Tag Archives: oil painting

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 | Posted in alla prima, art, painting people from life | Also tagged , | Comments (3)

I Painted Hannah Today

October 26, 2009 – 8:59 pm

This is a studio painting that I just did from a photograph of Hannah.  She really did not want her mom to take her picture. Both her mom and I just loved the photo; we can all identify with the raw and stubborn posture. I just love the transparency of emotion that are portrayed here. […]

By Lavanna Martin | Posted in alla prima, art, children's portrait, children's portraiture, how to paint in oils, oil painting, parenting | Also tagged , , , | Comments (11)

90 Minute Painting:Karla Pfennig

September 14, 2009 – 12:23 pm

My good friend Karla came over this weekend. I decided to paint her while she watched one of her favorite movies, “Hopscotch”.  It was the perfect opportunity to add to my new series of paintings: Now I am asking people to pose “live” at my studio, and trying to get a likeness in 90 minutes […]

By Lavanna Martin | Posted in alla prima, art, figure painting, painting live, painting people from life, portrait sketch | Also tagged , , , | Comments (6)

I Painted Her at Royal Ground Coffee in San Raphael, Ca.

August 7, 2009 – 10:52 am

This is one of the only 2 paintings that I was able to do while I was on vacation out in Marin County recently. My sister-in-law dropped me off at this coffee house in San Raphael. I was really nervous, since it was my first attempt outside of Austin. I just loved her pink ruffly […]

By Lavanna Martin | Posted in alla prima, art, guerrilla artist, guerrilla portraiture, oil painting, Oil Sketches Live at Coffee Houses, painting, painting people from life, portrait sketch, portraiture, sketches | Also tagged , , | Comments (2)

I Painted Katelyn at the Barking Dog

August 5, 2009 – 9:01 am

I just got back from delivering some paintings down to AMSET, the Art Museum of Southeast Texas. It’s located in Beaumont. I had never been to AMSET before – it is a very nice museum. Sarah Hamilton, the curator, was very nice and friendly. She even helped me carry the paintings into the museum. Inside, […]

By Lavanna Martin | Posted in alla prima, art, guerrilla artist, guerrilla portraiture, oil painting, Oil Sketches Live at Coffee Houses, painting people from life | Also tagged , , , | Comments (3)

I Painted Her at Epoch Coffee

May 4, 2009 – 6:53 am
By Lavanna Martin | Posted in alla prima, art, artist, figure painting, guerrilla artist, guerrilla portraiture, portrait sketch | Also tagged , , | Comments (3)

A Second Smattering on Painting Technique

March 21, 2009 – 12:03 pm

The Beginning I was painting at Halcyon Coffee here in Austin on Monday.  The barristra was very interested, and asked me if I did an underpainting.  This made me stop and think about the actual process of the oil sketch.  I said, “well, no, not really”. I fumbled around for an explanation since I am […]

By Lavanna Martin | Posted in alla prima, art, drawing, figure painting, how to paint in oils, painting, painting people from life, painting technique, portrait sketch, underpainting | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (3)

I Painted the Barista at Pacha’s Coffee

December 30, 2008 – 9:58 am

I painted the barista  at Pacha’s Coffee.  I have never painted here before, although Pacha’s is in walking distance from my home.  He had on thermal longjohns with an elaborate silk-screened skeleton that he had printed on himself.  It was the same skeletal image in black, green, and red – so he had to run […]

By Lavanna Martin | Posted in alla prima, art, artist, artists, figure painting, oil painting, Oil Sketches Live at Coffee Houses, painting, painting live, painting people from life, portrait sketch | Also tagged , , , , , | Comments (6)

I Painted this German Professor at Quack’s

December 9, 2008 – 2:35 pm

I painted him at Quack’s.  I really don’t know if he is a German Professor, but he looked like one, and he was going over papers at Quack’s.  He sneezed, and a girl student sitting at a table facing him said, “Gesundheit!”  He looked up with a big, kindly smile.  So, who knows?  He might […]

By Lavanna Martin | Posted in alla prima, art, artist, oil painting, Oil Sketches Live at Coffee Houses, painting, painting live, painting people from life, portraiture | Also tagged , , , , , | Comments (7)

I Painted Mark McDermott at Epoch Coffee

November 26, 2008 – 11:30 am

OK, I cheated a little bit.  I asked if I could paint him.  I painted him at Epoch at night, causing all sorts of value/color and lighting problems.   I have only asked to paint someone once before, and I sucked so badly that I promised that I wouldn’t do it again.  But, this face, […]

By Lavanna Martin | Posted in alla prima, art, oil painting, painting, painting people from life, portrait sketch, portraiture | Also tagged , , , , | Comments (7)