Juan de Parja
Oil
20 x 16"
Done after a copy of Velasquez's famous portrait. He went to Rome, and was greeted as an ambassador. He said he was an artist, so he painted this portrait of his servant (who was a talented painter himself).
Still Life
Oil
28 x 22"
Painting after Kalf. I turned a lot of highlights into faces on the pitcher. The Dutch were great at these dramatic still lifes.
Ivan Shiskin
Oil
40 x 30"
This is done from a painting by Ivan Kramskoy, which I saw in a Russian art exhibit at San Francisco's Legion of Honor. It was so impressive, I decided I had to do a copy. My friend George (see his picture in the red shirt) wore his Indian clothes and entertained the audience while I matched pastel swatches in my sketchbook. Then I came home and painted the picture. Shiskin was a noted landscape painter, and Kramskoy was equally well known as a portraitist. His name is written in Russian at the picture's bottom.
Ivan Shiskin-detail
Oil
This shows the head better. The original had brown eyes, but so did everyone I was painting at the time, so I made them blue.
The Prophet Jeremiah
Oil
36 x 30"
Done after Rembrandt. The original has the right arm and foot behind him. (see the next picture) I felt he looked like a civil War veteran, so I drew my aunt's hand and added the arm and leg. This looks more natural. There is glare above the head in this photo, which gives a bluish cast to the area that is not in the original.
The Prophet Jeremiah
book illustration
This is similar to the picture I worked from. Jeremiah was a flashy dresser- look at the fur trimmed robe, embroidered shirt, plus the Oriental rug and the ornate still life next to him. The pose looks uncomfortable, and I don't think any old may would sit like that. Therefore, I made my changes.
