Pears ala Laura Robb

Have signed up for a class -- distance learning -- with Laura Robb, a mentor of my fabulous teacher Janice Hindes.  She has us starting with pears.  I have done this before.  But I greatly appreciated the clarity of her teaching style.  "How many pair of pear do you have to do?" asked my wife.  I heard you had to keep painting pears until you wanted to paint them....good luck with that!  John 

The Story of Rape and War -- Sadly Maybe a Very Old Story

I am reposting this painting which was of a rape victim of Sudan, because I recently heard on the radio of yet another story of a war in Africa where the violence included the systematic rape of the enemy's women. 

If they survive the combat this leaves them damaged to their culture and isolated in so many ways.

They become alone.  I appropriated from Sorolla in this painting -- his painting was The Blind Man of Toledo -- also an isolated, almost a raving character.  Certainly alone.  

Magic of Genealogy

Well, here it is, an oil painting 18 x 24 that was a couple of months in planning and painting.  The Theme was "Weaving the Tapestry of Our History:  One Genealogical Thread at a Time."

This was inspired by an art contest by the Los Bexarenos Genealogical and Historical Society.  The composition includes an image of the founder and seven small portraits -- from historical images, two of which had been brought to life and color by the explorations of the society.

I had a great time painting it!