The Daily Portrait Project of Julia Kay

Trying to Call Home While Being Sucked Into the Vortex 2 2010.02.06

2010-02-07T01:51:00.001-08:00

Trying to Call Home While Being Sucked Into the Vortex 2 2010.02.06, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Inspire App on my iThing.
40-60 minutes.
Directly from a photo.

Waiting for the Train 2010.02.05

2010-02-06T03:02:00.001-08:00

Waiting for the Train 2010.02.05, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Brushes App on my iThing
~45 minutes
Freehand from a photo.

19th street BART (commuter rail) in Oakland, CA, USA.

But why aren't I painting while I wait?

Headless in San Jose 2010.02.04

2010-02-05T01:48:00.001-08:00

Headless in San Jose 2010.02.04, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Brushes App on my iThing.
60 minutes.
Freehand from a photo.

I'm constantly taking pictures of myself, my shadow, & my reflection as possible bases for drawings. I took this one about a month ago when I was on my art daycation in San Jose, California, about an hour from where I live. I was inspired to draw from it tonight from having recently remembered an older headless self-portrait.

Pinhead: 2010.02.03

2010-02-04T00:56:00.001-08:00

Pinhead: 2010.02.03, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Inspire App on my iThing.
Directly from a photo.
I tried this a couple time and over a couple sessions, but still, probably not more than 30 - 45 minutes.

Another split-shadow piece, but on the iThing and in color, instead of black and white in ink.

My Neon Inca Eye: 2010.02.02

2010-02-03T02:37:00.001-08:00

My Neon Inca Eye 2010.02.02, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

nspire App on my iThing.
10 minutes.
From imagination.

I have no particular explanation for this one! :)

Self-Portrait as Gillian Ayres' Maritsa 2010.02.01

2010-02-02T01:13:00.001-08:00

Week 49 Gillian Ayres: Self-Portrait as Gillian Ayres' Maritsa 2010.02.01, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Today...
Inspire App on my iThing,
Freehand from a photo of Gillian Ayres' painting 'Maritsa'.

Leave it to me to find the insinuation of a face, even in the work of an abstract expressionist!

Some Evenings, I Just Work Here: 2010.01.31

2010-02-01T03:13:00.001-08:00

Some Evenings, I Just Work Here: 2010.01.31, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Inspire App on my iThing.
60 minutes.
Freehand from a photo.

"I just work here" is how the sculptor David Friedheim has been known to describe a good day in the studio. More on this concept coming soon...

Posing for Modigliani in the Late Afternoon, My Shadow Fell Across his Studio Wall 2010.01.30

2010-01-31T01:33:00.001-08:00

Posing for Modigliani in the Late Afternoon, My Shadow Fell Across his Studio Wall 2010.01.30, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Pen and brush and ink on paper, distorted in Photoshop on my Mac.
60 minutes.
Directly from a photo and from imagination.

That Handsome Devil Amedeo: 2010.01.29

2010-01-30T01:02:00.001-08:00

That Handsome Devil Amedeo: 2010.01.29, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Magic marker on paper, and Brushes and DXP Apps on my iThing.
From a photo of Amedeo Modigliani, and from imagination to add my hair and glasses, and a classic Modigliani neck.
60 minutes.

Week 48: Modigliani: Still Riffing on Modigliani 2010.01.28

2010-01-29T00:46:00.001-08:00

Week 48: Modigliani: Still Riffing on Modigliani 2010.01.28, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Pollack, Brushes and DXP Apps on my iThing.
15-20 minutes.
From photos of Modigliani's paintings, mostly Portrait of Madame Hanka Zborowska

About to Take My Chapeau Off to Brushes: 2010.01.27

2010-01-28T01:44:00.001-08:00

Week 48: Modigliani: About to Take My Chapeau Off to Brushes: 2010.01.27, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Brushes app on my iThing.
20 minutes
From photos of Modigliani's paintings, mostly Jeanne Hebuterne with Hat and Necklace, 1917, and from imagination. My colors, of course, not Modigliani's.

This picture was drawn the moment before I took my chapeau off to Brushes for being part of the iPad announcement, and to Apple for at least acknowledging artists as a category by including Brushes, even if we *still* don't have a section in the App store.

As Pollack Might Have Painted Me If He Were Modigliani 2010.01.26

2010-01-27T00:58:00.001-08:00

Week 48: Modigliani: As Pollack Might Have Painted Me If He Were Modigliani 2010.01.26, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Pollack App on my iThing.
Freehand from a photo of Modigliani's Portrait of a Polish Woman, 1919

Maybe 5-10 minutes to do this one, but had to do 15 to get one I liked.

Before Their Necks Were Long, They Were Covered: 2010.01.25

2010-01-26T02:36:00.000-08:00

Week 48: Modigliani: Before Their Necks Were Long, They Were Covered: 2010.01.25, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Inspire App on my iThing.
~60 minutes.
Freehand from a photo, and from life.

This is based on Amedeo Modigliani's early painting Head of a Young Woman, 1908. She has both a normal neck and actual eyeballs! To make it a self-portrait, I made the eyes blue and added the pom-pom from my hat.

As Modigliani Might Have Seen Me: 2010.01.24

2010-01-25T01:57:00.001-08:00

Week 48: Modigliani: As Modigliani Might Have Seen Me: 2010.01.24, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Inspire App on my iThing.
40 - 60 minutes.
From a photo of Modigliani's Head of a Woman, 1917. (links coming soon)

I grew up with my mother's full-size copy of a Modigliani in the living room; seems like he was a member of the family, or at least his iconic woman was an ancestor.

I'm still into the graceful curves, long necks, and almond-shaped eyes, but really, what is the story with the frequent lack of eyeballs? How come it mostly works?

Long Nose, Short Forehead 2010.01.23

2010-01-24T01:03:00.001-08:00

Long Nose, Short Forehead 2010.01.23, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Inspire App on my iThing
30 minutes
From imagination

Can't believe it took me so long to 'get' Inspire-d. I guess it goes back to habit. I learned one interface and it seemed 'natural', so then I wanted all the interfaces to be the same.

It's Time to Go to Bed, Young Lady! 2010.01.22

2010-01-23T01:36:00.001-08:00

It's Time to Go to Bed, Young Lady! 2010.01.22, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Talking to myself of course! (1:30 AM Again!)
Inspire App in my iThing.
20-30 minutes.
Directly from a photo.

I Was Nervous to be Presenting to the Planning Department 2010.01.21

2010-01-22T09:10:00.001-08:00

I Was Nervous to be Presenting to the Planning Department 2010.01.21, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Magic Brushes, Jackson Pollack, Magic Brushes and Brushes Apps on my iThing.
15-20 minutes
From imagination.

While someone else was speaking, I held up our old fashioned blow-ups of architectural drawings, which did not fit on the overhead projector, and then I spoke briefly.

Winter Glare: 2010.01.20

2010-01-21T01:07:00.001-08:00

Winter Glare: 2010.01.20, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Inspire App on my iThing.
~30 minutes.
From life/mirror.

Tried pumping up the values in photoshop, decided I preferred the way these original colors skitter across my eyes when I look at them.

Color is Fun! 2010.01.19

2010-01-20T00:18:00.001-08:00

Color is Fun! 2010.01.19, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Inspire App on my iThing.
45 minutes
Directly from a photo

Is it Paint or is it Memorex?: 2010.01.18

2010-01-18T23:26:00.001-08:00

Is it Paint or is it Memorex?: 2010.01.18, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Inspire App on my iThing.
Freehand from a photo.
60-90 minutes.

Self-portrait as one of David Park's Two Heads. I've always liked the Bay Area Figurative Movement, and they've come up recently with the Petersen Wedding piece and the faces in the Aikido meditation piece, so I thought I'd take a closer look.

I still have lots of complaints about the Inspire App's interface but, and it's a big but, I'm really starting to get how paintier it is than the other apps. As a painter, I'm really groovin' on it.

Groovin' was probably last used in normal speech about the same time that there were TV commercials for a cassette tape brand called Memorex. They claimed you couldn't tell "Is it live or is it memorex". Of course, it was neither live or memorex - it was TV. This is neither paint or memorex - it's digital.

Now that I've shown my age, I'd better toddle off to bed...

From Jerry Waese's Hands to Mine 2010.01.17

2010-01-18T09:25:00.001-08:00

From Jerry Waese's Hands to Mine 2010.01.18, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Brushes and DoodleBuddy Apps on my iThing.
Two sessions, probably a couple hours total.
Freehand from photos

The "Women's Voices for Change" online magazine has invited me to write a monthly column on a selection from my Daily Portrait Project. Today's column discusses how I ended up with Jerry Waese's drawings in my hands. Please check it out and also leave a comment on *their* site, so they know this is a feature worth continuing. Thanks, everyone!

And be sure to check out Jerry's originals - I don't see how he fits it all in!

We Sit Quietly and Meditate at the Beginning and End of Each Aikido Class 2010.01.16

2010-01-17T02:14:00.001-08:00

We Sit Quietly and Meditate at the Beginning and End of Each Aikido Class 2010.01.16, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Magic Brushes App on my iThing.
Freehand from a photo.
60 minutes.

Stylistically channeling the California figurative painters, especially David Park, in the faces.

We Had a Record Turn Out for Kan Geiko at East Bay Aikido 2010.01.15

2010-01-16T01:02:00.001-08:00

Magic Brushes App on my iThing.
50 minutes.
Directly from a photo.

Thank you to Natalie for the photos! And thank you, as always, to O'Sensei, Gambell Sensei, and all my training partners.

Kan Geiko is winter training. In our case we have class every morning at 6:30 AM.

One of the things I'm really enjoying about Magic Brushes is making brushes that have just enough texture that you can see the direction of the strokes - it allows me to have 'flat' areas of color that aren't actually flat. When I thought of doing this, I conceived it almost like a paper cut - where it would only be about the shapes. I love being able to have the greater complexity and the simplicity at the same time.

You can't see it even if you blow it all the way up, but the white I used here is a clip-art bearded santa face that I made into a brush for my holiday pieces. :)

Aikido is About Connection 2010.01.14

2010-01-14T23:56:00.001-08:00

Aikido is About Connection 2010.01.14, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Magic Brushes App on my iThing.
60 minutes (including making three new brushes)
Freehand from a photo.

After stretches, we practice Tai No Henko.

Thank you to Sensei Gambell and all my training partners, always!, and a special thank you to Cliff & Marvin for taking photos and providing wrists.

We Start Aikido Class With Stretches 2010.01.13

2010-01-14T00:21:00.001-08:00

We Start Aikido Class With Stretches 2010.01.13, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Magic Brushes App on my iThing
15-20 minutes at 5 AM (Yawn)
Freehand from a photo.

Early to bed, early to rise... not online much this week... catch up with everyone soon!