Latest Work-In-Progress

The last month was a whirlwind.  After EBOS I spent a amazing week in Bend, OR with my husband Ben's family.  During the last three weeks of June we made an offer on a house, went into escrow, closed, and moved.

My new studio is not functional yet, but will be soon.  I will share pictures of the studio's progress in my post.

In the mean time, I've been taking classes with Mel Prest at 10th Street Studios.  Below is the painting I am currently working on.  For those of you familiar with the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland, you may recognize the glowing sign for what I affectionately call "Liquor Video" aka Eddie's Drive In Liquors. 

Rockridge Nightscape AKA Liquor Video

New Studies from the Studio

With the first round of Nightscapes nearing completion, I've begun working on a new series of studies.  These ones are more abstract and less architectural than the first round.  It's tough to know if they actual look like anything or if they just color blobs.  They look like something to me, but of course I know what they are.  I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Oakland Nightscapes, Continued...

I've begun painting the fourth large painting in my series of Oakland nightscapes.  The reference  photograph (below, middle) was one the first that I took in the series and the color study (below, right) was the first in the set of studies that I created last June.

The new painting is in it's *very* early stages - it's just an underpainting.  I've probably only spent about an hour on it.  BUT I really like the gestural quality it has and am afraid that I will lose that quality and by continuing to work on it.  It's that fine line that I continue to search for - mixing looseness and gesture with line and fully realized form...

Underpainting

Reference PhotographColor study

Stages of a Portrait

I've been working on this portrait of my friend Ariyele for quite some time.  I intitally started it back in May 2009.  I worked from life, I think we had two sittings of about an hour or two each, and was very pleased with how the portrait was progressing.  After the second sitting, I continued to work on it from a photograph.  The portrait became very severe - as you can see below in the image on the far right - and I put it away in mild disgust for over a year.

Earlier this month I took the painting out of storage, sanded it down a bit, and began working back into it.  Using thick layers of opaque painting mixed with subtle glazes of color I was able to soften the hard edges and bring life back into the painting despite the fact that I was still only working from a photograph.

Ariyele, late October 2010

Ariyele, early October 2010Ariyele, May 2009

Paintings Series: Oakland Nightscapes

Now that summer is over and a certain normalcy has returned to my life, I've been able to get back into the studio and start the full-scale Oakland nightscapes in earnest.  These paintings are based on photos that I took in the spring that I turned into studies (you can see both the photos and the studies in an earlier post here http://www.larahoke.com/larasblog/2010/6/5/reference-photos-to-formal-studies.html).

The goals is to create and ethereal space - something that feels not quite safe but is at the same time very familiar.  To produce that effect I am developing the paintings slowly over time by applying lightly tinted semi-transparent layers of glaze.  I use the classic 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 recipe to make my glazing medium - linseed oil, damar varnish, and turp.  I am also working to loosen the brush stroke and am introducing line in the form of charcoal and graphite.   

Walking Towards (work-in-progress), Lara Hoke

Leaning (work-in-progress), Lara Hoke

Walking Away (work-in-progress), Lara Hoke

Video From East Bay Open Studios 2010

Here's a clip from this past weekend's Open Studios taken by Stan Goldberg, self pro-claimed Senior Dad.  I come in around the 2:50 mark.  The other artist included in the interview is Laura Malone.

You can also watch the video by following this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3R7Kiuh5aE

Reference Photos to Formal Studies

Below are three photographs juxtaposed with painting studies. My primary interest in comparing the two images was correcting spatial and color discrepancies.  However, viewing them as a set, what I find most fascinating and valuable is the difference between perception and reality.

Lara Hoke, Oakland, Walking Towards Painting StudyLara Hoke, Oakland, Walking Towards Painting Study

Lara Hoke, Oakland, Bodega, Painting StudyLara Hoke, Oakland, Bodega, Painting Study

Lara Hoke, Oakland, Walking Away, Painting StudyLara Hoke, Oakland, Walking Away, Painting Study

Oakland Corner at Night Round 2

I spent another hour working on this painting after taking a fresh look at this morning and being dissatisfied by the color and contrast.

Oakland Corner at Night

Laundry Night Hawks: A Work in Progress

To the left is the original photograph that I took of our laundromat and cornerstore.  To the right are overlays of my first efforts at the painting overlayed with at different opacities on the original photo.

Original Photograph

Laundry Night Hawks Overlay 1

Laundry Night Hawks Overlay 2Below are images of my second efforts at the painting.  I moved and minimized the corner shop and adjusted the size of the laundromat.

Laundry Night Hawks Effort 2 No Overlay

Laundry Night Hawks Overlay 6

Laundry Night Hawks Overlay 7 (reduced opacity)

Update from the Studio, February 2010 Edition

Coasters in Various States of ProgressA few weeks ago I was trolling Design Sponge and came across this DIY project that used cedar slices to create customized silhouettes, and I thought hey, those would make great coasters.... but where do I get the wood? Meanwhile, my month-old Christmas tree sat sagging in the corner and voila! - a project was born!

Using slices of the pine tree, a stamp carving kit, and various types of stain and polyurethane, I'm working on creating an army of coasters.

Army of CoastersThe first image to the left is a close up of one coaster pretty far along in the process.  The second photo is of the gathering army.

Ben

The next three images are paintings in progress.  The first two paintings were begun months ago but never taken much further than the inititial color blocking, so I'm re-working them, trying to bringing in more colors and depth. 

The last image is Kim.  I've addd a few more transparent layers of color but what it really needs is a few days of serious work because all of the transparent layers have caused it to lose some of it's structural believability.

Looking at these paintings makes me realize two things - 1. I need to work on a big painting in which the subject is not front row and center and 2. My next portrait cannot be of a person looking to their right.

Ariyele

Kim

Laundromat Nighthawks

Some reference photos I took tonight of the intersection near our apartment.  I'm preparing to begin a painting of the laundromat.  I really like the juxtaposition of the darkness, the traffic lights, and the interior flourescents.  These images remind me of Hopper's Nighthawks.

Work in Progress: Kim

I cleaned up the studio yesterday and spent most of the afternoon and evening painting.  The images below are of Kim.  The left-most image is the painting as I left it in June.  The middle image is a photo of my studio today and a portion of the painting.  The right-most image is the painting as I left it tonight.  It may not seem like that much progress has been made, but I've shifted and repainted two of the planters, begun to paint the plants, and started to think about her hands...

Images from East Bay Open Studios 2009

Including the Pfeiffer Sisters, Diana Howard, Jennifer Wolpert, and myself.