796 Shy
This is the fourth portrait in my series called "The Innocents Project" in which I am painting the refugee children living in camps in Lebanon and Palestine. I am hoping to raise awareness and money for the children through ANERA (American Near East Refugee Aid) in Washington, D.C.
There is no "normal" for a kid living in a refuge camp. Most people don't realize that it gets quite cold in the Middle East during the winter, and heat is unlikely in the camps, and often in homes. ANERA has distributed over 100,000 pairs of shoes and boots to keep the children safe and warm in Lebanon's refugee camps and in Gaza. Tom's has been very generous in donating the shoes and boots for the children, who otherwise might be barefoot. According to ANERA's recent newsletter, they have also distributed millions of dollars worth of vital medicines and supplies to clinics and hospitals in Lebanon and Palestine during the past year, 20,000 relief kits (school supplies, blankets, quilts, hygiene supplies, and clothing) in Lebanon, and as mentioned previously, 12,200 parasite treatment kits to prevent lice in the overcrowded camps in Lebanon.
Aside from all of the physical abnormalities of living in a refugee camp, imagine the psychological affects of living in a refugee camp where children see death from illness, violence or electricution all too often. There may not be places for them to play, or clean water to drink.
Please consider a donation to ANERA www.anera.org and please mention "The Innocents Project."
"796 Shy"
acrylic - 12x12 in
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/796-shy/475823
dianecampion.blogspot.com
There is no "normal" for a kid living in a refuge camp. Most people don't realize that it gets quite cold in the Middle East during the winter, and heat is unlikely in the camps, and often in homes. ANERA has distributed over 100,000 pairs of shoes and boots to keep the children safe and warm in Lebanon's refugee camps and in Gaza. Tom's has been very generous in donating the shoes and boots for the children, who otherwise might be barefoot. According to ANERA's recent newsletter, they have also distributed millions of dollars worth of vital medicines and supplies to clinics and hospitals in Lebanon and Palestine during the past year, 20,000 relief kits (school supplies, blankets, quilts, hygiene supplies, and clothing) in Lebanon, and as mentioned previously, 12,200 parasite treatment kits to prevent lice in the overcrowded camps in Lebanon.
Aside from all of the physical abnormalities of living in a refugee camp, imagine the psychological affects of living in a refugee camp where children see death from illness, violence or electricution all too often. There may not be places for them to play, or clean water to drink.
Please consider a donation to ANERA www.anera.org and please mention "The Innocents Project."
"796 Shy"
acrylic - 12x12 in
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/796-shy/475823
dianecampion.blogspot.com
795 Hopeful
This beautiful little girl lives at the Ein El Helweh Camp and attends kindergarten with the young girl in my previously posted painting, "793 Not Forgotten." ANERA (American Near East Refugee Aid) recently renovated the preschool at the camp and is focusing on providing a safe and intellectually stimulating place for these young children so they can find some sense of normalcy in an unstable and sometimes violent area.
To read more about ANERA and their commitment to refugees in Lebanon and Palestine, please visit their web site" http://anera.org/ and please consider making a donation to "The Innocents Project." Not only do they help with the physical rebuilding/remodeling of schools, but they provide medical supplies, education, distribution of warm clothes and blankets, etc to those in need.
"795 Hopeful"
acrylic - 12x12 in
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/795-hopeful/474261
dianecampion.blogspot.com
Patent Pending
Kibbey Couse was the son of E. Irving Couse, one of the founding members of the Taos Society of Artists. Kibbey was always interested in creating things, and eventually became an engineer and inventor. He invented a mobile machine shop, which could be trailored from site to site to work on heavy equipment and tanks, and later for the U. S. Military. When his mother died, he moved his family to Taos and set up shop in his parents' garage. At this time, the E. Irving Couse House is exactly the same as it was in the 1930's. I took the photo reference for this painting when we Art Ladies toured this historic site last year. I knew someday it would be a painting, but never expected to be compelled to paint it so soon.
"Patent Pending"
acrylic - 30x40 in
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/patent-pending/470677
dianecampion.blogspot.com
"Patent Pending"
acrylic - 30x40 in
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/patent-pending/470677
dianecampion.blogspot.com
791 Nap Time
Eh.
I felt like doing something a little different so I employed my favorite palette knives for this scene from Hollywood Beach, Florida on a cool Sunday afternoon. The photo reference is very tranquil, much better than the painting. Not every painting is a winner, I humbly admit.
BUT speaking of winners, and to make up for the crappy painting, I am SO proud to share that my garden club won the People's Choice Award for their floral interpretation of Gerhard Richter's painting "Breath" at the Milwaukee Art Museum's Art in Bloom. It is mostly florists and grocery store floral departments who participate in this spectacular event. We may be the only club, and most definitely have the most limited budget. Here is our entry. I will share some of my other favorites below it.
This next piece is one of my favorite paintings at the museum, "Betalo Nude" by Robert Henri, with such a soft and luscious color palette. The Milwaukee Flower Company's Sally Vander Wyst and Courtney Stenberg created the floral masterpiece, which includes a handmade custom container for this gorgeous arrangement. I was very disappointed that this creation did not win an award. I think it should have.
This next piece won First Place in the judging and it was indeed spectacular. The floral designer pieced three pieces of driftwood together for the base. She had never seen Clara Driscoll's Tiffany lamp "Laburnum" in person, rather composing this arrangement from a photo. Amazing.
This next painting is also a favorite of mine, "St Francis of Assisi in the Tomb" by Francisco de Zurbaran. The floral artist assembled the piece at the museum using all dried materials except for the only living part, a few flowers. The first photo is of the back of the arrangement, which was very interesting, I thought. He won Third Place in the judging.
Second Place judges' award went to The Flower Source for their interpretation of Thomas Moran's "Three Mile Harbor, Long Island." Our garden club often partners with The Flower Source, so it was nice to see them win this award for their interesting and beautiful interpretation.
Although there are so very many art pieces at the museum that I love, my consistent all time favorite piece at the Milwaukee Art Museum is "The Wood Gatherer" by Jules Bastien -Lepage. I love everything about it!
If you have never visited the Milwaukee Art Museum, I hope you will someday. It is a world class museum with a very rich collection and is located on the bank of the powerful and beautiful Lake Michigan as its backdrop.
If you would like to see more, you can visit the Museum's Art in Bloom page: http://mam.org/bloom/
"791 Nap Time"
oil on canvas - 11x14 in
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/791-nap-time/467017
dianecampion.blogspot.com
789 Pretty As a Picture
When you go to a restaurant and the server presents you with your food and it is so beautifully arranged as a piece of artwork, what do you say? I say, "It's pretty as a picture!" or "Too pretty to eat!" This painting and "787 Still Sunny" really look so nice together. I'm happy I took the risk and painted it."
Speaking of risks, yesterday's painting "788 But Tell Me, Where Will the Children Play" received so many wonderful and compassionate comments via Facebook and private email. I am very happy. My intent is to raise awareness of the plight of the refugees in Lebanon and Palestine. Art is supposed to start a dialogue, and I am happy that this painting gave me an opportunity to do just that.
And big thanks to those who commented.
"789 Pretty As a Picture"
acrylic - 12x12 in
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/789-pretty-as-a-picture/465880
dianecampion.blogspot.com
Speaking of risks, yesterday's painting "788 But Tell Me, Where Will the Children Play" received so many wonderful and compassionate comments via Facebook and private email. I am very happy. My intent is to raise awareness of the plight of the refugees in Lebanon and Palestine. Art is supposed to start a dialogue, and I am happy that this painting gave me an opportunity to do just that.
And big thanks to those who commented.
"789 Pretty As a Picture"
acrylic - 12x12 in
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/789-pretty-as-a-picture/465880
dianecampion.blogspot.com
"So Happy Together"
782 Pink Cheeks
Here is the second painting, same pose, of Beautiful Baby Paul. I enjoyed painting him so much yesterday that I painted him a second time, attempting to be a little looser. What a joy.
"782 Pink Cheeks"
acrylic - 6x6 in
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/782-pink-cheeks/450145
dianecampion.blogspot.com
775 Three Graces
For this painting, I was blessed with a beautiful reference photo taken by my friends, Ann and Steve on their trip to Tanzania a few years ago. I am enthralled with the beautiful acacia trees. I am happy with the complimentary color palette and am getting a little more familiar with the oil paints.
"775 Three Graces"
oil - 18x24 in
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/775-three-graces/445529
dianecampion.blogspot.com
"775 Three Graces"
oil - 18x24 in
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/775-three-graces/445529
dianecampion.blogspot.com
773 Best Friends
772 Winter's Web
If every day of winter had sunshine and beautiful shadows, perhaps I would like it more. Our winter here in Milwaukee has been fairly mild this year, but there have been many grey days. I love the way the shadows of the trees stretch on the snow and the colors of the shadows.
772 Winter's Web"
oil - 12x24 in
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/772-winters-web/443994
dianecampion.blogspot.com
772 Winter's Web"
oil - 12x24 in
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/772-winters-web/443994
dianecampion.blogspot.com
771 Twisted
This is another scene from Tanzania of an acacia tree, photo taken by my friends, Ann and Steve. I am very drawn to these beautiful trees in photos and paintings, but am not sure I have ever seen one in person, although I learned through research that some varieties grow in the United States in South Carolina, Arizona and Hawaii. I particularly like the Umbrella Acacia shown in this painting because of its graceful trunk and the shape of its foliage, sometimes called the thorn tree acacia.
As I was reading about the Acacia, I learned that gum arabic is derived from this tree, and I have used it as an adhesive and an additive to ink for calligraphy purposes. It is also a common ingredient in some beverages (Fresca, RC Cola, Root Beer) and in Altoid mints, gum and M&M pretzels, as well as in perfume. The wood is used for hardwood floors and furniture.
As you can probably see, I enjoy learning from painting different subjects. I learn something new from each new painting, in this case, not only about the Acacia tree, but another lesson in painting with oil paints.
"771 Twisted"
oil - 18x24 in
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/771-twisted/443745
dianecampion.blogspot.com
As I was reading about the Acacia, I learned that gum arabic is derived from this tree, and I have used it as an adhesive and an additive to ink for calligraphy purposes. It is also a common ingredient in some beverages (Fresca, RC Cola, Root Beer) and in Altoid mints, gum and M&M pretzels, as well as in perfume. The wood is used for hardwood floors and furniture.
As you can probably see, I enjoy learning from painting different subjects. I learn something new from each new painting, in this case, not only about the Acacia tree, but another lesson in painting with oil paints.
"771 Twisted"
oil - 18x24 in
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/771-twisted/443745
dianecampion.blogspot.com
770 A Bird's Eye View
The beautiful photo reference for this painting was taken in Tanzania by my world traveler friends, who have been to so many exciting places, often biking their way through the countrysides. I live vicariously through them as I am somewhat impaired when it comes to travel, although I have been to Lebanon three times, which most people find daunting. It is hard for me to imagine being so close to a zebra and other wild animals. They have graciously shared their photos with me and have given me permission to paint them. Thank you Ann and Steve.
I've been feeling a little restless with the start of the new year. I have been tirelessly working on portraits with determination to master them, but I really needed a little break because I've also pretty much run out of interesting photo references after scouring thousands of photos in my iPhoto folders. The conversations go like this: "Would you please send me photos of people in interesting poses with high contrast and no teeth showing? " .......somewhat limiting.
In the months ahead, I have scheduled two weekend workshops from two of my favorite artists, both of whom teach and paint in oil. Although I love the many benefits of acrylics, I would like to experiment with oil paints. I have dabbled in the past, painting seascapes, but nothing like this subject matter. For this painting, I used water soluble oil paints, which behave like oil paints (I think) but there are no smelly chemicals involved, and best of all, they clean up with soap and water. I really enjoyed the experience and plan to continue pursuing this medium.
"770 A Bird's Eye View"
oil - 16x20 in
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/770-a-birds-eye-view/443121
dianecampion.blogspot.com
I've been feeling a little restless with the start of the new year. I have been tirelessly working on portraits with determination to master them, but I really needed a little break because I've also pretty much run out of interesting photo references after scouring thousands of photos in my iPhoto folders. The conversations go like this: "Would you please send me photos of people in interesting poses with high contrast and no teeth showing? " .......somewhat limiting.
In the months ahead, I have scheduled two weekend workshops from two of my favorite artists, both of whom teach and paint in oil. Although I love the many benefits of acrylics, I would like to experiment with oil paints. I have dabbled in the past, painting seascapes, but nothing like this subject matter. For this painting, I used water soluble oil paints, which behave like oil paints (I think) but there are no smelly chemicals involved, and best of all, they clean up with soap and water. I really enjoyed the experience and plan to continue pursuing this medium.
"770 A Bird's Eye View"
oil - 16x20 in
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/770-a-birds-eye-view/443121
dianecampion.blogspot.com
766 More, Please
This little guy has a big fan base. He is a good natured baby with a loving family, including a sweet big brother who adores him. In the reference photo, the child has dinner all over his face, but I wasn't up for painting that! Even though he is too young to talk (don't be fooled by all that hair!), I imagined him saying "More, please."
"To all children, in all places, may you live in peace and with fullness of heart." (and tummy)
author unknown
"766 More, Please"
acrylic - 9x7 in
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/766-more-please/440972
dianecampion.blogspot.com
"To all children, in all places, may you live in peace and with fullness of heart." (and tummy)
author unknown
"766 More, Please"
acrylic - 9x7 in
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/766-more-please/440972
dianecampion.blogspot.com
761 All About the Eyes
Learning to paint portraits is an ongoing challenge. Undoubtedly, the eyes are the favorite part of the painting for me, but often the placement is difficult. It is so easy to mess things up by not having one eye positioned the same as the other. The direction of the "look" is so easily changed by the position and the level of the lids, as well as the little glint.
The nose. That's another story. Noses are all so different and I find them the most challenging. This little girl has a perfect nose with a perfect little triangle at the tip. My version of her nose is not perfect.
Since I have been painting portraits, when I meet someone, I find myself studying the face and the placement of the features. I never paid much attention to those details before. But now they are important. Nevertheless, I keep plugging away. I am running out of photos of people showing no teeth, which look like chicklets in a painting.
"761 All About the Eyes"
acrylic - 4x4 in
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/761-all-about-the-eyes/439006
dianecampion.blogspot.com
755 Wonderment
747 August
741 More of Myself
This morning I woke up with a strong urge to correct what you didn't see in this painting yesterday. Although I feel a little awkward posting "myself" two days in a row, I had so many thoughts about portrait painting today that I want to share. Just a slightly off curve or a fraction of an inch in the spacing of the eyes can blow a portrait because a likeness will be missing. And one little thing can affect all of the expressions in the face. For example, my husband, who has never had any creative training, yet always seems to know just what is wrong with a painting, thought I looked sad in the painting, so back to the studio I went to make myself look happier. A little up turn of the mouth, more pouf on the cheeks and a little something to the eyes made "me" as happy as possible without starting over. He then commented that my eyes still look sad. Oh well. I still learned a lot through this experience.
It occurred to me, too, that portrait painting is a powerful position to be in. I could have given myself lips like Angelina Jolie's and a beautiful nose like Adele's. HA!
Tomorrow a new adventure: I will tackle painting TEETH!
It occurred to me, too, that portrait painting is a powerful position to be in. I could have given myself lips like Angelina Jolie's and a beautiful nose like Adele's. HA!
Tomorrow a new adventure: I will tackle painting TEETH!