Below are a few of the drawings I sketched on our August 2020 vacation to Hilton Head Island, SC. If you want to go to the beach during a COVID-19 pandemic Hilton Head is an excellent choice — it’s a big beach!
Left to Right: South Forest Beach No. 1 (2020); South Forest Beach No. 2 (2020); Sea Pines (2020).
Bottom: Soth Forest Beach No. 3.
Click on any image to enlarge.
With COVID-19 quarantine up and running I’ve been working from home and doing most of my oil painting closed we to home. Below are some of my recent paintings. While there’s much to lament about quarantining it has given me a renewed appreciation for the natural beauty that’s right nearby!
Left to right: Spring Redbud (2020); Fall Redbud (2020); Backyard Shed and Sycamore (2020).
Bottom: Laidlaw Park, Western Springs, Spring (2020).
Click on any image to enlarge.
Bob Baker, Flower Shop, Corner of Rue St. Dominique and Rue De Bellechasse, Paris (2018)
Today’s painting. Emily and I walked past this flower shop on our first morning in Paris. Rue St. Dominique arcs gently to the west and takes you from the 6th arondissement over to the Eiffel Tower. Very pretty walk.
Bob Baker, Night Cafe, Strasbourg (2018)
Here’s the latest. I didn’t catch the full name of this place when Emily and I walked past it, but I loved the light so took a quick shot with the iPhone. It’s emblematic of Strasbourg, one of the most picturesque cities in France with an excellent place to eat and drink on every corner. It was in Strasbourg Em and I went to the Academy of Beer and received the finest education money can buy. Will be going back to Strasbourg for sure!
Bob Baker, Sacre Coeur (2018)
Today’s painting. Basilica Sacre Coeur sits right at the top of Montmartre and can be seen from nearly anywhere in Paris. This is the view from the back. The front is impressive but there are hundreds of tourists and more pickpockets per capita than in any other place in Paris. If you’re standing in line to get into Sacre Coeur and the person in front of you is not a pickpocket and the person behind you is not a pickpocket, it means you’re a pickpocket. 🙂 Seriously, though, it’s one of the most beautiful churches in the world with one of the world’s best locations. A must see!
UPDATE: Finished off the sky today and put in some blue highlights. They work in the world of paint!
Intersection of Blvd. St. Germain and Rue du Bac, Paris (2018)
Today’s effort. I used a limited, Anders Zorn palette of Ivory Black, Titanium White, Vermilion and Yellow Ochre then went back in and added a few highlights using a slightly-expanded palette of Naples Yellow, Cobalt Blue and Alizarin Crimson. I was going for a slightly understated look and I got it.
This is a pretty famous intersection on the Left Bank. There’s a stop on the Paris Underground at Rue du Bac and that’s where Emily and I caught our ride up to Montmartre.
Bob Baker, A Gardener at Giverny (2018)
This is the second painting I’ve completed since returning from France. Emily and I had a great time, including a terrific day trip to Giverny and Versailles. Monet’s garden really is spectacular. The upkeep is tremendous and there are professional gardeners everywhere. I caught this one pruning a shrub.
Bob Baker, Place Dauphine, Paris (2018)
Just returned from a week in Paris with my daughter Emily and have many paintings to work on! This one depicts Place Dauphine, a great little spot on Ile de la Cite in the shadow of Notre Dame.
Commissioned by Henry IV in 1607, Place Dauphine is literally at the heart of Paris. “Kilometer One,” as they say there. It comprises an atrium surrounding an outdoor park. The park is surrounded by residences and cafes, including the one where Emily and I dined — La Rose de France. Highly recommended spot with the best tarragon chicken I’ve had in about a dozen years.
Em and I arrived at Place Dauphine around 8:30 p.m. As some of you know, Paris in summer stays light until nearly 10:00 p.m. At 8:30 it was still light out but the sun was waning, bathing everything in a nice warm light. Irresistible, and I didn’t resist. The walker came along at just the right moment to land in an oil painting.
Bob Baker, Still Life, Apples and Bottle, in the Manner of Degas (2017)
I just got some new soft pastels and decided to try doing a still life in the manner of Edgar Degas. I found a couple of good sources that elaborate on his technique, which involves first sketching the subject in charcoal and then layering in successive strata of color after first locking in the prior layer with a fixative. It really works and allows for a very unique effect. If you’re interested in this sort of thing here are links to my sources:
http://charlotteherczfeld.com/blog/45932/manner-of-degas-using-henri-rochand233-pastels
http://www.explore-drawing-and-painting.com/pastel-techniques-1.html
Below are two more recent paintings. The first is another pastel still life and the second is my personal shot at the Altoids Challenge, in which the painter tries creating the best possible work that will fit inside the lid of an Altoids mint box. It was a lot of fun!
Bob Baker, Still Life With Apples (2017)
Bob Baker, Altoids Challenge (2017)
Bob Baker, Barn, Waupaca County, Wisconsin (2017)
Bob Baker, Head Study in the Manner of Michelangelo (2017)
Here are my two most recent sketches. I actually did a painting of the barn a few years ago and decided to do it again in charcoal and pastel pencil for a different look. The head study is from Michelangelo. I’m still working my way through Reginald Marsh’s Anatomy for Artists.
Art Out The Wazoo 