figurative impressionist ballerina . . .

This is 9x12 oil on watercolor paper.

stretching . . .

ballerina tying her shoe . . .

Yesterday I pondered the question 'why do I like to draw and paint the ballet.'  I got nothin'.  So, I asked my husband what he thought and he said 'because of all of the books you read about Paul Degas'.
(Paul Degas? Get it?)

Shoe!

Red Ballerina Flat

6x8 oil on canvas panel
$50.00
plus $5.00  for carefully putting it in a package
and driving all the way over to the post office

Maybe you would like to know if I draw or paint anything other than ballerinas!

#21 Ballerina Tying Her Shoe

enough said?

#21 Ballerina Sketch

The title of this drawing is 'ballerina tying her shoe - enough said?'

#20 ballerina sketch

In this sketch I was going for a 'fashionable' look.

ballerina with red tutu #1

I am enjoying my journey towards becoming a better figurative painter.  This is a little oil painting I just completed entitled 'ballerina with red tutu about to take the stage #1'. 

'great shoes to fill #2', 8x10 charcoal, myra anderson, $20.00

This is the second sketch of my series entitled 'great shoes to fill' along with another series I am working on entitled 'ballerina flats'.

'Great Shoes To Fill #2' is 8x10 charcoal on paper.  It is $20.00 plus $5.00 shipping and handling.  It would look so good framed and hanging on the wall.  If you are interested please email me.

I am working on several small oil paintings of 'ballerina flats'.

I will be posting them soon!

#19 'great shoes to fill'

I was thinking about doing a series of paintings entitled 'great shoes to fill'. 

plus degas #2

 I only had time for one practice sketch today so I did a small part of this wonderful Degas pastel.  Next time I will practice drawing a whole Degas!

plus beautiful tutus

To restate my goal - it is to master figurative art - especially the art of the ballet.  One quality I would like to bring to my artwork is the feminine quality of the figure - as you see here.  I would also like to paint beautiful tutus.  I saw this painting on the web - but this particular site was about buying reproductions of great ballet paintings and therefore it did not give the name of the original artist.  If anyone knows - please let me know!

#18 battement degage

Here is one of my more serious sketches as the title suggests.  It's a full body sketch with a certain level of realism.

#17 fun sketch

It practically rained all day today.  I spent a very big day in my studio.  I worked on several small paintings - which I will post soon - and I completed several charcoal sketches.  At the end of the day I thought I would post this fun sketch first.

plus kronberg #1

As I pondered the direction I would like to take with my figurative art I came across this image by Louis Kronberg.  My first thought when I saw this pastel painting was BEAUTIFUL! Kronberg was referred to as 'the american degas'.  Ummm! Very interesting!

#16 en pointe!

These are actually the second pair of shoes I have ever drawn.  If you are going to be an artist of the ballet you should know how to draw and paint the shoes right?  At first I was nervous about attempting even this little drawing but afterward I felt as if I had done a pretty good job.  Can't wait to try another pair.

#15 serene

You will notice that there are a few more details in the face of this ballerina than in the last drawing.

ballerina sketch

This is a painting I did on the road to painting  faces.  I like the almost monochromatic qualities of this painting.  I could have added more details to the face but fear made me stop here - because I can always try again.

Series

There is a hint of a face on this painting.  I'm posting it to remind me of one of my series -  'Workin' On My Degas'.

FACE!

Of course I need a better photo! But! I couldn't wait to give you a preview!

#14 to my surprise a face arrives!

My hat is off to you most excellent face painters!  Here is a very light sketch of my many attempts to draw a face.  Just a beginning . . .

the painted sketch

Here is the fun sketch I painted using some of the colors from the Degas painting below.  And oh look! A little face!

plus degas #1

I am several paintings into my desired goal - to eventually paint faces - and I will begin to post them this week. This is part of a beautiful Degas painting.  We know that Degas painted beautiful faces.  He could also bring drama to the ballerina's face in his sketches and paintings with just a few simple strokes or a minimum of detail.  Tomorrow I will post a fun painting I did - just borrowing the colors Degas used in this painting.

JanettMarie - colorful and expressive #1 . . .

There is nothing more beautiful and expressive than the apple paintings of JanettMarie. (Unless of course it's her pear paintings or all of her other paintings!)

It's this excitement of color and brushwork that I would love to bring to my figurative work and paintings of the ballet.

http://janettmarie.blogspot.com/

two sisters

As you know I have been working hard to draw faces.  But, sometimes you have to have fun - in all seriousness-sis!

who loves the ballet too . . .

Serguei Zlenko

One of my goals is to be able to draw faces.  My second goal is to be able to paint a ballet scene like this one - a painting that shows the beauty, the passion of the ballet.  Remember the question.  'Can I  develop the skill to accomplish something that at this point I can not do?'  So how are those faces coming along?

#13 Smudgie

Let's face it.  When they were passing out the ability to draw faces - I was in the 'don't hardly eat anything but still get fat' line.  The smudging on this face, however is perfect.  I don't recall any Degas' with perfect smudging.  I didn't say there weren't any - I just said 'I don't recall . . .'

#12 ballerina puzzle

I like the pose of this ballerina.   My question is 'how can I take my drawings to the next level?'  

#11 ballerina 'barre'

No holds 'barred'.  It is difficult (but fun) when you are trying to develop a skill set that you do not have.  Here is a further attempt at faces.  Side pose.  One day I'm sure that I will 'see' you!

#10 on yellow

A little more realism - I think - in this thumbnail sketch. 

Danny McCaw

There is such beauty to this exquisite painting of a ballerina by Danny McCaw.  It has such beautiful abstract qualities within its realism.  By not painting every detail this painting evokes a thousand words. (See, I can be deep sometimes!)

#10 purple baby steps . . .

Of course I would love to progress beyond the single figure and draw or paint a complete ballet scene.  These are two baby steps.

#8 lavender dreams

I think of this as a transitional drawing.  A drawing I drew right before I got better at drawing.  We will see.

#7 a story told well . . .

This is a continuation of the previous post.  As we know - every little detail does not have to be filled in - in order for a story to be told well.  Take for example this charcoal drawing. No face - and yet you believe that she will enjoy a delicious apple! Don't you?

#6 show some emotion . . .

This drawing represents my effort to do two things - 1.  show a little more realism and  2. draw faces.  Faces are not necessary for art to be beautiful and complete.  I just wondered if I could do something that at this point I don't know how to do.

#5 Little Ballerina On Pink

I would like to mark this drawing as the time I put forth effort to draw better - just because JanettMarie said that she liked my drawings.  What a motivator that one is!

#4 let's 'face' it . . .

Ballerina On Blue

In this sketch I wanted to see if 'less was more'.  I thought it would add interest to the drawing to leave the face undone.  I was wrong.

sketch #3

Ballerina Degas

myra anderson

This is an oil sketch I did on 12x12 canvas panel.  I was toying with the idea of leaving the ballerina as a sketch and painting color all around.

who loves the ballet too . . .

I love the artwork of Vasily Bratanyuk.