Category Archives: art

He was in the Corner at Epoch

July 7, 2010 – 9:44 am

My friend Lauren Hamilton Levy and I set out for Epoch yesterday, and we got lucky – we found a pretty good table. The guy next to us, in the corner, was hunkered down for a long spell. He was very thin and East Coast in appearance. (We never wear NorthFace apparel in the summer). […]

By Lavanna Martin | Also posted in alla prima, guerrilla artist, guerrilla portraiture, Oil Sketches Live at Coffee Houses, painting people from life, portrait sketch, sketches | Tagged , , , | Comments (5)

He was Working the Crossword at the Spider House

June 16, 2010 – 11:41 am

When he very first arrived during morning rush hour, I thought that he was going to be there for a very short time. I was wrong: he was still there, four hours later. My friend, Lauren, and I moved from our table behind him, and sat where we could see his face. There were so […]

By Lavanna Martin | Also posted in artist, guerrilla artist, portrait sketch, Spider House | Tagged , , | Leave a Comment

I Sketched the Punk Rocker at Spider House

May 18, 2010 – 10:02 am

I’ve been working; some of you may be wondering. I have formed an art club with three artist friends that I worked with at Les Amis almost 30 years ago. At our weekly meetings, we have been going to Spider House, and drawing for 4 to 5 hours. They are not into painting, so I […]

By Lavanna Martin | Also posted in guerrilla portraiture, sketches, Spider House, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments (7)

I Painted Russian Literary Scholar Sidney Monas

April 9, 2010 – 3:30 pm

My friends Tom and Linda have known Sidney for 30 years or so. Linda actually worked for Sidney, at the University of Texas, where they published and edited a Slavic cultural journal. Retirement can cause enough isolation, but Sidney’s hearing loss trapped a man who loves intellectual exchange into a solitary world, by comparison. We […]

By Lavanna Martin | Also posted in alla prima, painting people from life | Tagged , , | Comments (3)

Hipster in Black Shawl Collared Coat at the SpiderHouse

February 27, 2010 – 8:47 am

I went to Spider House to meet my daughter, yesterday. It was sunny, and crisp. The two of us were not able to sit together because it was too bright for my daughter’s laptop. I found the perfect table, right in the sun. Very few people were outside, and I soon found out why: it […]

By Lavanna Martin | Also posted in alla prima, guerrilla artist, guerrilla portraiture, painting people from life, portrait sketch | Tagged , , | Comments (7)

Couple at SpiderHouse Patio by the “Mannekin Pis”

February 1, 2010 – 12:34 pm

I painted this couple, enjoying a warm snap that we had – it was beautiful that day. They were seated at a table right by the “Mannekin Pis” (replica of the famous Belgian “Pissing Boy”). It was such a good composition, I could have painted several different versions, if I had more time.

By Lavanna Martin | Also posted in alla prima, guerrilla portraiture, Oil Sketches Live at Coffee Houses, painting live, painting people from life | Tagged , , , , | Comments (5)

I Painted the Pretty Hipster at SpiderHouse

January 25, 2010 – 9:07 am

We had a beautiful, sunny and warm day here in Austin last week. I went to SpiderHouse with Erin Park-Markert, one of my art students, to meet my daughter. We sat out on the patio, right beside this large group of “hipsters”, as my daughter calls them. They had pulled two tables together to accomodate […]

By Lavanna Martin | Also posted in alla prima, Austin Hippie, guerrilla artist, guerrilla portraiture, Oil Sketches Live at Coffee Houses, painting live, painting people from life, portrait sketch | Tagged , , , | Comments (20)

Conducting Business at Epoch Coffee

January 18, 2010 – 10:11 am

She came in and sat down with a coworker at the storefront table next to me. With her shiny black hair, and the widely woven houndstooth coat were just too good to pass up. I was in the middle of painting her profile, when her phone rang.  It seemed important. There was an interchange of […]

By Lavanna Martin | Also posted in alla prima, figure painting, guerrilla artist, guerrilla portraiture, Oil Sketches Live at Coffee Houses, painting, painting live | Tagged , , , , | Comments (52)

Girl Genius Writes Code at FlightPath Coffee

January 5, 2010 – 7:49 pm

My daughter and I went to FlightPath Coffee during Finals Week before Christmas. This young brainiac came in late with her friend, and snagged one of the best tables. I don’t know if she knew how lucky she was – probably not. These Einstein- types can be totally unaware of the world around them. She […]

By Lavanna Martin | Also posted in alla prima, guerrilla artist, guerrilla portraiture, Oil Sketches Live at Coffee Houses, painting live, portrait sketch, portraiture, sketches | Tagged , , , | Comments (43)

I Painted the Guy in the Panama Hat at Epoch

December 9, 2009 – 12:20 pm

He was reading the paper, and chatting with two girls at Epoch Coffee.  He had his folded hands resting on his forehead for just a few moments – long enough for me to get the gesture. He seemed to be  filled with the youthful optimism that everything will work itself out for the best. But […]

By Lavanna Martin | Also posted in alla prima, artist, figure painting, guerrilla artist, guerrilla portraiture, oil painting, Oil Sketches Live at Coffee Houses, painting, painting live, painting people from life, portrait sketch, portraiture, sketches | Tagged , , , , | Comments (12)