Portrait Painting Class at Wayne Art Center

My portrait painting class is starting up again at the end of April, and it will run for five weeks. Here is the class description and information:

PORTRAIT PAINTING IN OIL

Students will be painting portraits with a consistent color framework using complementary colors. We will study the relationship between light, atmosphere, and shadow; and work on creating the feeling of "air" and depth around the figure. We will also focus on value relationships, edge quality, and composition. All work will be from the live model. Drawing experience recommended; experience with oils helpful.

MONDAYS, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
$130. for 5-week session
Class runs from April 27 to June 1
No class on May 25 (Memorial Day)

To register for the class, or to obtain more information, please contact the Wayne Art Center in Wayne, PA

email: info@wayneart.org
Website: http://www.wayneart.org

Tyng Portraits in The Artist's Magazine

In the April ("Portrait") issue ofThe Artist's Magazine is a feature article on my portraits entitled "In Their Element."
The writer, Christine Proskow, interviewed me a few months ago, and I was impressed with her intelligent and thoughtful questions and insights. I was even more impressed with the article she wrote, and with the editors Maureen Bloomfield and Chris McHugh. Working with these three women was an experience of cooperation, respect, and creativity. It was very exciting to see the article. The reproductions are excellent, too.

Above you can see the cover of the issue, which features the work of David Wells.

To read an online excerpt from the article (about a work in progress), click here.

Visiting a Collector

On a recent trip to the West Coast, we visited the home of one of my most faithful collectors. I can't believe it was about twenty years ago that she first commissioned me to paint a portrait of her granddaughter. Soon after that, I painted her two grandsons. That was in the '80s. By the '90s she had two more grandchildren, and she commissioned a double portrait of them. A few years ago I painted a full-length portrait of her youngest granddaughter.

It was almost overwhelming to find that she and her husband had decorated an entire room to showcase the portraits. Of course this is not really about my artwork--it's about her grandchildren--but nevertheless I did not expect to walk into a room and be surrounded by my own artwork. I suspect I am not alone in feeling embarrassed by this. Artists are notoriously self-critical, especially about their own work, and if it was painted 20 years ago the feeling is more intense. At the same time, it was like seeing an abbreviated version of the development of my style, which can be a very enlightening experience. I think the most important thing about seeing ones artwork in someone's home is realizing that art isn't completely frivolous, that the opportunity to create something that brings happiness to someone else has a value.

Opening Night at Fischbach Gallery

To backtrack a bit, I wanted to post some pictures from the opening of my show, "Above and Beyond." Yes,this is really late because the show has already closed, but it was such a fun evening. I want to thank all my family, friends and fellow artists who attended. Your presence was very much appreciated. And I want to also thank Larry DiCarlo and the people at Fischbach who worked so hard to pull the show together.

Four-Way Strategy: Fourth-Place Winner

This portrait was a lot of fun to paint. It is of four children who live in London, commissioned as a gift for their grandparents. Recently I was very pleased to find out that it was awarded Fourth Place by the Portrait Society of America in their Members' Showcase Competition, "Mulitple Figures" category.

There is a really nice story behind this painting. My first contact with this family was when I painted the children's grandfather, author and presidential speechwriter, around 1995 or 6. There was an unveiling party at the Union League back then. A few years ago, his daughter commissioned me to paint her four children, which became the portrait you see here. After that, both the children and their mother, and the grandparents have visited my studio on separate occasions. I feel blessed to know these wonderful people. This kind of ongoing relationship with families of clients probably sounds familiar to most portrait painters--and it's one of the best things about painting portraits.

Three to Watch!

The January/February issue of Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine should be hitting the newsstands about now. I'm excited about it because my Maine landscapes are featured in this issue, in an article entitled "Three to Watch: Artists Making Their Mark."

The section about me is by Nancy Bea Miller, who not only is a talented artist, but also a fine writer.

The editors chose to reproduce a painting of one of my favorite subjects, Isle Au Haut, one of the lesser known areas of Acadia National Park. Isle Au Haut is smaller than Mount Desert but has similar geological features including comparatively high mountains (hills) and long, glacially carved troughs between them, one of which is a lake. Because it is not accessible by car and is quite far from the mainland, it is still relatively unspoiled. From the air it has a lonely, dark, mysterious feeling, which I've tried to capture in this painting.

Above and Beyond

Please come see my most recent Maine landscapes at an exhibition at the Fischbach Gallery in New York! Here's the pertinent info

ABOVE AND BEYOND

January 8 to January 31, 2009

Reception for the Artist: Thursday, January 8th, 5:00-7:00 p.m.

Fischbach Gallery
210 Eleventh Avenue at 25th Street, New York, NY 10001

Tel: 212-759-2345
Fax: 212-366-1783

email: info@fischbachgallery.com
www.fischbachgallery.com

The painting pictured above is called Jigsaw Coast (oil on linen, 36" x 70").

A catalog will be available through the gallery. It includes 16 color images and an essay by Suzette McAvoy. Ms. McAvoy was the chief curator at the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, Maine for many years and now does freelance art consulting and writing. She also shares an art column with Carl Little in Maine Home + Design Magazine.