656 Garbo Dreams

Garbo Dreams

oil on canvas

6x6"

$100

     In my love of painting faces, I come back again and again to Garbo. Did you ever notice she has a little cleft chin? Is that an imperfection or does it make her more perfect?

 

660 Marlene in a White Hat

Marlene in a White Hat

oil on canvas

6x6"

$100

     It is funny how difficult it is to paint a face at a slight angle. Your eyes and brain just naturally want to straighten everything up, so I think Marlene might not be lined up as perfectly as she should be.

     Too bad I had to paint her hollow cheeks so dark,  but she just was not herself until I did.

     She was so amazing in the old movie, Judgment at Nuremberg.

 

601 Carmen M

 Carmen M

oil on canvas

6x6"

$100

     Painting teeth in a portrait is not recommended. But how can I paint Carmen without her big smile?

     I never saw her in her old movies when she was not smiling, sparkling, and having so much fun.

600 Brooks

 Brooks

oil on canvas

6x6"

$100

     This time I painted Louise with a slightly different limited palette: chromatic black, cad red light, yellow ochre, and white, of course. I am stunned by the beautiful colors that come from just those four paints. I worked from a black and white photograph and just used the values that the colors gave me.

       

599 Veronica

 Veronica

oil on canvas

6x6

$100

     Veronica Lake, of the Peek-a-Boo hairdo, always seemed so sweet and delicate. She was actually blonder than my painting shows. I wonder if it was natural.

573 Greta in Blue Cap

Greta in Blue Cap

oil on canvas board, cradled

6x6"

$100

     I measured her face to see how she stacked up to the Golden Ratio. Point for point perfection. I love her in Ninotchka, when she says, "Must you flirt? Suppress it."

566 Marlene D

Marlene D

oil on canvas

6x6"

$100

     I like Marlene very much, but she is just a little scary. Those eyes seem to say to me that she means business.

     She is most often seen in her movies as a blonde but this image suggests quite dark hair. It looks good.

     My favorite of her movies is Witness for the Prosecution.

563 Loretta

Loretta

oil on canvas

6x6

$100

     Same old problem, they are more beautiful than I can make them. I am doing better these days with the likeness though.

558 Louise B

Louise B

oil on canvas

6x6"

$100

     Louise Brooks--I have painted her several times. I enjoy her "garconne" look, but I do not worry too much about likeness since her haircut identifies her so quickly. But this time I really did try to get a good likeness because I met the president of the Louise Brooks Society, and if anyone would notice if I got it right or not, he would.

550 Marlene

Marlene

oil on canvas

6x6"

$100

     Marlene embodies that look I love from the 30's and 40's. In this image she is so proud and defiant looking. I almost got it, but not quite.

545 Eleanor

Eleanor

oil on cradled canvas board

6x6"

$100

     Eleanor Powell was a fabulous dancer. She had such a sweet, wholesome look that made me like her, but she was not much of an actress, which probably explains why she was rarely a leading lady. She was still a bundle of talent. I love the one where she dances with the dog.

543 Zhou Xuan

Zhou Xuan

oil on cradled canvas board

6x6"

$100

     Zhou Xuan is a Chinese actress and singer, very popular from the 30's. She is so pretty and delicate. You Tube has a recording of her singing. Hearing it made her come so alive for me.

538 Leila

Leila

oil on canvas

6x6"

$100

     I have just recently discovered Leila Hyams from the early talkies. IMDb gives her a glowing write up. I think she is adorable and look forward to trying her again a few more times.

     It is funny how when you are painting, you begin to concentrate on one thing or another and forget about concentrating on so many other things. I would have thought it would all be second nature by now, but for me, not so.

Rochelle

Oil on Canvas

7x5"

$100

     I try to do the faces fast. When I struggle with some part, I will, without fail, overwork it. I am learning to wash it down right away and start over. Saves time. I want it to be the briefest expression of the lovely face. And if I do enough faces, I will learn so much about how a face is made. 

     I learned the indentation above the lip is called the philtrum. I love knowing that.

Louise in a Hat

Oil on Canvas

6x6"

$100

     Louise Brooks, from the 20's and 30's, I think. Those crazy little eyebrows. I think she is cute. I must try to see one of her movies.

La Brunette

Oil on Canvas

7x5"

$100

     I have painted her before and she did not look any more like her then than she does this time. She is perfectly perfect. You would think all I needed to do was line everything up and there would be her likeness. I must have made some mistakes in lining everything up. She is still a pretty face and I like that.

Ruan Lingyu

Ruan Lingyu

Oil on Canvas

6x6"

$100

     Ruan Lingyu was a Chinese silent film actress who died young. Her sweet gentle expression charmed me and made me want to paint her.

Ginger

Oil on Canvas

6x6"

$100

     I love working with the limited palette. It gives me much more interesting shadows in the little faces. This is ultramarine blue, alizarin, and yellow ochre, and white.

V Lake

V Lake

Oil on Canvas

6 x 6"

$100

     I needed a blonde to add to my collection. I chose Veronica with both eyes showing. I thought she was cute in Sullivan's Travels.

Jenny

Jennifer

Oil on Canvas

6 x 6"

$100

     The more I look, the more I want to add this, nudge that, adjust here and there. Finally, I say there is no way to be finished. It is time to stop. 

     This is Jennifer Jones quite young. I think I will try her again sometime in her later years.