"The 'Mary' in Terry," and Terry's Prayer

"The 'Mary' in Terry", 25 1/2" x 19 1/2", pastel on La Carte pastel board

(detail view)  (click on the images to see them larger)

Terry's transition prayer for her mother, Mary Miller:

Dear God, 

Thank you for Mary and the beautiful life you have given her and us by being a part of this wonderful family.  Countless prayers have been sent on her behalf.  My prayer for her today is that she has the courage to let go and focus on that part of her that will never die.  That she see with her spiritual eyes that she is whole now.  That she remembers part of her is a part of You; that she is able to love and accept herself unconditionally right now exactly where and how she is - cancer and all.  Amen.

Over these past weeks my friend Terry has been taking care of her mother, Mary Miller, who has been very ill and will soon be making her transition.  So I am putting out a heartfelt request at this time to please surround her and her family in love and light with your thoughts and prayers.  It's fine if it's in your own words, but my suggestion is to use Terry's own words in the prayer above which she wrote for her mother.  It's inspiring and joyful in how Terry views this transition time in her family's life.

I'm also aware that a number of you who follow this blog have parents who are seriously ill, and two that I know of are Liz Holm's Mom and Deb Kierce's Dad, so let's keep all of them in our prayers.

"The 'Mary' in Terry" in-progress, Step 5

Just a bit more work remains to be done here on the skin tones and robe, and at this point in the portrait I will also add in the background color so that I can see any light and value adjustments that may be necessary on the figure.

Video Demo on Egg Tempera

Thanks so much to everyone for your supportive comments about my website improvements!  It's really helpful to receive some feedback on it.

I've mentioned it on my other blog, but will also be posting to both blogs in two weeks a brief 5 minute demo on how to mix the egg tempera medium I use for my panel painting.  I am also scoping out the possibility of creating a more in-depth DVD instructional video, or series of videos on how to paint with egg tempera which would sell from my blogs and website.  So, if anyone tuning in has an interest in additionally having a more in-depth DVD on painting with egg tempera, please let me know. 

Passion Award

First, just a word about my progress......I had hoped to wrap up my pastel of Terry last weekend, but I also really felt the need, after working on it over the past weeks, to wrap up my website expansion.  It felt great to get my web work done, but as you might guess, I'm a bit tapped out, so have just been resting before resuming my progressive portrait posts.

Meanwhile, I want to thank Dean Grey for again honoring me with the Passion for Painting Award, and for recognizing my work on Grander Joy of Spirit with such kind words on his blog. I invite you to check out Dean's beautiful work.  There are some surprising and exciting views of Chicago to see through his photographs, a pet portrait I love called "Velvet", beautiful still-lives, sketches and paintings.  Apart from his technical skill as an artist, and passion for painting, Dean is also a very creative thinker, as even the name of his blog--Exploding Donut, and the story behind the name, reveals.

Website Expansion

"Nelson Mandela," 6" x 4 1/2", head study, egg tempera in progress on Strathmore board © Mona Diane Conner 2009

"Old Friend," 5 1/2" x 4 1/2", egg-oil emulsion over egg tempera on panel © Mona Diane Conner 2009

I'm posting an update on the pastel of Terry tomorrow in order to let you know first that behind the scenes over the past several weeks, website expansion has been my weekend project.  There are approximately 25 newly posted images, including several additional portraits, such as the two posted here, and a retrospective of my career as an illustrator in the "Illustrations" and "Nature, Animals and Flowers" categories.  Not even my family members have seen all of these images, so I hope it will be a source of enjoyment for friends, colleagues, and family as well as prospective clients, that the website is more rounded out now.

The topics I've been asked to paint as an illustrator in particular have been quite various, and if you've enjoyed my work as a portrait painter, you may also enjoy seeing this other side of my work when you have time to take another look at monadianeconner.com

The 'Mary' in Terry, in-progress, step 4

Here you can see the area toward the bottom right and in the shadow area of the arm where I am blocking in the colors that will eventually blend a little more.  It's moving along, so I anticipate adding another post on my progress tomorrow.

*P.S. on Wed. post:  It turns out my modem is only functioning at 60% capacity, so the cable company is visiting me again tomorrow, plus am taking care of behind the scenes details.  Hopefully I can fit another post in either later tomorrow or on Friday.

The 'Mary' in Terry, in-progress, step 3

(click on image for a larger view)

Just adding some information here on my pastels, at Liz Holm's request.  Although I started off with a small set of Rembrandts and Othello pastel pencils years ago, I avoid sets in general,

and favor building my palette gradually as I go.  I use Sennelier and Schmincke for their rich colors and application.  Senneliers get used up quickly because they are smaller sticks and very soft, but I feel they are worth it.  I also treasure Diane Townsend pastels, which cost more (hand-rolled), but are also worth it.  All of these brands can be purchased online. 

In pastel pencils I've experimented with various brands, and it also depends on the texture of the surface you are working on, but my favorites for the La Carte surface are Cretacolor and Generals, with a few Conte's thrown in.  (General's white charcoal pencil and black charcoal pencil are especially nice).  

Safety procedures are very important with pastel.  More about safety in another post.

The 'Mary' in Terry, (pastel-in-progress, step 2)

A close-up view of the area I've been working on.

The 'Mary' in Terry (pastel-in-progress)

(click on the image for a larger view)

25 1/2" x 19 1/2" pastel in progress on La Carte pastel paper

Panel Progress

Panel Progress, "The 'Mary' in Kimberly"

I'm working behind the scenes to enter two portraits in a competition, but here's a small progress report on my panel painting, working further here on the hands.

"Spirit of Aretha"

"Spirit of Aretha," 4" x 4", egg tempera miniature portrait on Kelmscott vellum, (available from my website) (c) Mona Diane Conner 2009

My portrait of Aretha Franklin is posting on my miniature blog, but it shows the "Mary" in Aretha; it's her shining moment, so it's placed here too.

Interrupted internet

Just a note that my internet connection went out this weekend, but I'm happy to be back with a new modem today.  I'm preparing the post intended for the weekend for later today, and sorry for the slight delay.

Commissioned Portrait

"Katie's Childhood Memories," 10" x 10," pastel and charcoal on toned gessoed paper

I have a small surprise coming up right before my panel update, and I'm working on the start of the pastel of Terry, but here is just one example of the commissioned portraits I do.  I enjoy doing both commissioned and non-commissioned portraiture.

Mentors of My Art

original art (c) Fred Wessel 2008

"Contemplating Fibonacci's Spiral," by Fred Wessel, 34" x 27", egg tempera with gold, silver, and palladium leaf 

detail showing the red jewel in her hand in "Language of the Birds"

original art, (and detail of original art) (c) Scherer & Ouporov 2008

"Language of the Birds," by Suzanne Scherer & Pavel Ouporov, 24" x 18", egg tempera, semi-precious gems, and gold leaf on poplar panel

I wanted to include these examples of Fred's art, and Pasha & Suzanne's art, with my post on their opening, but it was a long post, and meanwhile I have been busy behind the scenes on three paintings myself.  In each artist's life there are those who offer helpful information and encouragement at just the right time, which somehow becomes absorbed and translates itself uniquely into aspects of one's own artistic journey.  Fred, Pasha, and Suzanne have played this roll in my life.  

When Pasha & Suzanne lived in Brooklyn before moving to Florida, they shared advice on icon painting, and the spiritual symbolism in the applications of water gilding.  They recommended lessons from a Russian master, Vladislav Andrejev, in whose icon writing studio I later studied for one year, and they also referred me to Pandora, makers of icon panels, who is still my valued supplier.  I recently learned from Fred Wessel about a kind of Japanese silver leaf which is dyed pink. Can you see it in his painting at the top of this post? Now I'm thinking about trying out some of this pink silver leaf on one of my "Mary" series panels.

From both artists I've learned about the value and beauty of non-commissioned portraiture, and felt spiritually and artistically enriched by their art.  Thank you Fred, Suzanne, and Pasha!

The 'Mary' in Kimberly, one more drawing with reference pictures

I'm working on a larger version of this drawing, but I wanted to post it with it's reference photos to show how I'm putting this one together.  I'll be doing a study of this pose from her head to her lap, and I'd like to later do a panel painting of the full figure including the rose petals on the floor.  

I also have at least one other pose I'll be doing of her wearing all white, with pale pink rose petals, but next will be an update on my panel painting, and the first installment of the pastel of Terry.

Two More Great Openings

Diane Savino (at left), curator and egg tempera artist, discussing her work at Tabla Rasa Gallery in Brooklyn

original art (c) Diane Savino 2009

Diane Savino's daughter, Brielle, was the inspiration for her egg tempera portrait, "Not Out of the Woods", one of her beautiful paintings on display at Tabla Rasa Gallery

Fred Wessel discussing his egg tempera portraits with patrons & friends at ACA Gallery in Manhattan

Pavel Ouporov & Suzanne Scherer share a smile with Diane Savino and friends at ACA Gallery

I'm working on two more drawings--- a pastel of Terry, and one more drawing of Kimberly, and hope to post progress on both soon, but I wanted to share a few photos from two more openings I've attended this month involving some of my egg tempera colleagues.  On April 4th I attended the opening at ACA Gallery of  "Layered Luminescence:  The Art of Egg Tempera," featuring the work of Robert Vickrey, Fred Wessel, Suzanne Scherer & Pavel Ouporov, and Doug Safranek. 

Robert Vickrey's great book, "New Techniques in Egg Tempera" gave me my first exposure to egg tempera painting in 1976.  The opening was packed, and colleagues in attendance were husband/wife painting team, Suzanne Scherer and Pavel Ouporov, Fred Wessel, and Diane Savino.

It was great that Diane & her family came back to New York this weekend for her participation in the group show "Pioneer Women" at Tabla Rasa Gallery in Brooklyn, and afterward she visited with me in my studio to see some of my latest work.  Diane curated a great group show that I participated in called "Egg Tempera:  An Enduring Tradition" which travelled the east coast to various college and museum venues. 

New Drawing & Art Opening at DFN Gallery

new drawing for the 'Mary' in Kimberly series

(detail of drawing, scanned version)

Silhouettes surround "Smirk,"48" x 64", oil on linen, by Alyssa Monks at DFN Gallery opening in Manhattan

Alyssa Monks chatting with friends and patrons at the opening

I've been working on some more drawings of Kimberly, and a new one is posting here on top. 

I also wanted to share with you a great art opening that I attended last week in Manhattan,---a dual show for Alyssa Monks and Dozier Bell.  Dozier Bell was not present in person because she had another show opening simultaneously in Maine, but I was fascinated by her miniature drawings which are done in charcoal on mylar, so much so that I'm going to try out working on mylar too!  A link to some of the drawings by Dozier that I enjoyed seeing at DFN are here.

I've followed the inspiring work of Alyssa Monks via her website, and have attended a few shows featuring her work, but this was my first opportunity to meet her in person.  She was lovely to meet, and her new paintings are wonderful!  Alyssa teaches a special course in 'flesh' painting, and some of her work involves self-portraiture.  When seen firsthand her paintings are large and surprisingly loose.  It was a real treat to enjoy the work of both Dozier and Alyssa at DFN, a great combination of very large and very tiny artwork which dramatically demonstrates how both formats can have great emotional impact.

"Mary in Amma in Kimberly" (final version)

"Mary in Amma in Kimberly," 19 1/2" x 25 1/2", pastel on La Carte sanded pastel paper

(click on image for a larger view)

Congratulations Marcia & Harry!

I painted this miniature study, "Tulip Garden at Giverny," which was posted on my miniature blog, The Ruby Slippers, and was purchased by my sister, Peggy, as a wedding gift for my Mom and her new husband Harry.  Last year when my Mom and Peggy travelled to France with me, they gave me a ticket to see Giverny Gardens and to take photos, so this was a great idea come full circle.  Thanks for thinking of it Peggy!

"Tulip Garden at Giverny," 1 1/4" x 3 1/4", egg tempera on Kelmscott vellum

During their honeymoon visit to NYC I had lunch with Mom & Harry at Asiate, on the 35th floor of NYC's Mandarin Oriental Hotel

This is the first photo I have of the happy couple, my Mom & her new husband Harry

L to R:  my sister Peggy and 2 of her 4 sons, David & Daniel, with Harry.  Since my brother is a qualified justice of the peace, he performed the ceremony.