Portrait of Dr. James Allister Odd, oil, 30 x 20" (76 x 50 cm)

Samuel Hoskins

Inspiration
Sir James Allister Odd, a multifaceted individual with titles including the 9th Count of Valais and 19th Lord of Hasley, is renowned for his contributions in cybersecurity, investigation and music, and is a respected philanthropist. Educated in computer science and information security, he began his career as a cyber warfare specialist in the United States Air Force and later worked in computer forensics. Residing in the northwestern United States with his wife, Clarity Rose Odd, he is deeply committed to community service, actively participates in charitable work and upholds a strong interest in art, literature and history.

Process
To start this painting, we met at my studio to take photos of different positions, and upon settling on one, I began a short sketch from life. I set the paper up right next to him so I could prioritize getting life-size proportions that I could use as scaffolding for the painting. This painting was made from a combination of working from life and photos. I started the painting by working with a thin grisaille to resolve the largest proportions and then went into full color. I used a mix of direct and indirect painting methods, painting some areas solidly, wet into wet, and others building up and glazing to get a dynamic synergy within the piece.

Sonja Flora, oil, 5 x 7" (12 x 17 cm)

Howard Lyon

Inspiration
I have always had a great love for Greek mythology, especially the writings of Ovid and his Metamorphoses. I am inspired to create works that depict a transformation or a creation. In this painting, I have created a portrait of my friend Sonja, with inspiration from Flora, who affected the coming of spring in Greek and Roman mythology. She is spontaneously creating the flowers as she walks through a dark forest in the moments before dawn on the first day of spring.

Process
I painted her skin and hair with the same range of colors that you find in the petals of the flowers, as if they are made from her being. I enjoy finding opportunities to paint a portrait and convey an aspect of someone’s appearance or personality in this way. Sonja radiates beauty wherever she goes as if she were projecting flowers into the space around her. I started with a small sketch, done in Procreate, and then had a photoshoot, both for the model and for the flowers. With those assets in hand, I created a digital composite. I outlined the shapes on the panel and finished the painting with three passes, all in oils. The first pass was a rough color wash, the second pass finished 95 percent of the painting, and the third pass was to add refinements and make any adjustments needed. The painting was finished with a coating of Gamvar gloss varnish.

Unexpected Portrait, mixed media charcoal/water soluble, 20 x 15" (50 x 38 cm)

Susan O’Neill

Inspiration
I was struck by the dynamic shapes of shadow and light in this profile view and immediately wanted to capture the portrait. I often use a mixed media approach in my drawings, with water-soluble charcoals and graphite, where I first prepare the surface of my paper with a toned gesso mixture. This provides a stable, workable surface to experiment with mixed media, both dry and wet. I intentionally leave the toned surface more expressive than evenly consistent, provoking a response between what inspires me about my subject and my creative process. The ensuing process becomes a dialogue where I push and pull the materials in concert with the pictorial space. I favor this spontaneous and intuitive approach, combining it with my classical fine art training.

Process
On this particular day, I did not have prepared paper, so I challenged myself with a scrap paper I found on the studio floor left over from a paper toning demo that I had done. It had been worked several times over, becoming thick and slick from an inexpensive gesso. The challenge of creating art from scraps that generally are ignored has always fascinated me, and this paper did not disappoint. I began drawing the expressive gesture, followed by a classical block-in of large shapes. Finding the right consistency of charcoal to achieve my desired mark proved highly challenging on the overworked tone. However, the thick gessoed surface allowed for endless applications of water, which produced layers and unexpected marks. The drawing went through countless renditions while I experimented with materials on the strange surface.  

Girl with a Sleeve, oil, 30 x 24” (76 x 60 cm)

Jackson Wrede

Inspiratation
This painting is from a series for an upcoming solo exhibit that features portraits of people I have met since moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 2019. The model here is my friend and local photographer Kate Robertson. I admire her entrepreneurial spirit, and I thought her bold tattoo sleeve would be a great point of interest for a portrait. This new series remixes the compositions of classical paintings to create more modern renditions, and for this piece I had the Mona Lisa in mind. I wanted to situate Kate in a space that gave a sort of fantastical, illusory vibe, and for the landscape I was looking at Flemish Renaissance master Pieter Bruegel the Elder. This is a modern portrait featuring a contemporary woman, but its inspiration mainly comes from the 16th century.

Process
Whenever I tackle a new project, I am reminded of Andrew Loomis’ quote: “All creativity is in the planning. The rest is just good carpentry.” I first collect inspirational images that may relate to composition, pose, expression, background, even how I want to apply the paint. For this painting, I invited Kate to my studio where we had an hour-long photoshoot trying the outfits and poses we had targeted ahead of time. I then took my favorite aspects from the photos and assembled them into a polished mockup I rendered in Photoshop. The execution of the actual painting is a whole beast of difficulty in its own right, but the more investment I spend up front planning and preparing, the better finished result I usually get.—