Cover

Cover

16 x 20

Oil on Raymar Panel

Continuing my hat series...This is my brown bowler.  It is one of my favorite hats and one of the first hats I bought.  It is symbolic that the hat is either being put on or taken off.  My hat is the last thing I put on before I go out and usually the first thing I take off.  I wear one primarily to protect my eyes from the sun.  I had cataract surgery many years ago and have done all I can to protect my eyes ever since then.  I have lots of hats and always wear sunglasses when outside. 

I called this one "Cover" as a nod...or tip of the hat...to my military ties.  A hat in the military is called a cover. 

Top Hat

Top Hat

16 x 20

Oil on Raymar Panel

Why, yes, I do have a leather top hat!  My obsession with hats started after cataract surgery.  I had to protect my eyes from the glare of the sun...so I started wearing hats.  I started with baseball caps and moved on to bowlers, fedoras and now the sky is the limit!  I just love this leather top hat.  I found the green tinted glasses at an antique fair.  I am always looking for interesting props to add to my collection.  I love having model dress up for painting sessions and photo shoots.  This painting is the first of a series of self portrait featuring my hats!

Selfie

Selfie

12 x 16

Oil on Raymar Panel

I am in my new studio now and have been working very hard getting it set up the way I want...getting things put in places that give me a smooth work process.  The first thing I painted was a small "Charlie Chaplin" piece.  I also have 4 large Military Spouse paintings in the works at various stages of development.  When I want to take a break and paint something that is no pressure, pure fun, I paint a selfie.  Sometime I use photos, sometimes I paint from life...this was a combination.  I had a picture that I really liked but needed to check my features in a mirror to get more detail. Especially my nose...I do have a bulbous nose!  hahaha!

 I purchased a full length mirror for my studio so I can check out features whenever I want.  It helps with figurative work also. Sometimes a photo reference can be blurry or I just want to change something about a composition so I use the mirror for reference.  

So now that I have finished my "fun" selfie...back to work! 

Maria Bennett Hock - Self portrait

Maria February 2016

11 x 14

Oil on Raymar Panel

When I am between projects I usually paint a self portrait.  I do it because I am the model that is most available to me any time I need one, it is good practice, and it gives me time to think about my next project.  As I am just finishing a large double portrait that has been very time consuming and am getting ready to start another series I decided a self portrait was in order.  So today I set about trying to find my likeness once again.  When I post my self portraits, as I often do on FB (though I don't post all of them ) I am met with specific criticisms.  I am often told I don't look like what I portray.   Of course a good critique is always welcome.  :)  My only response is that I paint what I see...what I feel and what my abilities allow me to paint.  I am doing the best I can.  With that said...here is my latest self portrait.  

Generations

Generations

16 x 20

Oil on Raymar Panel

$1200.00

It all started with a visit to see my cousin Mary Ellen in Maryland.  We get together every so often to have an art day.  It always involves lots of art, laughter and good food!  On this visit I had the presence of mind to load my car with some of my hats from my prop closet and a couple of my kimonos just in case anyone was up for a photo shoot.  My good fortune continued when I realized that Virginia, Alice and Alvah we also going to join us.  After a respectable amount of time at the work table I approached everyone with the option to add a photo shoot to the fun.  They were all game and tried on hats and kimonos and posed for me.  What fun! Alice pulled out her violin and posed and even got some great shots of her Dad playing his guitar!  When I am not fortunate enough to have a live model in the studio...I opt for my fabulous collection of inspirational photos.  

Here we have Virginia and Alice...grandmother and granddaughter.  They were both so much fun trying on hats and kimonos.  I love the relationship between these two.  The love and respect is obvious.  I worked on this off and on for the last couple of months and may work on it some more...but for now I am going to call it done. 

In other news, we are getting ready for our move to North Carolina.  I have been cleaning things out.  I don't believe my studio has EVER been so clean!  I purged the space of my rejected paintings and put things away.  Of course now I can't find anything!  

Maria Bennett Hock - self portrait

Maria - February 2014

9 x 12

Oil on Raymar Panel

My version of the selfie takes a bit longer than the nano-second it takes to click a camera on a phone.  I have been wanting to work from life more and find that I am usually the only one here...so I paint self-portraits.  I have difficulty seeing myself and my canvas without wearing my glasses...so all my self portraits have my glasses slipped down my nose a bit.  

I think it was important for me to do this self portrait because my last one was so angst-filled!  I needed to do an "I'm OK" self portrait.  

Now I can concentrate on getting some paintings done...now that I am all warmed up!  

Working

Working

12 x 9

Oil on Raymar Panel

Still working on the 30 in 30 hosted by Leslie Saeta.  This is a quick sketch of yours truly...hard at work.  I am still fighting the mystery illness that has me under the weather but got up for a bit to get my painting done.  

Painting from life - Rene

Rene

9 x 12

Oil on Raymar Panel

NFS

Today was a fabulous and trying day.  Rene, my dear artist friend, came over to sit for me.  I am working on a special project and wanted to paint from life.  We set up the scene and she sat…and I painted…then wiped…then painted…then wiped…then painted.  This is what I ended up with.  I am getting there, but it will take a while.  I know I am trying to paint to fast and I need to evaluate and measure each stroke, each color, each value…step back…evaluate again and proceed.  It was fabulous because, though trying, I learned so much and am more excited than ever to pursue this project.  I just hope Rene will hang in there with me.  She is a fabulous person with so many wonderful stories.  I thoroughly enjoyed her visit.  weather permitting she will be back on Friday morning!

The Enforcer

"The Enforcer"

6 x 6

Oil on Raymar panel

My husband calls me "The Enforcer" I don't really know why ;).

A self-portrait seemed to be the perfect solution for an upcoming project.  It allowed me to work on a portrait...which is my first love...and play with sunglasses which turned out to be lot of fun.