"Awaiting her Turn,"
36" x 18," Oil on Linen

 The photographs of the three portraits of these four year olds were all done within a few seconds of each other. Previous to that day and for a couple of years, after I have been photographing regularly at the ballet school, but no images emerged that cried out with a strong voice that they needed to be painted.

"Birds of Stinson Beach," 36" x 24," Oil on Linen

One of my colleagues at work has posed for a few photographic projects which naturally led me to consider a painting as well. At that time a figure at the beach represented a departure from the usual head and shoulders studio portrait approach. We chose the Stinson beach because it seems calmer than many of the others in the vicinity.  As the light was fading I ran back to the car for a reflector and upon my return found my colleague absorbed in enjoying the atmosphere of the late afternoon on the beach. It was her own relaxed pose that was chosen for the painting. At that moment I was concentrating so much on my colleague that I did not realize until I saw the images on my screen later in the evening that local birds were wading in the background.

"Christina," 36" x 30," Oil on Linen

Christina and I were in the same post graduate physical therapy course when one of the instructors who was writing a  book on exercises asked her to pose for some illustrations and asked me to do the photography. We had a few sessions and developed a rapport. Later she agreed to pose for the painting as a mandolin player.
When the painting was completed I sent two identical photographs to two art instructors - both in their eighties and both were still teaching and painting and both had the same training as painters of classical realism. Both were also commercially successful. Both had generally positive comments about the painting,  but they differed only in one area. One felt that the hands were the worst part of the painting and the other felt that the hands were  the best part of the painting.

"On the Coast," 24" x 18," Oil on Linen on Panel

Bodega Bay, CA is frequently blustery and having a model maintain a certain deportment or decorum is nearly impossible. So the model, who is one of my current co-workers, posed indoors on the coffee table and was illuminated by a studio flash system. The painterly style with bold and deliberate brushwork
seems to enhance the liveliness of the image.

"First Day in Class," 36" x 18," Oil on Linen

Four year olds are reportedly as young as ballet schools allow. They don't start ballet until later - seven or eight years of age. So for the four year olds the class is called Movement Exploration. Standing in a straight line relative to one's peers is a big challenge. Learning to follow simple directions and getting along with others goes a long way in life.

"Lisa at Twelve," 34" x 22," Oil on Linen

 Lisa is the daughter of my immediate supervisor. She plays the violin beautifully. She posed for a photograph under the skylights in what was at that time  a brand new medical office building in Rancho Cordova, CA.  Natural background was added from another  source. Such approach was not at all unusual for painters over the years to complete a painting from a variety of sources.

"In Shirley's Garden," 40" x 30," Oil on Linen

Shirley was one of my all-time favorite clients. Even as she was battling cancer, she was concerned about the people around her, and their needs. The young lady in the painting is one of her granddaughters whom she asked to pose for me in a 19th Century dress that was passed down through the generations. In addition, Shirley worked hard to help me organize an art exhibit in West Marin. She did all of this of her own volition. With a portable oxygen tank over her shoulder, Shirley arrived at my place to to visit with my mother and to keep her company for a while. Unfortunately, she did not live long enough to see the finished painting. She knew that she would soon "pass into the spirit world" - in her own words.

Shirley was the most compassionate and enlightened person I have ever met. While not a "churching" type she pulled together spiritual traditions from different cultures, including those from Asia and from Native Americans. She was too busy performing good deeds and did not preach, although she counseled her children and grandchildren to give them a solid foundation in life.  Even though she lost the fight with cancer she won many hearts and souls who will remember her for a long time to come.

"The Waltz," 40" x 30," Oil on Linen

They were poised to take off as soon as they received the signal from the teacher. High level of concentration and emphasis on team work. Yet with all the reminders about togetherness, there is some evidence that each was in some way in her own little world. What great lessons to be learned about an individual's place in society and all the while listening to beautiful piano scores and having fun with friends. I just feel lucky to be present and to see the drama unfold.

"What's Next?" 36" x 18," Oil on Linen

 This little girl had a dozens of interesting poses - all very cute and all of her own. The biggest challenge was choosing the most interesting one. I don't pose dancers of any age. I go with the curriculum of the instructor or the natural stance of the dancers.  I kneel behind the  camera on a tripod, try to blend into the background and click away only when the music plays and the dancers are "in character" - totally self absorbed and seemingly unaware of being photographed.