Strawberry

"Strawberry" by Hilary J. England, oil on canvas, 2" x 2" x 1.75", 2016

I have been lazy these last few days, and I'm not sure why.  My eyes and back have been bothering me, so that could be part of it. Aging is not for the weak or faint of heart, for sure! I decided to just add on to my still life series of single fruits suspended in black space.  It seemed a good place to start and simple enough so that not to tax my aching back and blurred eyes too much. Plus, this was a nice model -- tender and juicy after the session hahaha.

~Enjoy!!

Blood orange

                       "Blood orange" by Hilary J. England,  oil on canvas, 4" X 4" 

I think you can see where I am going with this. This will be a series of 7 pieces of fruit, with the center being the watermelon. The configuration is to hang the smaller cubes around the larger one. 

More tomorrow 😊👍

Watermelon slice

                                        "Watermelon slice" by Hilary J. England

                                               Oil on hardwood, 6" X 6" 2016

I decided to do a series of small paintings of fruit and veggies that can stand alone or be hung together. I had a few people ask me to do something like this, so I figured, "what the heck!". Besides, the heat outside today made it unappealing to paint outdoors, so this seemed a better alternative for today's work.

I will do another three different fruit, maybe more. Stay tuned 😊😊

Bumble bee on the sunflower

"Bumble bee on sunflower" by Hilary J. England
oil on canvas, 8" x 10" 2016

I have been very busy with several projects.  I have *3* books in production at the same time, so that is really a lot to juggle, and I pick up on my MS Comm (that's Master's of Science in Communication and New Media for those who are not familiar with the lingo) in a couple of weeks (first week of October), plus working on a larger painting commission that has me ripping my hair out, lol, so it's been hectic.  I did take the day to go out and plein air paint in the gorgeous end of summer weather, which I sorely miss.  I didn't go far (the edge of my own property) and just enjoyed the sun, and this awesome bumble bee on my last remaining sunflower. 

This summer slipped away from me in a whirlwind of work, heat, and contemplation, but I have much to be grateful for.  I plan on stepping it up even more after New Year's, with a couple of residencies I am considering, and some other cool projects with my gallery, and between the projects I have going now, well, it's a lot.  But, I like a lot! "A lot" always works for me -- don't want moss growing around my feet!.

So, back to school for everyone, including me, and that's a challenge I always enjoy.  When it's said and done who knows -- maybe a Ph.D just because.  We'll see.  My son is in the U for Physics, looking to be an Astrophysicist, so maybe we'll race to see who becomes a "doctor" first!! :-D :-D  Again, lots to be grateful for, and lots to do. No time for leisure books right now, but I have been forcing myself to read before bed just to decompress.  Newest book: Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely .   It's a wonderful book we are going to use in our Tuesday night women's bible study.  I thought I would get a jumpstart on things before we officially begin our group, and it's a very good book.  Personally, I don't have time right now to feel "left out" or "lonely," but I can identify with the "less than" part, because sometimes, no matter how much you do, you never feel adequate, or that you are good enough, so this book is a comfort and a guide to help for those moments you feel tired and inadequate. So, I'm glad I've been taking the time to "nourish my soul" right before bedtime.


Well, time to jet! Enjoy the weather, and the little painting~



 

Wrapping up Summer

Yet untitled, oil on canvas, 18" x 24 x 2" by Hilary J. England

I have been very busy working away as the end of summer approaches.  There were certain things I decided to do, just for my peace of mind.  One was to greatly reduce my time online, particularly on social media.  I began to realize I was spending more and more time in the virtual world, and it was having a very detrimental effect on me -- across the board.  My attention span was greatly reducing, and I could not remember the last time I had actually sat down and dived into a book! Trade articles, magazines, anything quick, quick, quick, but not actually sat down with a cup of tea and an hour's free time, and just relaxed and read a book.  Very sad indeed.

So, I began reading a new book, "The Things We Wish Were True" and I have to say, it is a very interesting book.  The title is really what caught me since I had been feeling very kind of out-of-joint lately, and I couldn't put my finger on the reason why.  I just knew further trimming and pruning in my life was necessary, and social media was a drain that was not giving back much if anything for the time it consumed.

And, presto, I do feel much better these days! I have several projects in the works, including my memoir, "The Last Track" which is being published in March 2017 through the Upper Hand Press, and also an e-Book on the way (I'll publish all the information as that gets closer to the publication date in the next month or so).  I also have two portraits I've been working on, of course, my ongoing obsession with landscapes and outside projects as well, some big, and some little but time-consuming.  So, my plate is most definitely full!!

Our group show, "What Dreams May Come" at my representing gallery, Studio 26 NYC just passed, some I am gearing up for our next upcoming shows, and I am looking forward to the coming change of scenery with Autumn.  Things are moving along as always, and I have to say, I feel the weeds have cleared out after trimming more unnecessary time drains.  I would definitely recommend a quarterly overhaul of your schedule book -- it does the body and soul just as much good as a day at the spa haha!!

The painting I am currently working on is 18" x 24" -- My goal was I was very interested in the dramatic lighting that enveloped these children.  I'd say I'm about halfway done.  I had a wasp chase me out of my studio today, besides my A/C kicking out and it being 120 degrees in there.  Yes, that was more than enough to call it a day...

Stay cool peeps :-)

Poppies and periwinkles

"Poppies and periwinkles" by Hilary J. England
oil on canvas, 8" x 11" 2016

More plein air of the gorgeous poppies and wildflowers in this one little field I have found.  It is very calming to paint them, even when all else seems to be swirling around me...all the ugliness of the world melts away when I see a beautiful and serene landscape such as this.  It makes me feel closer to the Master Artist.  He certainly has the most perfect eye!

My eyes aren't always all that anymore, and today, the light was extremely erratic.  Rather than chase it, and have a complete disaster, I went with the strange half in/half out sunlight that was plaguing the day, and just concentrated on the sumptuous colors of the field. 

I know these cheery flowers certainly lifted my spirits just at the sight of them, and I hope that translated to the canvas.

~Enjoy!

Poppies and wildflowers

"Poppies and wildflowers in the field" by Hilary J. England, 8" X 10" oil on canvas, 2016

It was a beautiful day for painting outdoors. No humidity, and a slight breeze. I attempted to video this session, but I need a bigger memory card. The memory ran out about halfway through 😖.

I have been so busy lately, and the time just seems to get away from me sometimes, but today, time seemed to stand still, and there was great calm and peace while I painted this. That was very refreshing and somewhat unexpected, since the day started a bit on the hectic side. No matter -- all that matters is what serenity was found while painting this beautiful little scene.

~Enjoy!

Bodyscape of redhead

"Bodyscape of redhead" by Hilary J. England, Goauche on watercolor board, 30" X 40"

This took two sessions. I decided to stir the pot and work in water medium (Goauche), something I rarely do. I must say, it was pretty agitating for me, since my usual approach of laying down paint in oils certainly did not work in water medium...I had to take everything I am used to, and flip it on its head. Water medium is a little too dainty for me, and even as such, I still brutalized that paint and and got a certain amount of enjoyment out of it at that. In the end, I am not unpleased with the results. Not over the moon, but not displeased either. Guardedly optimistic, and I feel this painting does work and was a success, despite my awkwardness with the materials, including an Arches board that started warping almost immediately, much to my frustration. I was able to pin it down and will protect and compress the painting before mounting and framing, which should easily solve that issue.

So, I will do a second painting to match this one, also in Goauche. I will not do that painting until I get the model lined up for two sessions....maybe the same one, maybe a different one. Still planning....

Study of male nude torso in mixed media

"Study of male nude torso in mixed media" by Hilary J. England,

 Goauche and Conte on paper, 14" X 18"

I always like to try and mix thing up and use materials I don't use to often, so when I came across a box of gouaches tucked away in my studio, and decided to try and use them for a quick figure study.  I was really rusty with using the gouache, because it is a unique medium on it's own -- with the utility somewhere smack in the middle between watercolor and acrylics.  Just an interesting medium to use.

So, I did this hour figure study of a very lean and tanned young man, and I'm glad I tried something a little out of the box for myself.  Keeps things from getting too routine :-)

~Enjoy!

Hillside wildflowers

 

"Hillside wildflowers" by Hilary J. England, oil on canvas, 8" X 10"

It was a hot one today, really hot. The sun was bright and somewhat punishing, only because there was a slight haze to the day. The Blue mountain was extra blue, and the wildflowers were so lush and beautiful, like a majestic carpet of color.

I love being able to be out and about, in the quiet solitude of the heat, that no one else wants to brave. It is always nice to be close to a water source, but the creek was behind me a while, so I had no recourse but to sweat and sizzle, and drink in the scenery.

-Enjoy.

Study of young male nude

"Study of young male nude musculature" by Hilary J. England
Brown Conte on paper, 14" x 18"

 

Today is Independence Day -- the Fourth of July.  Usually, people get drunk and blow up the neighborhood (and sometimes themselves) at family barbeques, but I decided on a more reflective path today -- to think of the beauty of everything, and thank God for His blessings, including being able to paint outdoors.  This was not what I painted outdoors -- this was actually from a few days ago, but I didn't post it because I was a little lazy over the last two days.

I enjoyed doing these figure studies, because I always enjoy the strange angles these models can contort into just to find something new and interesting for us to explore.  This model was no exception, and he was in his early 20s, and very youthful and athletic and lean.  That always makes for a nice drawing.

I watched the Stanley Kubrick marathon last night, and I have the music from "Barry Lyndon" stuck in my head, and now with the rain that's about to begin, I feel sleepy and relaxed.  I look out at my garden, and see the robins playing in the grass, and the butterflies flitting from one sweet pea flower to another, to the cucumbers and the squash, and I feel like drifting off to dreamland...and so, maybe I will!

~Enjoy :-)

Study of male back/torso

.

"Study of male torso/back in 3/4 rotation" by Hilary J. England, brown Conte on paper, 8" X 14"

Here is today's work. I was finally able to hook in with a male model, and do a few solid studies. This is the first one -- it took about an hour. I was in a slightly odd position of seeing him in a rotation, so although it was a challenge, it made for an interesting study.

I stuck with working strictly in brown Conte, with no other implementation of white or other color.  Simple and straightforward for this one 😊. Enjoy!

Swan on the lake at sunset

               "Swan on the pond at sunset" by Hilary J. England, oil on canvas, 8" X 10"

I was at the lake the other night, and it was so nearly sweltering.  The gnats were attacking me, I wrenched my neck and shoulder out carrying my gear, and I dropped (yet again -- this seems routine haha) my painting face down in the dirt.  That really enraged me this time, and I was about to hurl the painting into the lake, but I didn't want to get arrested for littering ;-), so I sat down and took some deep breaths, and just sat there for a long time.  

The sun started to set, at nearly 9 pm, as I working and cleaning and transforming the little painting (which is against my own rules, but rules are made to be broken).  The Canadian goose, which was in complete silhouette, I made into a a swan, because again, it's my world, and at that moment, I preferred a swan to go along with my Debussy's "Clair de lune".  So, in the end, hurt neck, gnat bites and all, and then the giant thunderstorm that chased me away -- it all was still amusing, and my own world triumphed because I was able to make an enchanted world from the beauty that really was there, however fleeting it was. Like life....just make the best of it 😊 !! 

Enjoy ❤️

Study of female nude in India ink and Pastel

"Study of female nude in India ink and Pastels" by Hilary J. England, 14" X 18" mixed media on paper

Here's a figure study I did today, and decided to mix it up a little since I was rummaging through all of my stuff in my studio, and then started thinking about how it's been a long time since I did any mixed media work or studies, so I had some fun with the mixed media.

I have been doing a lot of figure work lately because not only is it vital for me to continue working with figure models just to keep overall skills honed -- it gives me a little different, edgier mindset than when I do landscapes.  Landscapes are my mental escape, where I build a little world for myself and occupy it.  Figure work is different -- it's like the landscape is someone else's body, and all of the interesting shades and textures are the grass and leaves and sky, but ultimately, they bring a different energy to that "landscape" that can never be fully mine, so the exploration is much different.

I have been working on my ongoing still life series, but now I have shows coming up, and have a new series that I will begin to pick up where I left off a few years ago -- my figurative, social realist study of "Rural American Youth" -- a continuation, this time second generation.  That fills me with wonder and excitement at this new little group of children and their emergence and growth -- like little flowers in the sun -- so much beauty and promise and hope.  God is good and life is beautiful, even through all of it's ups and downs.

~Enjoy!

Study of young female nude

"Study of young female nude" pencil on hot pressed paper, 14" X 18" by Hilary J. England

Here is an hour long study I did in pencil, of a new model.  The pose was interesting, and I always like new poses to "shake things" up a bit.  I usually don't work in pencil, but I also like using mediums I don't usually use to keep things fresh.

~Enjoy

Peking duck in the lilypond

"Peking duck in the lilypond" by Hilary J. England, oil on canvas, 8" X 10" 2016

I started out in high spirits with this painting, but as the day wore on, I just felt worse and worse.  Lately, I've been running out of steam by around 2 pm, and I think I've hitting the gym a bit too hard early in the morning, because I feel like death between 1 and 3 pm, and that's not cool.  Those are prime working hours, and I shouldn't feel like I'm ready to turn in for the night by that time.

I really enjoy being down at the canals, and there is such an abundance of beauty to choose from.  It makes me feel peaceful and serene in a world gone insane, to know there is always the natural beauty of God's creation to meditate on, and to calm the tumult of daily living, even when there is nothing directly agitating going on.  Sometimes, the world just catches up to you, and those quiet moments of refreshment -- looking at a single, contented duck floating in a still lilypond -- are just what you need to lift your soul and give you strength to move on through this life.

Either that, or finding a hammock and a good beach!  But, that's for another day :-)

~Enjoy.

Study of African-American female nude

Study of African-American female nude, by Hilary J. England, conte on Ingres paper, 11" X 14

Here is today's study.  The model was a young African-American female, and she had a very strong and muscular body -- just magnificent.  She struck this pose, with her arms overhead holding on to a stabilizer bar, and the muscles and silhouette was just breathtaking.  I was only able to draw her for about an hour, as even as fit as she is, the was a very taxing pose for her.

But, it was certainly long enough for me to capture her essence.  I focused on the very rhythm of her body, and the amazing and rich shadow line.

II was able to do about an hour of 2 minute rapid gestures with another model, so when it came time for the long pose with this model, I was in the flow.  Good work day....good day altogether!  One plein air painting, and one drawing found new homes today, so that always energizes me to know other people are appreciating my work as well.

Enjoy!

San Francisco

"San Francisco" by Hilary J. England, oil on canvas, 16" X 20" X 2", 2016

This is painting no. 7 in my "Travelogue" series.  Each of the items has a particular reason behind it was used for the painting.  I start with choosing these items, and then finding a way to arrange them so that there is rhythm, harmony, movement, and some visual paths to draw the eye around the picture plane, and keep an interesting liveliness to the painting.

I set the items up on the floor (yes, the floor) and I have an elevated cushioned seat that allows me to look down on the arrangement while painting.

I always start by blocking in the the largest elements so that I don't lose the original design idea, and then I build the painting through a series of glazes and scumbling.  This takes time to allow the paint to dry and not muddy any of the colors by trying to rush the process.  I don't work in any sort of impasto until I am near the end of the process, and then, it is only accents to bring some of the elements forward in the picture plane.

I usually stop when the painting looks a little "raw," as I don't like anything overdone, especially not a painting.  Two things are awful when they are overdone: paintings, and steaks.  Just can't abide by overcooked and over processed.

So, that's the long and short of it, the very condensed process of how I paint a still life painting :-).

~Enjoy!

Study of female nude from behind

"Study of female nude from behind" pencil and white chalk on beige Ingres paper, 12" X 16"

This study was difficult.  This young woman had quite a "bootie" to put it mildly, and the projection on it was incredible.  I had to try to capture that, as it was almost unreal, and yet the contortion of her torso and spine, in combination with the "apple bottom" mad this a most frustrating study to capture. I had to try to keep it real without being "pin up" or "cartoony" along the lines of Jessica Rabbit.  I think I struck the balance and I am ok with it.  I would like to attempt her again, maybe in Conte this time.  Graphite and pencil, especially the softer ones, is very delicate, and smears easily, but it does have more range in it's own way.  

This is why diligence is needed in drawing the human form. It keeps you on your proverbial toes, because poses and studies that you think should be "easy" sometimes turn out to be the most difficult, as this one did.  I enjoyed drawing her nonetheless.

~Enjoy.

Study of female nude in shadow

"Study of female nude in shadow" by Hilary J. England

11" X 14" conte on Ingres paper

I did this study today, it took a little over an hour.  I am just getting back into the swing of regular figure drawing again, and it has been very satisfying. I look forward to regular figure drawing now that I found this group online, and I can access literally whenever.

Of course, I won't forget my L-O-V-E of plein air painting.  This is just a bonus for me :-)