My Portrait Project 2

Here's another batch of portraits in my portrait project. As I mentioned in a previous post, I am making my way through an old set of World Book Encyclopedias as a way of sharpening my portraiture skills. See my previous post here. I have also been taking some of these sketchbook drawings to finish in color. I am using bright color and textures to give these sometimes creaky characters a new, more contemporary life. Many notables here. Too bad they are often lost to history. See more of my finished portraits in color on my site.

Joseph Conrad
British Novelist

Claud DebusseyFrench Composer

Thomas E. DeweyJust missed being President

Lee DeForrest
American Inventor - pioneered wireless telegraphy and radio broadcasting

Richard Harding Davis
American Adventurer, War Correspondent and Writer

Nov - Dec '16 Paintings

Here's the latest batch from the big wall in my studio. For more information, please visit my site:

www.halmayforth.com

La Luce - acrylic on canvas - 30"H x 47"W - more info

Flora - acrylic on canvas  23"H x 31"W - more info

 

How D'oeuvre - acrylic on canvas - 23"H x 32"W - more info

A New Painting Studio

Our move is complete and I am just now getting back into the routine of work. It took a while, but my new painting wall has been built and I have spent the last month painting and figuring out where things should go. Some glitches to be worked out for sure, but time will figure all this out. Here's what transpired in my new studio this month. For more information and pricing, please visit my site: www.halmayforth.com

My new painting studio

Volcano - acrylic on canvas - 44"H x 31"W

Entracte - acrylic on canvas - 30"H x 47"W
Entracte means the interval between two acts of a play or opera. I named this Entracte because this painting spanned two studios. I started it in my studio in Vermont and finished it upon moving to my new home and studio in Chelmsford, MA.

Willy Nilly - acrylic on canvas - 30"H x 42.5"W
A loose, colorful composition of abstract signs and symbols. While painting this, I was determined not to get hung up in the minutia and express myself freely. I thought the result had a certain Willy Nilly quality.

Willy Nilly Studio Shot

My Portrait Project

A couple of summers ago during an assignment drought, my rep, Sam Scali, suggested that I sharpen my portraiture skill as a way of firing off in a new direction. I was up for the challenge. I have had a wonderful career, basically on the back of a cartoon character that I had developed over the course of many volumes of sketchbooks. I had that character DOWN, and I often questioned my ability to draw with any facility in any other way. In the mid 60's, my parents had the foresight to buy the "Mayforth kids" a set of World Book Encyclopedias, and they are one of my prized possessions. Whenever I need inspiration, there is something in those books that will jumpstart an idea. So for this portraiture project, I turned to the World Books, starting with the A volume and drawing all the biographical portraits. My idea is to work through the entire set and doing so will hopefully sharpen my portraiture skill as well as connect me with many often forgotten historical figures. Below are some of those sketches, and within, you will find astronauts, poets, politicians, philosophers, cosmonauts, writers, hell raisers and an assassin. Please visit my site to see a gallery of this portraiture work in color.

Louis-Marie Autissier - French born Belgian miniaturist

Maybelle Carter

Wallis Simpson

Phillip Johnson

A.P. Carter

Painting Wit's End

Wit's End - acrylic on canvas - 31"H x 38"W - more info

You may recall that in my last blog entry I was in the middle of moving from my old studio, into a new space. That move is complete and I am just getting down to working in the new space in earnest. Before I left my old space, I invited my buddy, videographer Jim Eaton to record the last painting painted in my old studio. Clients and collectors have been after me to create a video about my process and the stars aligned that Jim was available and I could take the time down the homestretch of a very busy move. Immediately after shooting this video, I packed up my paints, brushes and painting table and my studio of 23 years was empty for the new owners of our house. Onward and upward!

In Flux

This weekend I will move my studio of 23 years into a new transitional space. The kids have flown the coop and it is time to downsize. My wife and I will be moving into a rental house, while we look for a suitable place to purchase. I've had a wonderful run in this studio. It will be tough to say goodbye, but change is good and I look forward to the next phase. A big adventure! I have continued to work between packing and lugging boxes. Here's the last batch from the big wall in my studio. All of my paintings are available as prints. Please contact me.

Red House - acrylic on canvas - 19"W x 52"W - more info 

Concord - acrylic on canvas - 27"W x 43"W - more info

Note to Self - acrylic on canvas - 17"H x 31"W - more info

Featured in the recently released 2016 Blink Artist Resource Book. Page 158. Check it out.
See my page on the Blink site here.

Abstract Paintings - March/2016

Spring at Last

Having said this, we'll probably get a good dump of snow. But that's OK. The sun is getting higher and people (and animals) seem to have a little more spring in their step. It's been a good month in the studio and my new paintings seem to reflect the optimism of impending nice weather. Here is what transpired on the big wall of my studio this past month.

Sunrise - acrylic on canvas - 33"H x 49"W more info

Mudlark - acrylic on canvas - 19"H x 44"W more info

Gavotte - acrylic on canvas - 26"H x 43"W more info

Rope Ladder to the Moon - acrylic on canvas - 25"H x 30"W more info