Figure Sketches - Faces

I enjoy playing around with figures in my sketchbook. Here are a few recent ones. The smiling face above was very difficult, but it came out well.

Garden of the Gods painting Finished

I am very happy with many parts of this painting. The mid-ground with the sage green hills and the red rocks came out very well. The contrast in values and colors are both working to make the red rocks stand out. I added a lot of flowers to the foreground than were in the photo. It is a very active painting full of motion

Garden of the Gods Painting

Here is the painting with the reference photo and my glasses for a size comparison. 

 Step 1: I begin to put big areas of underlying color in the foreground and midground.

 Step 2: The second layer of more detail is added to the garden bed of plants and the rock formations.

Step 3: Another layer of color and details to the spruce tree and midground trees and bushes.

Step 4: The mountain range is masked and the sky put in. The sky is three layers of color.

Step 5: The sky is toned down some, more clouds added. Hard edges in the sky were removed. The mountain range is begun with two layers of green. 

Old Spruce Series: Drawing number 6

This is a graphite drawing 18 x 24 on paper. These drawings are about texture. This tree has an unusual spiral texture in the truck which was fascinating and fun the draw. 

Vicarious Exhibition Photos

The Vicarious Exhibition opening reception was very well attended! My Weight drawings were displayed in the center of the gallery, hung Japaneses scroll style with magnets. After my talk people gravitated to the center drawing saying it was positive and uplifting. 

I am Woman Exhibition of the Female Figure

2018 Christmas Letter

Dear Family & Friends

2018 was an action packed year for the Bosbyshells. Here is an update.

Maura is a data scientist at Cardinal Innovations Healthcare which manages behavior health for Medicaid in central North Carolina. Wil joined Communities In Schools in the fundraising department. This organization adds counselors and support staff to Charlotte public schools augmenting the city’s resources. Both jobs are a big change from arts education.

Allen graduated from Georgia State University with a degree in public policy. While there he interned with US Congressman John Lewis. Allen now lives and works in Atlanta for a consulting firm that helps cities with public housing projects. For a graduation present, Allen and Wil snorkeled with the whale sharks, manta rays and sea turtles at the Georgia Aquarium. Swimming with a whale shark is like swimming next to a bus.

Wil and Maura are still heavily involved with the arts. Maura is focusing her efforts on fiber art and printing. Wil has an exhibition of drawings & paintings going on now that features veteran artists and themes at the Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art. After 20 years in Charlotte’s SouthEnd Arts district, Wil’s studio moved to the NODA Arts District.

Allen and Wil both broke bones and recovered: Wil two bones in his foot and Allen his shin bone. Allen has a fancy titanium rod in his leg as a memento. If Disney needs a replacement actor for Wolverine, Allen is available.

Our sad news is that Helen Kelly, Maura’s mother, passed away this September at 92. Maura and her siblings visited her in Louisville over Labor Day just before she died. Helen was very active until recently; still driving a car with manual steering and transmission.

Maura has a new cat named Athena, following her last cat Apollo. Athena is a tortoise shell cat with lots of attitude or tortitude. She is an outside cat who comes when Wil’s whistles.

Merry Christmas   &   Happy New Year

The Bosbyshells              
Wil, Maura & Allen