Male Oil Figure Sketch

"Standing Man, Head in Hand" (24"X18, Oil on Canvas, $700)

I did this painting a few years ago by starting it in a figure painting class and then finishing it at home. I like the combination of tightness and looseness in the result and look forward to doing more of the same. This painting has some nice passages in it, but I'd like to have been able to spend more time on it in class, with the model.

That's one of the main drawbacks of Adult Education classes: they don't have long enough sessions to really accomplish anything. That's why I always try to get more done on a pose after taking it home after 2 1/2 to 3 hours, which is nothing. If you've ever painted, you know that time passes really quickly when you're doing art. I think that's the way that you can tell that you're meditating and focusing your mind; when you lose track of time.

The arch on the left and the dim window behind the model seem to be thematic to the pale green 'halo' around his head, and were created at home. Maybe he's a Greek God hanging around the old firmament and contemplating his next Godly move. He has a bit of a Jack Benny vibe about him, like he's saying, hand on hip, "Well, I never".