is -calm and pensive and a little forlorn. It's a painting one would not grow tired of viewing.

Kim Vanlandingham said...

Nice work on this! I really need to work on some self portraits. I tend to make myself look younger! I guess I end up painting how I feel on the inside...not how I look on the outside! LOL!

Diana Moses Botkin said...

Hey, great idea from Kimberly to paint a younger self-portrait. I'll just have to find a day when I'm feeling younger and rested rather than burned out!

Your painting of your face shows what a thoughtful person you are. I like the composition too.

hmuxo said...

Love this self-portrait. Beautifully painted.