Monday, April 17, 2006

Hat Girl and Friends.


Here is a little group of little 6x8 oil recent figures from Ben and Jen's Los Fleliz Class. I think I like the first best, all I know is I need to do more. Figure still eludes me, but Jen's and Jove's influence has me using more color. The J& J influence... my new catch phrase. I wanted to put up one of my latest big train Train paintings, but they are still at artworks being photographed so these will have to do in my fed the Blog.

20 Comments:

Blogger Jesse said...

Hey, it's people!

Always nice to see something a bit different. That top one reminds me of something, but I can't quite put my finger on it...

Snazzy stuff.

9:06 PM  
Blogger Tracy Helgeson said...

I like the first one the best also, that bit of yellow is just perfect, but the others have a nice quality too. The top one reminds me a bit of Malcom Liepke's work (but less polished, in a good way), do you know of him? Anyway, these are a good inspiration for me to get going with painting the figure.

8:44 AM  
Blogger Urban Barbarian said...

Hat Girl is one of your better portraits! Has a real nice feel to it! Great old world appeal. Great job, Bill!

11:05 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Very nice ! I like the first painting best, not sure why.

11:16 AM  
Blogger william wray said...

Hey Jesse,

Maybe you have seen a similar portrait. It has to have been done just like this at by someone.

11:17 AM  
Blogger william wray said...

Hey Tracy,

Funny you should mention Malcolm, I just got his big fancy book in the mail for Arcadia Gallery. There is one specific thing I did in the painting that is from his influence. After seeing some of his art at the Fada show months ago I realized he could help solve one of my problems areas: getting the nose to stand out on a face. I'm convinced he makes his noses way darker than the models local color to be sure it stands out ... I tried it and it works!
I really like his most off beat work the best, he does have the tendency to have formula bar subjects and a formula paintings approach, but it's a good formula! I like his stuff the best when it's an unusual angle and an odd pushed color and he forgets to use his typical highlight tricks. I really admire how he stuck to the figure in the eighties when everyone else was doing conceptual and graffiti art.

11:31 AM  
Blogger william wray said...

Thanks Dan, I live in an old world.

11:33 AM  
Blogger william wray said...

Hey Sheri,

I think you might like what I like. It has a more uniform harmony overall that the other paintings lack, they are a bit broken up. It's what Jove Wang calls "Wholeness."

11:36 AM  
Blogger Tracy Helgeson said...

Oh I love Liepke's work! I have that book too and you are totally right about the nose. I hadn't considered that that's why his noses are dark. I thought the lips on your piece reminded me of his. When I was studying illustration in the 80's he was one of our gods. I can't afford his work now, but almost bought a piece a few years ago when he was a bit less expensive, I kick myself daily for passing on it. I love his palette too.

11:52 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

mmmmmmmmm! Very nice feel to these, and the light is very subtle. Lovely.

4:10 PM  
Blogger william wray said...

Hey Tracy,

Yeah I wish I'd tried and do fine art then. I was well placed to do it with a loft in Soho and fresh out of The Art student's League, but I didn't think you could do the kind of work ML did in the art climate of the day.

12:33 AM  
Blogger william wray said...

thanks Lesley,

Veeeeeeeeerrry nice of you. ;-)

12:34 AM  
Blogger Miles Thompson said...

it doesn't seem teh figure is iluding you to me William - these look great!

8:22 AM  
Blogger tonypetersart said...

Hey Bill,

The bottom two are nice, even better than what you were doing in Donald's workshop:-)

I'm really seeing a positive influence on you from working with Wang, especially on that top painting. A real evolution for you.

11:10 AM  
Blogger william wray said...

Don't know what you said Miles, but thatks.;-)

11:41 AM  
Blogger william wray said...

Thanks Tony,

I think his drawing class was a turning point. I'd like to take another or Steve Hustons...

Painting with J- Mac helps to.

11:44 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Watching with interest. Always a pleasure.

4:38 PM  
Blogger belindadelpesco.com said...

All of them are lovely. Do more, do more! Something about the tiny format has so much charm. Excellent colors, textures and ambiance.
Belinda

7:27 AM  
Blogger william wray said...

Thanks Robin,

Hope to see you soon.

10:13 PM  
Blogger william wray said...

Belinda, Yeah now I'm afraid to go bigger.

12:09 AM  

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