Tracey Costescu Fine Art

Oil Painting from Life - Stephanie What a perfect way to start off the summer...start summer in June and start it with a 10 day workshop with Giorgio Dante! I am so fortunate to have another opportunity to study with yet another amazing artist and instructor. Not to toot my own horn, but I am really proud of my painting :)  I rarely do figures and I have not had nearly as much practice this year as I had hoped working from live models whether it be drawing or in oil.  Something I plan to correct this season ;)  Our model was Stephanie, a model that I often book for our Suite E Life Drawing sessions so it was nice to see a familiar face even though I did not paint it ;) The workshop was 10 full days and we spent the first two days working on a drawing which I will have to post later as I need to get a photo of it.  The drawing was smaller and included the full body and face. It was a great way to get warmed up and get familiar with the model as well as the lig...

I was so fortunate to get to go to a 2 day workshop this past Mother's Day weekend in North Vancouver with the wonderful Deborah Tilby.  While I was unable to complete either painting, I got a TON of work done.  Alla prima painting is so much faster than indirect painting.  It definitely gets the adrenaline running as you know at the workshops, just like when plein air painting, you only have so much time to get things done! The landscape painting was done on the first day and really all I think it needed is to push the dark and light values further.  I always struggle with this and seem to have to keep pushing as I go to get the full value range.  I also think the barn could use a bit of fixing up, maybe a window or two? The seascape was done on the second day, I was SO sick :(  I spent the morning painting and actually considered packing up and going home after an hour.  I felt so ill...hot...cold....dizzy...nausea....Happy Mother's Day to me!...