A view of the ARC Salon at the Salmagundi Club NYC

Lacey Lewis with "Eartha Delights IV" above.

Artists Lacey Lewis and Tina Garrett at the Salmagundi Club NYC

More views of the ARC Salon Exhibition.

More views of the ARC Salon Exhibition.

Artist Shana Levenson checking out Eartha Delights IV.

Eartha Delights IV at the Salmagundi Club NYC

More views of the ARC Salon Exhibition.

More views of the ARC Salon Exhibition.

I was unfortunately unable to attend the public meet and greet which was scheduled for the following day due to the blizzard, but if you are in the NYC area it has been rescheduled for Saturday, January 30th and is well worth the visit!

A couple weeks ago I launched a Kickstarter Campaign to help me pay model fees while I attend a residency with the Art Students League of New York at their Vytlacil Campus in Sparkill, NY.

I am just over the moon that I met my $3500 goal with 9 days to spare, and have added a stretch goal of $5000 to allow for furniture and props. If I reach my stretch goal, I will create a video of my painting process at the residency and every backer will receive this, regardless of pledge amount!

There are numerous pledge levels with rewards ranging from a personalized postcard and signed posters to limited edition prints and original artwork.

There are just 9 days left in the campaign if you'd like to contribute and snag some great art! You can keep track of my progress here, on my homepage, and on my Kickstarter page.

Artwork is displayed salon style, practically floor to ceiling, with beautifully placed lighting to show off dramatic works.

Here I am with a beautiful painting by Pamela Wilson.

The work of Alexandra Manukyan. The texture in person is great!

I'm excited to report that Lovetts Gallery took three of my paintings that day, and I will be sending my newest works to them next month! Check out their inventory of my work on their website, and mark your calendars for the opening of The Lollipop Guild, an exhibit of small works in which I will be included.

Above is an in-progress 14" x 11" painting of the lovely Charlotte Treuse. I'm considering gilding the entire background in gold.

This is a detail of a 36" x 48" oil painting currently on my easel. The head here is approximately life sized. The composition is after a smaller sketch I did last year at 9" x 12".

Here's a little 7" x 5" oval I decided to play with. It's maybe not as blue as this photo, done only in black and white. I'm not sure if I want to leave it as monochromatic, or treat it as an underpainting for a full color portrait.

The above image is a small sketch, maybe 9" high, to work out a composition for a larger painting. I love the idea of a painting conveying the feeling of flight, and I may add an indication of the inside of a tent in the distance to convey more height.

Here is another instance of me playing with ideas on a tiny scale. I love the way the shadow in the background is a somewhat menacing figure, and I am very influenced by Erte's Symphony in Black.

Finally, another work in progress Venusian Queen. I am trying some new things with this one with LED lights and a futuristic costume.

I'm enjoying 2015 as a year to expand and challenge myself! Cheers~

http://www.metmuseum.org/pubs/bulletins/1/pdf/3257349.pdf.bannered.pdf

My palette is a semi-organized thing. I lay out my colors separating cool from warm, progressing through the hues of the rainbow and from light to dark.

I mix across the palette to create lower chroma flesh tones.

After making a basic sketch in charcoal, I started by laying in a background color, against which I can judge all subsequent mixtures. 

Next I blocked in the darkest shapes, simplifying everything to one basic tone on the shadow side of her face.

On the light side I included more variety in hue than I did on the shadow side, and started to add in smaller shapes like the eyes. This looked pretty weird with no mouth included!

Once everything was basically blocked in, I started to include more accurate plane shifts, varying tones in more subtle mixtures. I simultaneously adjusted the drawing as I went along.

The eyes and nostrils were of the last parts to be clarified in the painting, because they are the smallest parts of the face. I wanted to be sure of the overall placement before including such small details.

The finished sketch, after a little more work on the hair and clothing. :-)

February 12th, 1pm-5pm at Blick Art Materials Kansas City

Stop by Blick Art Materials (4144 Main Street in KCMO) between 1pm and 5pm tomorrow to catch me painting live at the store! I will be doing a portrait from life in oil paint and taking questions as I work.

While you're at it, pick up some art materials at a good price. Check out the specials and a 20% off coupon here!

Cheers,
Lacey

Check out their YouTube Channel here for more 360 videos!

You can see all the winners on the PSoA's Facebook page. My painting is included in the Commissioned Portrait category.

https://www.facebook.com/portraitsociety

I'm really having fun with the process, and have decided that this painting will include a gold arch which will be made in conjunction with the frame so that they match. This is such a subtle classic pose, and I feel that the arched frame will echo that.

First, let me show you some examples of what's available:

Perhaps what I'm most excited about right now is my 2015 calendar. It's beautifully laid out, and gives you full color images of 12 paintings! It's only $24.25, and with the coupon code below it's even less. That's a great deal!

If you'd prefer something to take with you, you'll also find some laptop sleeves on Zazzle (again try that coupon code) or I have an assortment of phone cases and mugs on RedBubble. I have one of these myself, and was really floored with the quality of the printing. My phone is gorgeous now, even after several drops!

Burlesque paintings on phone cases, iPad cases, mugs, and more at RedBubble.com

Last but not least, I have a number of offerings of small works on my website for 20% off now through Friday December 5th. If there's an item you've had your eye on and it isn't included on this page, contact me!

Here are all the black Friday deals that involve my work:

• Zazzle: use code ZAZBLACKDEAL for up to 65% off my 2015 calendar and an assortment of laptop and iPad sleeves. http://www.zazzle.com/laceylewis?rf=238222661838465521
   
• Redbubble: use code SAVE15 to save 15% off phone and iPad cases and mugs. http://www.redbubble.com/people/laceylewis/portfolio
   
• On my website: Use code SAVE20 to save 20% off drawings and small paintings. Is there a drawing or painting of mine you want to see offered online with this coupon code? Contact me! http://www.lacey-lewis.com/available-works/

As for classes and workshops, I'm taking a little bit of a break in December to prepare some fresh new offerings for 2015. I hope everyone enjoys some down time this holiday season!

I recently completed the above painting, but won't be able to get a good photo of it until it's varnished. The above image has glare and may be overall a bit dark, but you can get a good idea about it! All the feathers and fringe were really fun to paint in this one, and it features that certain blue that are in so many of my paintings.

The lovely Eartha Delights was kind enough to drop by my open studio a couple weeks ago, and I was able to take her picture with Eartha Delights IV before I sent it off to a collector. I've learned that this particular painting will be part of a collection in Miami Beach!

I recently completed this painting of Eartha Delights. It's my 4th official painting of her, though I've drawn and sketched her in charcoal and paint numerous other times. I'm not the best photographer, especially with my larger paintings, so there's still glare and whatnot. Maybe at some point I can hire a photographer!

Eartha is a local burlesque performer, instructor, and costumer. She's currently producing a burlesque gameshow called "Peel of Fortune," leading "Burlesque for all Bodies" classes for seniors and people with limited mobility, and creating featherless boas for vegan performers or others who want the boa effect without the mess/cruelty. She also founded the Kansas City Burlesque Symposium. Busy lady! Check out Eartha's website for more info!

You can see this painting and numerous other paintings and drawings next Friday, October 10th, from 6-9pm at the Hobbs Building Open Studio. The Hobbs Building is open on the 10th from 6-10pm, and the 11th from 1-4pm, but I only plan to participate on Friday evening. There are lots of great artists in the building to check out! I hope you can make it.

A final FYI, iPad and laptop cases with an image of Eartha Delights II on it can be purchased through my Zazzle store. You can also get phone and tablet cases through RedBubble. I got one myself and was very impressed with the quality!

Taking a photo of your work is often helpful as it lets you see the image smaller and with details compressed, which will allow you to see errors that weren't as obvious in person. Even better if you are able to flip the canvas to get a mirror image.

Another thing that I regularly do, especially toward the end of the painting process, is convert a photo of my work into black and white and analyze the values alone. When I'm working with students, this really helps them to see where changing values will increase the depth and sense of form in their work. Often there are settings right on your smart phone or tablet that will allow you to make a monochromatic image without having to use a photo editing program.

We are commonly so hung up on color that we lose sense of the underlying values. Notice when looking between the two images, above, that some of the intense colors in the feathers and costume look much darker than expected in the black and white version. This is because the colors are intense, which we commonly erroneously interpret as "bright" or light in value. 

It is likely that I will add some lighter values to the feathers on the right hand side of the painting, but overall I like that the lightest values in the painting are exclusively on the areas of the model's hair and skin. This means she will not be lost in the sea of hues and feathers which surrounds her.

By the way... I've been obsessed with peacocks lately. I'm collecting peacock imagery over on my Tumblr, and likely will on my Pinterest as well. (Some are tucked away in the Art Deco board. I'm obsessed with Art Deco, too!)

I am very excited to learn that my drawing, "Shannon" will be included in Strokes of Genius 7: Depth, Dimension + Space!  This drawing is very significant to me as my son inches closer to adulthood every day, so I couldn't be happier that it will be published. The book will be released in the Fall of 2015. In the meantime, check out Strokes of Genius 6, which is currently on pre-order. My sweetheart Jimmie Arroyo has work included in this year's volume.

Finally, here's a sneak peek of a painting that I just finished today. Once I get it signed and varnished, I will post images of the entire composition!

Just 2 weeks and only 2 spots left in this 4 week oil painting class with Lacey Lewis 9/21, 9/28, 10/5, and 10/12 9am-12noon. $200/student.

Foundations of Oil Painting is ideal for someone who wants to start oil painting, for those who want to learn some new techniques, or for those with oil painting experience who need more information on the proper way to use their materials.

Techniques and methods covered in this class will include:

• Direct/alla prima painting
• Indirect painting/layering
• Understanding different types of underpainting
• Glazing and scumbling

This course will also cover materials information including:

• Painting ground choices
• Understanding the contents of your paint tube
• The differences between solvents, mediums, dryers, resins, etc!
• How to follow the 'fat-over-lean' rule
• How, why, and when of varnishing

All classes will take place at Red Door Studios, 1427 West 9th St. Suite #302, KCMO 64101.

View this event on Facebook.

http://inspirationalartworks.blogspot.in/p/photorefrence.html

Happy art-making!

These are so helpful in between life drawing sessions at Red Door Studios, great practice, and very fun. Sometimes my focus on long-term paintings and busy schedule make it hard to fit in lots of 'play' art time. But I can find half an hour to go through one of these videos while I enjoy some coffee! 

I will be adding more of these free artist resources and online videos as I find them.