Jamie Lindholm - Portraits & Paintings

Sketching

I was talking with a few artist friends the other day about the way we sketch...or even IF we sketch at all.  Some just go right at it on the canvas....others sketch but with only a single pencil...another does only watercolor sketches

I actually like to sketch -- this is where I tweak my composition to include the lightest lights through to the darkest darks.  I like my paintings to have a yin/yang experience with my values.  Believe it or not,  I actually sketch with a black Sharpie, a #2 pencil and some white-out and almost always on white sketch paper.  Sketching and drawing on while paper is my preference because I tend to see and document the very darkest darks first.  It's just easier for me to see various shades of dark rather than the various shades of light -- which is probably why my favorite part of my painting "Couch Potato" is Miss Spot's rump where there are just very subtle shades of black and grey.  I was once told that I am good in the shadows -- perhaps they were right.

Anyway, for my Sharpie and white-out sketches....Below are a couple that I did while living in Baltimore and one I did on our last trip to Sweden.  I plan on eventually completing paintings of both of the Baltimore sketches, but they have fallen behind in my priorities.  I do love these sketches though.  What do you think?

           

Merry Christmas

Well it's that time of year again.  In the past three Christmas seasons, I have not taken my son to see Santa Claus.  He was just too young and I thought it might be more traumatic for him than anything.  THIS YEAR however, he verbally dragged me there.  He couldn't wait to tell Santa what he wanted for Christmas and his face just beamed as he first met him.  It's no wonder his face is a constant inspiration for me to paint portraits.  If I could just capture that expression on his face.....

Merry Christmas!!!

Dylan's fundraiser this weekend

This is going to be a great weekend!  Anytime I can help contribute to a good cause, I'm happy to  -- mostly, because I am grateful that I am able to.  I'm grateful that I have something that some one else may want to buy....and with that purchase, help a family and their son, brother, friend Dylan fight the biggest fight of his life.  So, if you're anywhere near New York City, I invite you to join us:

        Eight Mile Creek
        240 Mulberry Street
        NYC, NY
        212-431-4635

        From 4-7pm

Gold Star tickets are available at the door on the day of the event ($150)

In addition to a "portrait to be painted", I am donating one of the paintings from my M & M series for the auction-- see below

Rainbow on Sill, Oil on Canvas, 24" x 48"

A Story about Dylan - Everything's Possible

I am working on a new project -- it's a painting to be auctioned off as part of a fundraiser for a young man named Dylan Hartung.  I met Dylan through my Aussie friends last summer...if he were still in Australia, this probably wouldn't have happened.  Not because of the obvious geographic distance, but because of the fact that his doctors in Australia gave him only six months. That was a couple years ago!!!

But, others tell his story much better than I .... visit these links and get inspired by a mother's love and determination and by a "cheeky" little boy. :D  I did.  ps. I'll post the painting when I'm finished.

Dylan's Story
Dylan's Everything's Possible site

If you are at all inspired by this journey, there is a fundraiser scheduled for November 11th from 4-7  at  8 Mile Creek restaurant in NYC and you can email me for more information.

Saturday Painting Day

What a beautiful day it is!  Sunny, blue skies, nice breeze...not too hot, not too cold.  Just perfect!  and to top it off, I got to spend the entire morning painting en plein air!  It doesn't get much better than that in my book.
I met a wonderful artist friend and her class at Jockey Hollow, which is right up the road a bit from where we live.  After getting a quick and short tour of the Wick House, I went searching for my "painting".  This is always challenging for me as I am so often comfortably established in my studio with a still life or a portrait.  To change my mental lane and work on a landscape is a good exercise for me. 

I specifically wanted to force myself out of my comfort zone so I chose a broad view of the orchard -- very different for me lately.  By the time I got all set up I had only about  2 1/2 hours to paint  -- not a lot of time for someone that can spend 6 months on a portrait!  Again, the goal was to get out of my comfort zone.  I worked very fast laying in the background values and trying to identify my composition  or a few specific trees out of the hundreds.  I so enjoyed myself I can tell you.  The time flew by so fast and I really got daring when I had only 20 minutes left -- I pulled out my painting knife and really had fun!  woo hoo!

Seriously though, it's good for me to let loose and just let the paint brush fly and I have to regularly remind myself of this. A little balance is good for all of us.

What have you done lately to get out of your comfort zone??