Avi and Andy, Commissioned Portrait

"Avi and Andy"
Oil Painting on Canvas 24 X 36
Painted from life and photo references.

This is the most recent portrait commission I have finished. I delivered it yesterday and the client was very pleased. It's great when that happens and I'm enjoying the moment. I want to be appreciative to this client because as John Singer Sargent said "A portrait is a painting with something wrong with the mouth". This seems to be all too common a reaction to a painting which has been commissioned and finding a client who loves the work as much as you do is a blessing.

I'd like to take you through the basics of the process on this project so you'll get an idea of how I work with clients. It will cover more of the steps on how I work with people than with the actual painting but will be brief and helpful, I hope.

First I met my client and we discussed things like what the painting was going to be of and who would be included in the piece. We also discussed pricing and I gave them a rough estimate after I did some thumb nail sketches and showed them what I was thinking. This was done in their living room and when we concluded meeting everyone seemed to be on the same page. I think this was the most important step in the process because it set the level of expectations and gave them a chance to tell me what they thought was the most important things to them and what they were hoping for. What was requested was a painting of Andy (the grandfather) and Avi (the grandson) in a basic head and shoulder length painting. This seemed to lend itself to an unusual proportioned portrait, one that sat more landscape like than portrait. They also wanted to express the close relationship between the two subjects and having them side by side seemed to graphically display this. We arranged a time to meet the subjects to begin the process and a one third deposit was made on the painting.

First Sitting:
Several days later I met the subjects in my studio. I had them take several poses together to look at the composition and did an initial sketch of each to become more familiar with each of their faces. I find this first sitting critical because it gives me a chance to begin to know my subject as an individual. The discussion might go in any direction but mainly stay about their life, goals and some of their unique experiences and views on life.


Avi and Andy the first meeting and beginning to look at the layout of the painting.




Very quick sketches were made of each of the subjects. This was to start the process of me getting familiar with each of their faces. I gave them the sketches after the session was over as they were not going to be part of the final painting and it gave each of them a sense of how I was seeing them at the time. I think this is good PR and builds some trust with the client early on with little or no risk to the artist.

The Second Sitting:

One critical thing that was discussed was clothing on the subjects. In a head and shoulder painting often only a minimal of clothing is indicated. In this case though I wanted to bring the clothing down a bit further to fill the canvas so it became an important element. I decided to have one wear a solid color and the other a pattern for contrast.

At this point the painting became clearer in my mind and though I had an initial rough in on the canvas I began to change and refine the placement of elements on the canvas. By the end of this session I was much happier with the layout and color scheme which was beginning to develop. I kept working on the piece till I got to the point where all the major blocks of color were in place and the piece began to take on a likeness of the subjects.

Third Sitting:
I had each of the subjects come down to my studio individually and spent time developing the likeness further, correcting information and trying to get a better tonality to the flesh colors.
This also gave me a chance to really personally connect with each of them and get a better sense of who I was painting.


I showed the client the painting before the final stages to see if we were still on track and the response was very positive. It helped build the level of anticipation of the finished piece and when the final piece was viewed there was little chance of any big surprises on anyone's part.

I let the painting dry a few days and painted the edges of the gallery wrapped canvas, added a paper dust sheet and wire so the piece could be temporarily hung until the client had time to frame it. We discussed leaving the painting unframed, but it is a rather traditional looking portrait, so my feeling is that it could use a frame, the right frame of course. That will be the next adventure in the completion of this painting.


I hope this is helpful to anyone who takes on an assignment like this. Portraits are always a challenge and having a process to follow will be a great help to you I hope. Till then, happy painting! Stay in touch and let me know how you do!

Wanted to share this! The way we see things can make a difference!

A friend sent me this and I thought I'd pass it along. It will make you think a bit about the world and the way we see it around us.

Best Wishes and a Happy New Year
Chazz


A palindrome reads the same backwards as forward. This video reads the exact opposite backwards as forward. Not only does it read the opposite, the meaning is the exact opposite. This is only a 1 minute, 44 second video and it is brilliant. Make sure you read as well as listen forward and backward. This is a video that was submitted in a contest by a 20-year old. The contest was titled "u @ 50" by AARP. This video won second place. When they showed it, everyone in the room was awe-struck and broke into spontaneous applause. So simple and yet so brilliant. Take a minute and watch it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42E2fAWM6rA

Thoughts, a few days before Christmas, 2010

Tis a few days before the Christmas holiday and I have just a few thoughts and observations to share with you, my friends and followers of this blog. Life it seems is always changing and sometimes things that seemed bad turn out to be good in the long run. I guess that's the mystery of life and has reminded me to always keep my eyes open and expect that there will always be a surprise just around the corner. Many of us travel our paths, meet frustration and come to a point of giving up. It's a common theme in my age group. What always seems to happen though is that people when pushed to that point always find a state of grace. They transform themselves and adapt beautifully and come out stronger and better for the experience.




"Well past our prime"
Oil on canvas, 12" X 12"
C. Scogins © 2010

I could go into several stories about that, but I'm sure you can come up with your own. The one I'd like to share though is very close to home. Like many of us, I've struggled with the fact that I'm running out of time. I'm 55 and look at all that I've done in my life which in many ways has been significant. In others though they seem small and not very important to me these days. I suppose I've let them go and don't define myself by them anymore. I've cast off most of the worries I carried for years and seem to be in one of the best places in my life right now. These have been a hard 10 years of my life and there have been tragic disappointments as well as some surprisingly sweet and tender triumphs. Most disappointing is that I've let myself get fat. Considering that I was an ultra-athlete, driven, competitive and very conscious of my body that has been a big blow to my ego. I suppose I found food to be an enjoyable distraction from my worries and let myself enjoy it a little too much.

What I've found though as I've watched my muscles shift ever southward toward my equator is that I've found a different view of my life. I've mellowed a lot and become somewhat more relaxed about who I am. I hate to say it but I have kind of an attitude about it. If you don't like me because of my shape, then so be it, move on! I've been in the dating world for the past two years and I have to admit it does seem to hold me back with the type of women I tend to be attracted to. I'm beginning to see though that it's more their problem than mine and in a way if they are basing my value on that basis, than it wouldn't have lasted anyway. Sure we all want to be found attractive but what have you got after all that beautiful flesh fades and wrinkles. In the end, you only have who you are, happy, sad, miserable, discontented or what ever. People tend to latch on to certain themes in their lives and they play them out to the end. So in my typical fashion I've come up with a visual response to these thoughts. I titled it "Well past our prime". It's a 12" X 12" alla-prima painting of two pieces of fruit. Each mottled and on the verge of spoiling.

I see the Pear as myself or men in general. You don't think of pears as being particularly sweet and in fact when they seem to look their best, have very little flavor. As they age and get a lot of spots and bruises on them though they sweeten and are the most flavorful just before they totally spoil.

Apples on the other hand seem to represent the women I've known in my life. Colorful and beautiful when fresh and younger but they don't get their sweetness till they come of child bearing years. Once past them they tend to loose the sweetness but in many ways become more interesting and complex. Maybe even a bit easier to have in a guys life as well.
Only time will tell!

So, here is to wishing everyone a very happy holiday and the best for this coming year! I'll be trying to keep the eggnog to a minimum this year, don't let that stop you though!

Chazz

Beginning of December, Goodby 2010

Ok, the year has flown by and with no regard to anyone's feelings it just keeps on jetting by.
There are so many of you I've missed seeing this year and I'm sad for not being able to spend a little precious time with you catching up and sharing tales of painting, life and the making of art in what ever form you choose to pursue. I do know that most of us have had worries, doubts and even a little economic struggle this year, so I don't in anyway want to make light of those facts we all endure. The fact is though that for many of us we have had doors open and opportunities present themselves that were not there in previous years. In many ways I've seen people near and dear to me make some pretty amazing changes in their lives, travel to far off places and take jobs in distant lands. The world, my dears seems to keep moving in-spite of our wishes to keep thing much the same. This seems to be much the same with me and there is a feeling of restlessness stirring within me. I don't claim any psychic abilities but native people seem to have this sense when big changes are on the horizon and I've had that in my bones for the last few weeks. Not sure yet what is coming our way but I'll be happy to share as time moves forward.

Currently though, I've been up to my usual tricks and spending as much time as possible focused on painting and playing in the mud. Yesterday was the opening of the Atlanta Artists Centers 6th Annual Plein-air Exhibition at the Buckhead Library. This is the 4th year I've participated and as always enjoy the event. It will be up till January 4th, so go by and check out some of the work.
I was one of the guest speakers at the event and penned some of my thoughts on this thing we call "plein-air". If you'll be so kind to indulge me I'll share it with you in this blog. I'd like to say thank you to all my friends and students who showed up and enjoyed the food, art and socializing. I do very much appreciate your support. PS. I'm sorry for the false advertising, I thought they were serving wine, my mistake, and I was so looking forward to a glass myself! So without further delay, I'm going to post some of the images of the art in the show and yes even my attempt at verse!


Poster promoting the show and featuring work from the participating artists.

Written for a presentation at the Atlanta Artists Centers 6th annual plein-air exhibit
held at the Buckhead Library, December 4th 2010

Why I Paint Outdoors!


Why I paint outdoors
is really not so hard to see
all one has to do is
look back in history
for many a great artist
stood out in mother natures amenities
and each of them has left
their mark upon our memories.

When I feel that old and ancient stir
to seek out a source of inspiration
whether in the mountains
or by the sea
the sunlight that glimmers
under a canopy
in dappled patterns like the light
I'll lay down painted shapes
to copy natures lessons with envy
for she is the master of harmony.

So if you wish to seek me out
look in less traveled places
I'll be there in hopes of sharing
the beauty, color and rhythms
of dancing trees and waving fields
what my eyes have had the privilege
to experience with fascination
lending my skills not so much in words
but in ways more painterly.

By: C. S. Scogins


"Sculpture in the Waterfall"
Painted at the 2010 Artful Garden Tour,
a benefit for the High Museum of Art, sponsored by ArtPartners
my painting shows a bronze sculpture by Basil Watson in the waterfall in Marty Gillan's garden at the event. I was quite pleased with this effort at 12 X 18 inches which is large for plein-air works.

"All Aglow" painted 2010
I painted this over several months on location in College Park. I had driven by this house the past few years and was always fascinated by it though I couldn't get a good look at it from the road. It's a large craftsman built in 1886 by Margret Mitchel's sister as the story goes.
It's constructed of stone walls with huge porches and a carriage drive that wraps around the house. I always feel good being there and enjoyed meeting Thom the owner and resident. To date, I feel it's one of my best works ever. It's good when you get a few of those in life!


"Falling from Heaven"
This little still life painted Plein-air came to be after finding this little bird whom had flown into the window. I found her laying in the leaves and it struck me that everything in the heavens fall to earth eventually. A somewhat bitter sweet theme that makes one appreciate the fleeting time we have in life!


"Guardian of Allene"
Painted 2010, just down the street from my loft stands this enormous Oak tree which I've looked at so many times passing it by day to day. It sits on the line between the warehouse district I live in and Adair Park, along the Beltline path.


"Painting in the Garden"
Painted at the 2007 Artful Garden Tour,
a benefit for the High Museum of Art, sponsored by ArtPartners
my painting shows Susan Knight Smith painting at the event.


"Cranes in the Koi Pond"
Painted at the 2007 Artful Garden Tour,
a benefit for the High Museum of Art,
sponsored by ArtPartners

Update, As Per Your Request, thanks!

Hi Everyone,

Yes I'm finally going to do an update on this page. I'm sorry for letting it go so long between postings but one does have to live life, so we have something to comment on. If I gave you a minute by minute update, we'd be on twitter! Personally, I like catching up with my friends and hearing about their adventures, trials and triumphs in life occasionally. People can only do that so often though or else it seems like your married and you might as well move in together. I see this as an opportunity to share a cup of coffee, listen to some yarns, experiences and general BS. It's a tradition down here in the South to tell tales and stories and to make them somewhat larger than life or at least have some small pearl of wisdom that your grandfather or grandmother would have shared with you. This blog is really about living life creatively, filling your days with the making and enjoyment of art and passing along those thoughts and stories we all come across while traveling this creative path. I hope you enjoy my tales and I'd hope that I'd get to hear from you, share a cup of coffee and pass some time getting to know each other. I suppose I've not heard much back from many of you and sometimes I get the notion that no one is reading this. I suppose that's not the case as several of you have asked when the next installment was going to be posted. Thanks for that, the encouragement is a big help!

So what's been up with me? Well a lot really! In the last few days I've been at a great little event at the Smith-Gilbert Gardens in Kennesaw GA. These are a well kept secret that I'd personally like to let out of the bag. The gardens have only been open to the public a couple of years. The gardens them selves have been around much longer and are a fully mature garden with some spectacular sights and sculptural art work. I'd encourage you to check them out and they are fairly close on Pine Mountain Road in Kennesaw GA. The event was a plein-air paint out and many talented artists and good friends attended. There was some fabulous artwork made there and we had a small show and sale afterward. There were seven prizes given and the event came out as a wonderful experience for me. Keep an eye out for upcoming events and if you get a chance be sure to check this place out!

What you see are the 5 paintings I completed in 2 days. Hope you enjoy them!




This was the first of the 5 painting I did during the two day event. It's of the Bonsai garden and nursery. This is also the painting that picked up an award from the judge, Bill Davidson. I especially like the fact that Bill gave his time to tell people why he picked certain paintings and the things that worked with each. It's been a while since I've been on the side of receiving a critique and it felt good to hear.





This is the 2nd of 5 paintings looking at the south side of the house on the property. It's an old house with lot's of brick, high ceilings and a bit of that Victorian charm.




This is the 3rd of 5 paintings and was my last painting of the first day. By this time I was tired and ready to pack it in. The light was fabulous though by this time of day and I couldn't walk away. This sculpture seems to be the image the garden uses most to identify themselves with.
I personally don't think much of the sculpture as it reminds me of a Chinese or Japanese letter form or I suppose it could be a dog exhibiting the play stance! For me it was all about the light, shadows and trees which were electric!



After a nights sleep I picked up with this painting of the greenhouse and a huge oak tree at the edge of the main lawn. I had a time limit though as I had a date with my next painting! This piece was 4 of 5 total.




This is the painting I came to paint after looking around the weekend before to scout locations. I kept my motivation level high by saving this for my last. When I saw this tree the canopy was lit up and bright yellow. The tree shape reminded me of the character Medusa in Jason and the Argonauts. That's what I named it (The Medusa Tree). I really pushed the color on this painting as well. There is a lot of color here and seeing it as a reduced photo is not enough. Click on the image and give it a closer look! Enjoy!!!

So that's the past few days of my life! Hope you get a chance to push a little paint around as well!

Best wishes,
Chazz

PS. Leave a comment so I know you've been following this page. It helps inspire me to write a bit more!

Some new Art, thoughts on creative living and the state of the world around us!

Hi everyone, Yes it's been a little too long since my last entry on this page. No, at this rate I'll never make the "Painting a Day website". So maybe I'll have to set some new goals that may be even bigger and more important to me and my creative spirit. I think (for me) it's time to up the risk and push the envelope a bit. My goal was to produce a lot of work over the past year which in some ways I did and feel successful at that. I've talked a bit about pushing myself, making my work more revealing of my inner self and connecting to the juicy stuff that many of us keep buried deep and safely within us. So maybe it's time to let a bit of that out into the light of day and see what comes up for me, as well as you my audience. I'd ask that you make a comment and leave your thoughts on what your seeing and hearing from this page. They will of course be welcomed and if you should find something that resonates with you, please feel free to share it and this blog with your friends.



Very different I know, this is a collage piece I did as a demo for my mixed media class. I very much enjoyed the imagery I found.




This is another Collage piece I did as a demo for a class. This time all the imagery was created rather than found. I also added some unusual elements just to keep everyone on their toes.



Another collage piece which I felt was very successful and incorporated many different technics to create rich textures and surfaces.

So on to the juicier stuff, visual candy etc. My work for Fulton County has given me an opportunity to explore a media I had only briefly dabbled in during my collage years. Clay and mud for me bring me back to my childhood when I could spend a full day playing in the stuff, make my version of the world and destroy it if I felt like it. There was an unbridled freedom in my youth that I and I suspect many of us have lost the connection to. Lately my art has taken some definite turns in direction I had not intentionally meant to explore. I find myself working more in clay, thinking more in clay and seeing things more in the round than ever before. Depth and weight seem to be areas I seem to fixate on more often. With that being said, on with the show!




This Mug is a seed pod and spiral design I came up with. I kept the colors organic in feel to go with the pattern. The piece is somewhat reminiscent of Arts and Crafts period pottery which is one of my favorite art movements.





This is another very organic feeling piece using a circular and spiral design motif. This pitcher was constructed from slabs of clay and glazed with at least 8 different color glazes.



This double flower vase was constructed using the coil method and is shown at the bisque stage currently. The brown coloration is a chocolate brown slip painted over a white clay body, then white slip is painted on over the brown. The shape as well as the surface decoration take on a rather tribal feeling which I like. I will glaze the piece later in a transparent glaze to finish it but wanted to share it with you in progress.




This is a crazy little remnant bowl was fun to construct out of scrap pieces of clay at the end of the day. It has about 5 different colored glazes on the body.



This is the next evolution of my female figurative series. My intention was to try and capture a fluid sense of motion and though she is very thick in reality, try to make her feel light or almost weightless. I feel that I've got it, so more are due to come later.

Thanks for the Encouragement, My thoughts on Sex and the Constitution!

OK, I've heard back from many of my friends and those that follow this blog and I appreciate the fact that you find what I have to say somewhat humorous and true. I suppose the thing that makes something funny is the fact that it is true and it suddenly dawns on us how stupid it is that we've been putting up with it for most of our lives. That realization can take one down too many paths to even begin to explore here, besides this blog is really about making art and living a creative life. I'd have to start a whole other blog about the silly things I've observed myself and others doing through life.




This was painted on the Artful Garden Tour in May 2010, oil
on panel, sold to Marty Gillian who is the owner of the
home and garden.



For example, let's talk about sex. Sex bar none has gotten me into more trouble than any other act I've personally committed in my life. It suddenly came to me one morning while making bagels standing in the kitchen in my bath robe in front of the toaster why that was. I'm male! No really, that's not an excuse it's just a physiological fact that I'm a male and I have a penis. Logic would follow that if and when I become aroused, the blood flow that normally keeps my brain functional and lucid, now is pooled down in my lower regions therefore cutting off any chance that my brain will be functioning at its normal optimal levels. So as many men do I'm apt to say something totally stupid or inappropriate during the coarse of intercourse. That one gets us every time guys! How many times can you remember lying in bed and saying to your partner how much you enjoyed the fantastic orgasm you just had of which they were the catalyst. Probably none, because all your blood and oxygen were still where? No you rolled over and muttered something akin to this " I wuv you" which is all the speech you could probably muster at the moment. Women on the other hand are a totally different story! They have an orgasm and immediately as sharp as a tack, wanting another and ready to pounce on any opportunity! This is true for the very same reasons as men being in an oxygen deprived stupper, women have a clitoris which is small. Yes it gets erect but they don't have all of their blood trying to hold it up! On top of all of that, if you can't comply to their need for more sex, then they want to talk to you, which you are not capable of at the moment, which is why you let slip those almost indestiquishable words!

That little white flag of surrender has probably undid more empires and laid waste to more civilizations than anything else on the planet except religion. Just for example, Cleopatra and Mark Anthony, Helen of Troy, need I go any further. I don't really have a good idea as to how to solve this because we are just made the way we are. The only thing I could think of is that we need to amend the constitution and reorder it. The first amendment should read something like this:

When in the coarse of physical intercourse no verbal intercourse will have any legal bearing for the next 24 hours due to the impaired judgements that will follow there after. Only after that cooling off period can either party engage in the making of a contract and only written and witnessed contracts will be admissible in a court of law!

If that were the case, our legal system would have a lot more time on it's hands! It was just a thought, now I'm going to draw a naked women! You have yourself a beautiful day!




This little effort is one of my favorites. It was
from life and the mask adds a sense of
mystery to it!