Marie-Laure in Red

by David R. Darrow 5" x 7" (12.7cm x 17.78cm)
Oil on Panel SOLD Collection of Collection of S. Matsumoto
Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa – Japan

About This Painting

Marie-Laure is an art student from Paris, France. She's quite a brilliant thinker and her drawings are outstanding.

She has such a pretty and charming, tiny little face, and such a "European Hairstyle" — so I asked her to pose for a painting. I like interesting faces. Hers is both pretty and interesting.

If you knew her, you'd agree, this is her.

If you must know, her name is pronounced (with a French accent) something between Ma-hee-Lo and Ma-hee-Loo, and you have to push your lower lip all the way down showing all your lower front teeth when you say the "Loo" part. It's essentially French for Marie-Lauren.

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La Jolla in June

by David R. Darrow 7" x 5" (17.78cm x 12.7cm)
Oil on Begian Linen panel SOLD Collection of Jolie Elman
Glendora, CA – USA

About This Painting

La Jolla, CA.

Its name — pronounced 'la HOY-uh" — is a Spanish designation meaning "the Jewel." And it is absolutely gorgeous there, modeling some of the most beautiful, natural, rocky coastline in San Diego.

That is where Mick and I ended up, when trying to find something to paint for our day of plein air. The hardest part about painting this scene yesterday was deciding which other views to decline. Everything there was stunning.

Mick McGinty and I met and became friends at Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, CA in 1977. We were both in the Illustration program there.

We have remained friends for the 29 years since then, and when he and his wife come to California to visit their grown kids, Mick and I try to get together to paint outdoors. Since he lives in Sioux City, South Dakota, I know he's going to want to paint at the ocean.

Not a problem for me!

Mick is an excellent painter, so for me there's just a little internal sense of competition when painting next to this guy.

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Sculpting A Future

by David R. Darrow 5" x 7" (12.7cm x 17.78cm)
Oil on Panel SOLD Collection of Carlyle Dallas
Farmington, NM – USA

About This Painting

This young man is an artist. A very talented, knowledgeable and driven artist.

At 17 or 18 he decided he wanted to be a sculptor. At 18 one of his sculptures took Best of Show at the San Diego Counrty Fair.

At 19 now, he has a day job working for FedEx, loading packages 8 hours a day. He's amazingly strong and agile [Video Clip 1], [Video Clip 2], [Video Clip 3], athletic and fit. At night, he studies sculpture and human anatomy at a very good art school in Encinitas, CA. He's paying for the course from his FedEx earnings.

He has an imagination, vision, and the concentration to do what he sets out to do on anything artistic. I have never met anyone as creative with such random materials, or with traditional. At 17, he was already better than i was at the same age, and much more focused.

He is my second son, Greyson.

I painted this one in a way that accentuates his strong masculine features, and merely "indicating" his curly hair, by using almost entirely a 1/2" filbert brush and thick paint. It's on a quadruple-gessoed and sanded masonite panel.

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Have you ever read that internet Urban Legend? It's about a rich man's estate going up for auction after his death, and no one bought the portrait of his deceased son, and finally someone did, and there was a note attached to the back that said "Whoever buys this portrait gets my whole estate."

Well, that's an urban legend, and it's not going to happen here.

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Orchid and Silver Teapot

by David R. Darrow 7" x 5" (17.78cm x 12.7cm)
Oil on Canvas Panel SOLD Collection of Patricia Harris
Ragley, CA – USA

About This Painting

I love this little teapot. It's a tiny little thing, reflective and simple, with a bamboo-wrapped silver handle.

I thought it would be a fun problem to solve to see if I could paint the refective qualities of the pot with a fat bristle brush and oil paint. I used a 3/8" wide filbert brush for most of this, with a few dabs using a 1/4" filbert. The result is a juicy, thick painting of an Orchid and a Silver Teapot.

Start your oil painting collection today, with this original oil painting by David R. Darrow! And there is no longer-lasting, or more-appreciated heirloom, than an original work of art given as a gift.

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Saturday Jam

by David R. Darrow 12" x 9" (30.48cm x 22.86cm)
Oil on Panel SOLD Collection of Fred Hagan
Encinitas, CA – USA

About This Painting

One Sunday morning last year, I took my paint kit to downtown Carlsbad, CA near where I live, looking for a place to set up, and, more importantly, for something interesting to paint. As with any weekend in Carlsbad when the weather is nice, there were people everywhere, shopping, site-seeing, nibbling and playing.

I heard music coming from the area of the corner fountain at State and Grand, where the Carlsbad Train Depot sits.

I decided to set up over there and paint the fountain or something, because this guy was good, and it would be nice to just listen to live guitar music while I painted.

Then it hit me: Paint this guy who was playing guitar!

This was an interesting challenge, because, obviously he didn't sit still. It kept the painting loose and expressive, and forced me to get the whole thing done in one sitting.

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New Wool Hat

by David R. Darrow 7" x 5" (17.78cm x 12.7cm)
Oil on Canvas Panel SOLD Collection of Bruce Grow
San Diego, CA – USA

About This Painting

I wanted to try something looser and more expressive in this small-sized series. I wanted it to feel like paint... no hard edges, gooey, rich paint that makes an image when you stand back, but becomes abstract and full of movement when viewed closely.

Emily's new wool hat made for a perfect subject againt the glaring blue lights in the background.

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Anya

by David R. Darrow 9" x 12" (22.86cm x 30.48cm)
Oil on Canvas Panel SOLD Collection of Rocky & Judith Hafdahl
San Juan Capistrano, CA – USA

About This Painting

Anya is a sweet woman. She posed for our little painting group in Rancho Santa Fe in an un-air-conditioned studio. It was sweltering and there was only a fan to keep her cool.

I had arrived late for the session (if you ever hear someone refer to "the late artist David R. Darrow," don't assume that means I have passed on... I may have instead been late again) so I had to get set up quickly and paint fast.

I decided on a heavy brush strokes approach, and exaggerated color. In the hot studio, she was beginning to redden, and her skin took on the "glow" that bespoke the posing conditions.

She was a pro. She spoke with a pronounced accent from Italy or a Persian country — I couldn't tell, and I chose not to ask.

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Studying Art

by David R. Darrow 11" x 14" (27.94cm x 35.56cm)
Oil on Canvas Panel SOLD Collection of Kay Crain
Defiance, MO – USA

About This Painting

This is a much looser, expressive painting than my usual fare. That is both on purpose and by the nature of its creation.

In the past I got together with a group of other artists that chipped in and hired a model or two to paint from. The camaraderie was wonderful, the smell of turpentine and oil paints in the air was intoxicating, and the models were always engaging.

Getting together to paint on a weekly basis presents many challenges, not the least of which is to pose the model in a new way that pleases everyone. Sometimes the model has his or her own ideas, other times they show up and ask "What would you like?" — and we pose them.This time we simply handed the lovely model (who is also an artist) a large art book and she assumed this restful pose.

The downside of group painting is that when you strip away the model breaks and painting preparation, there are only about 2 to 2.5 hours of actual painting time, so the whole painting process occurs very quickly.Circa 2005

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Paintcast™: The Grid Method

I have posted a new Video Paintcast™ to pass on a little information on using the grid method for getting a drawing right before painting. If you're interested in watching the little video, click here to see a new video about painting. If you think you might want to watch it in iTunes, or transfer it to a video iPod, be sure to use the link on that page, upper-right, to "Add to iTunes." Or simply click here to subscribe (free) to the Everyday Paintings Paintcast in iTunes. The video is based on my painting Annie in Yellow Sweater.

Juliette

Juliette by David R. Darrow 8" x 10" Oil on Belgian Linen Portrait Commission, not for sale.

This is a recent portrait commission I did for a local woman I met at an art fair in Rancho Santa Fe, CA last June. The subject, Juliette, is her daughter. She and her husband wanted something of value they could enjoy now, but also hand down to their daughter when she is older.

(They loved it!)

Juliette was a pleasure to paint. She has a lively, sweet spirit, and a calm in her eyes that speaks of a heart at rest.

Annie in Yellow Sweater

by David R. Darrow 10" x 9" (25.4cm x 22.86cm)
Oil on Canvas Panel SOLD Collection of Kay Crain
Defiance, MO – USA

About This Painting

Annie, my niece from Oregon, was sitting in my mom’s “rocking couch” with the cool light coming in though a shaded west window. It looked like a painting before I could even take a breath.

She’s gettng married this year.

It seems like two weeks ago she was just learning to talk.

The time passes so quickly.

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Painting Block

No, that doesn't mean I can't think of anything to paint... it means I am painting commissions right now (a good thing) and they are blocking me, time-wise, from painting my Everyday Paintings. I have also filled up parts of my schedule with private art students that have asked "Can you teach me to paint?"

I am fortunate that each of my current students is at least at the intermediate level and have studied painting for some time. I don't think I would have the patience for absolute beginners... It takes several years of commitment and drive to learn to paint... and there is not much I can do for a beginning student other that to send them off to a good Life Drawing school.

Good painting is the castle; good drawing is the foundation. You can't just build a castle anywhere.

Anyway, I should have some new stuff up very soon.

Other Everyday Painters

I never claimed to have invented this idea... in fact, I and several others I have since found in this great big world who are doing daily paintings (some of them more successful at it than me) all seem to give the supreme nod to Duane Keiser as the pioneer. To my surprise, Duane announced yesterday that he will paint the small ones less frequently. I guess sustaining daily, finished work can take its toll. I don't know... I have yet to pull it off consistently. Some fellow I have never met, with the artistic name of Charlie Parker, wrote a blog entry yesterday mentioning me and my work, as well as others. I clicked on some of the names of the others listed there and was particularly impressed with the truly daily work of Karin Jurick. Another, not mentioned is Darren Maurer, who caught fire when he learned, through a mutual friend, about Duane doing daily paintings. Check out his blog. I think his work is fantastic. I suppose if there was a way to pat someone's back by e-mail, we'd all be circulating that e-mail over and over. Funny how, despite the competition, our very nature compells us to root for the others, and keep the beautiful artwork flowing. The world needs art. People need originals on their walls. People need to hand down original artwork to future generations. We're making it affordable. Let's hear it for us! <sound of lone cricket chirping>

Orchid from the Garden

by David R. Darrow 7" x 5" (17.78cm x 12.7cm)
Oil on Panel SOLD Collection of Randy Allerheiligen
Medford, OR – USA

About This Painting

Judy and her husband are art collectors, and to my delight, own two originals from my Everyday Paintings Series, so far. Due to circumstances that brought me near their neighborhood, I arranged to deliver one of the paintings in person.

Judy is a sweet woman, full of life and love, and is an enthusiastic and talented painter as well. Just before I left, she went out to her front garden area and came back with some absolutely gorgeous orchids she’d clipped off, wrapped the clipped stems in a baggie with water in it, and handed theme to me.

"Here, take these to Teresa," she offered. "Ladies like flowers."

I was so taken by the delicate, translucent flowers that I just had to make one the subject of a painting. The orchid’s petals seemed to glow just sitting there against the dark shadowy background.

I originally named it Orchidée du Jardin, the French translation, because I felt it deserved an exotic name, but I didn’t think many people searching eBay would be looking for anything to do with “orchidée” so...

I present to you, instead, Orchid from the Garden.

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Video Paintcast about Profile of Beauty

I created a free video step-by-step and have included it in my Everyday Paintings "Paintcast" series. You'll need the latest iTunes and Quicktime to view it. Other players seem to distort the imagery horribly.

I have to give credit to pastor and photographerJeremy Meeks, working in Nicaragua, who coined the term "Paintcast." I notified him immediately that I was going to start using it and would claim all ownership of it. ;-)

Alternately, try my Feedburner Page, and use the Subscribe/Add to iTunes link top-right.

Profile of Beauty

by David R. Darrow 7" x 5" (17.78cm x 12.7cm)
Oil on Canvas Panel SOLD Collection of Monique Bourgeois
Tewksbury, MA – USA

About This Painting

This is a woman I have known for the better part of a decade. She’s got a lively sense of humor, quick wit, a positive outlook on life and an artful spirit. She’s very spiritual in nature and is not afraid to say what’s on her mind. Her sensitivity to others goes beyond normal bounds.

I asked her to pose for a painting, long ago sold in a gallery, that I titled Security.

When establishing the pose for Security I asked her to turn her head to the side and look out toward the window. It was then, for the first time that I saw the incredible beauty of her profile: if there is perfection in a woman’s profile, I was seeing it at that instant.

I knew then that one day I would like to do a painting of just that: her “Profile of Beauty.”

Today, March 28, 2006 — the day I painted this — is her 30th birthday.

She just gets better with age.

I’ll save her gorgeous eyes for another painting, another day.

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Defeated

by David R. Darrow 5" x 7" (12.7cm x 17.78cm)
Oil on Panel SOLD
Collection of Rocky and Judith Hafdahl
San Juan Capistrano, CA – USA

About This Painting

Sometimes paintings just evolve into something I don't expect.

This one is a great example.

Keith was one of my favorite models when I was teaching Life Drawing at a San Diego art school. For the most part, Life Drawing courses go pretty much the way they are depicted in movies and documentaries, with a live model posing on a stand against a wall, or in the middle of the room, with tiers of students seated or standing around with their large sketch pads drawing from life.

The 11-week course was structured in such a way that the model gender was alternated, so that the students could get experience drawing the forms and anatomy of males and females.

Keith had been at this for a while, and handled the rigors of modeling courses like a pro. Over the years we developed a good rapport, and toward the end of my tenure there, I asked him after class if I could shoot some head-shots of him for further study. He complied.

This started out as simply a study of the forms and shapes brought out by the stark overhead lighting, but then took on a mood of its own. The colors I chose seemed to develop into a moody, Great Depression era sort of boxing feel, in my mind.

I got a nice e-mail from Keith's mother in praise of the likeness.

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Tangerine Dream

by David R. Darrow 5" x 7" (12.7cm x 17.78cm)
Oil on Canvas Panel SOLD Collection of Matt and Annie Beghtel
Portland, OR – USA

About This Painting

When I was a teenager, my parents took the family to Solvang, CA—a beautiful little Danish town near Santa Barbara. In a gift shop there—maybe several around town — were very small paintings of fruit: cherries, oranges, apples, grapes... and sometimes little still lifes of a book and a candle, etc. They were always set in dark backgrounds, painted on panels, not canvas, and had the look of being fairly quickly done, as though this artist instinctively — or likely through much practice and observation — knew just what to put down on the panel to give a high degree of realism to a scene with minimal strokes.

I was mesmerized by these little paintings, and my parents should have known at that moment that I would be an artist for life, the way I held and studied these little paintings signed by an artist who only used the three letters 'LAK.'

They always had realistic, reflected light, and crystal-clear water drops in them. I studied them until I knew how to paint a water drop in color. I suppose I owe a great degree of my artistic future to this unknown artist LAK, for showing this 14-year-old kid that it could be done. I am also in debt to my parents for taking me to those shops, since they instinctively knew how to feed my soul.

About 34 years ago I sold my very first commissioned work of fine art. The painting was of a single orange in front of a dark, gradated background — I stole the idea from LAK. it was an 8" x 10", acrylic on canvas panel. I don't remember titling it, but I'd likely have called it something like "Orange."

Brilliant, I know.

I recently heard it is still in the collection of Barry Rapozo, the gentleman who worked with my father, and who asked me to paint him an orange. He insisted on paying me upon completion — I was delighted and excited to be told, at 14, that someone would pay for something I was going to paint, since I was regularly making paintings and giving them away because I just loved to paint.

I received $30 for it—and felt overpaid.

I think I signed it "Dave."

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Girl With a Silver Nose Ring

by David R. Darrow 5" x 7" (12.7cm x 17.78cm)
Oil on Canvas Panel SOLD Collection of Ben Garvie
Elk Grove, CA – USA

About This Painting

Stephanie is an art student. She does delightful, whimsical characters from her equally delightful and whimsical mind.

She was one of the students that was in my special course in Kona when I taught there. She is full of life, with a great sense of humor and unafraid of attention.

I would say she marches to the beat of a different drummer, but that would understate the facts. In the evening at the university she would go up to one of the highest athletic fields and play her bagpipes to the setting sun.

At the school, I was showing the students how I like to light subjects for dramatic paintings, and had her step in as a model. I think it was a little embarrassing for her — but then she settled into this pose as I snapped the picture, and somehow, I think I captured something I just knew about her intuitively.

She is at heart a gentle person, highly observant and introspective. There is an elegance to her, and a sweet femininity that came to the surface as I observed.

The title of this painting was designed with a wink and a nod to Vermeer's Girl With A Pearl Ear Ring.

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Kona Missionary

by David R. Darrow 5" x 7" (12.7cm x 17.78cm)
Oil on Panel SOLD Collection of Jane West
Kona, HI – USA

About This Painting

When teaching art techniques as a guest teacher to university students in Kona, Hawaii this young woman—training to be a missionary—modeled for a drawing demonstration. I was taken by her gentle features, warm smile, and hopeful eyes.

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One-sixth is Still Not Zero

Well, here it is, 30 days later, and a cursory glance tells anyone who cares to do the math that I reached only 1/6th of my goal, which was, originally, 30 paintings in 30 days. Suffice it to say, some overhwelming events arose during that time, knocking me aside of that path. I should point out, that due to the nature of it's very meaning, I seldom use the word overwhelming. So, rather than looking to anyone for sympathy, and to be excused, I will simply accept my first attempt as a failure, and as I pick myself up and dust myself off, I will look back with a grateful heart on the paintings that were created—and sold—within the confines of the first 30 days, and focus on the upside of that as I press on again to do 30 paintings in 30 days. I am appreciative of those of you who are showing interest. Time to paint.

Video-Paintcast About Painting

This is the first of many-to-come Video Paintcasts. This paintcast is about painting in oils, using a limited palette. It has photos and audio, sort of a documentary slide-show style, with Yours Truly speaking. Now, to be able to watch this 6-minute demo of my "Father Phoon" painting that I did for my Everyday Paintings series, you'll need to have the lastest, free, iTunes from Apple installed on your computer. Once that's all settled and done, you'll need to click this link to be taken to my Feedburner Page which will have a list/history of all my Paintcast Episodes. An episode is any one item I have recorded—audio or video—and posted, sort of like if I had a TV show called Everyday Paintings, and did daily shows. Using this metaphor, Father Phoon is the name of today's episode on my show called Everyday Paintings.

When you arrive at the Feedburner.com page, you'll be presented with some options near the top right, below my photo. Choose the one that says something like Add to iTunes, or Subscribe to iTunes. Or, if you prefer, just click the "play now" button below any episode you want to see/hear. If you choose to Subscribe however, that simply triggers iTunes to always download the newest episode of Everyday Paintings when you start iTunes. There are no forms to fill out or information to give away: you're merely telling iTunes to check my podcast feed for new episodes. It will list any episodes you have missed, as well as downloading only the newest one (presuming your iTunes preferences have not been set differently under the Podcasts Tab of the prefs). Any "missed" episodes will have a Get Episode button to force that epsiode to download.

I'd love to hear what you thought of it.

Mexican Waitress

by David R. Darrow 7" x 5" (17.78cm x 12.7cm)
Oil on Panel SOLD Collection of Jolie Elman
Glendora, CA – USA

About This Painting

In Tijuana last week, I caught this tired waitress resting on the counter waiting for tables to clear. It was a busy day that day; lots of customers and loud Mexican music blaring from the juke box– but somehow she looked all alone. And probably was, in her thoughts. It was a moment to capture.

I am a big fan of an artist named Ken Auster whose huge paintings—and even his small ones—are covered in big, bold, thick strokes of heavy paint. Because his values (light to dark range) are dead-on, his paintings, though "loosely" painted, look nearly photographic from a distance.

In this little 5 x 7, I have tried to paint boldly and thickly, and put the details only where they are most needed: in the face of the exhausted waitress at the "Taco Bell" in Tijuana. No, it's not like a Taco Bell you've ever seen. They just use that name to attract American customers. Another large sign on the outside of the building says "Do not feed the dog."

Now that's just not the way we do it here, is it? :-)

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My Funny Valentine

by David R. Darrow 7" x 5" (17.78cm x 12.7cm)
Oil on Panel SOLD Collection of Jolie Elman
Glendora, CA – USA

About This Painting

Every year for as long as I can remember, my wife has gotten me a valentine from the "funny section" of the card racks. No mushball she.

This year, to my delight, she added a heart-shaped, Mrs. Fields Cookie Bar with gooey frosting. One way to make it last longer: do a portrait of it.

My friend, artist Mick McGinty, asked me if the cookie "made it to the end of the painting," admitting that he fell to his appetite when painting a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I was proud to tell him that yes, it did, since if I needed a new one to finish some detail, it was going to be difficult to run out and get another at that late hour in which I finished the painting.

To the best of my recollection, this is the first model I have consumed upon completion of a portrait. ;-)

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Father Phoon

by David R. Darrow 5" x 7" (12.7cm x 17.78cm)
Oil on Panel SOLD Collection of Doris Darrow
Sunnyvale, CA – USA

About This Painting

This is my brother John, creator of the crazy website Phoons.com.

He posed for this picture while succumbing to a bad fever and flu-bug, hence the fuzzy, warm hat. He looked so uncharacteristically tired and worn that I just knew it would make a great painting.

I am kind of selfish that way, sometimes.

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Watch A Video Paintcast™ of the making of this painting.

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The Warrior

by David R. Darrow 7-7/8” x 7-7/8” Oil on Stretched Canvas SOLD Collection of Carlyle Dallas
Farmington, NM – USA

About This Painting

This painting came about in a discussion with the model. He was someone with whom I worked a while back, and he had such an interesting face and build. Given his large size, and wild, long hair, and facial structure, I asked him if he would consider posing for a painting sometime.

Then I dropped the bomb on him: "I kind of see you as a warrior... you know, with a big furry vest on, leather sleeves, a huge turkey leg in one hand..."

To my surprise, he not only agreed to be portrayed that way, he told me that he actually owns all kinds of costumes like I had just described since he paricipates in reenactments.

He was delighted to be painted as a warrior.

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Charlotte

by David R. Darrow 5" x 7" (12.7cm x 17.78cm)
Oil on Panel SOLD Collection of Rocky and Judith Hafdahl
San Juan Capistrano, CA – USA

About This Painting

Charlotte is my aunt, and oldest living relative. She will be 91 in the next year.

We visited her a year or two ago while her husband Willis — my mom's oldest brother — was still alive. I shot lots of pictures while there.

Beyond the laughter and storytelling that always accompanied times with their family, there were a few quiet and still moments, like this one, where Charlotte just sat, thinking in the warmth of the incandescence.

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Roslyn

by David R. Darrow 5" x 7" (12.7cm x 17.78cm)
Oil on Panel SOLD Collection of Rocky and Judith Hafdahl
San Juan Capistrano, CA – USA

About This Painting

As I begin my journey of "Everyday Paintings" I do not know what is to be. I had the goal recently of painting 52 heads in a year... one a week.

Then it dawned on me that it would be hard to find 52 heads worthy of painting. Magazine models are too softly lit. And it's hard to find images that mimic the lighting of a studio or workshop environment.

And finding 52 people to pose was out of the question.

So I started with my photo library, and found this picture of Roslyn which I lit and shot for a "maybe painting" several years ago when she and her family were visiting. She is the daughter of Terri, with whom I went to high school from 1972-1975. Terri was in my art classes with me, and thanks to the unforeseen but eventual development of the Internet, we were able to get in contact again after decades.

When we did get in contact again, we traded family pictures by e-mail so we could see if and how the years had made changes to the high school faces we remembered.

Terri looked the same. The same young face from 25 years earlier. Only now she had a husband and a daughter. And when I looked at her daughter in the picture I saw a rare, gentle, confident beauty surrounded by flowing raven hair. I told Terri that if she was ever on the West Coast, I would like to paint her daughter.

Not many months later, they visited, and I took some time to shoot portrait photos of Roslyn, not knowing when I'd get around to painting her.

Seems like a good time, now.

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How This Began

On February 5, 2006, I decided to see if I can do 30 paintings in 30 days, and sell them on eBay. I got the idea years ago to see if I could paint 52 heads in a year—mostly to keep up my head painting skills. I actually made it a New Year's Resolution/Goal. And like most of my other such goals, never gave it much more thought... Then when checking iTunes podcasts—which are kind of a "new thing"—to see if anyone had done a podcast on "oil painting" I discovered a Video Podcast called "Paintvid" by Duane Keiser—a painter who, as it turned out, was additionally doing one painting every day, and has since late 2003. See also his blog: A Painting A Day. Well, that changed everything. I saw a guy doing wonderful paintings on a daily basis—nothing half-done or hurried—and he's stuck to it for well over a year (It does make me wonder how he has time for larger works anymore). So I decided to "get busy" and give it a serious go. Even if I can't do thirty in 30, it's a win/win situation, since it can only help my skills to work on so many paintings in such a narrow time window.