Owtin

Charcoal on paper, about 2 by 3 feet.

This was a 30 minute stand. It's pure fun to draw from such a powerful model.

Petra

Charcoal on paper
about 2 by 3 feet.

This was a short stand, about 10 minutes. Petra, the model, was so much fun to sketch. It was hard to choose which drawing would be the work of the week (you can see the other drawings at http://hagenoffindenhaag.blogspot.com/). The entire class was inspired. Portraits are fun.

Peggy

Charcoal on paper
about 2 by 3 feet.

This image is a sketch from a live model at the International Art Club of The Hague. The stand was about a half hour. The challenge here was trying to capture the model's wild tangle of blond hair. You can also see a quick sketch of the model's mouth and nose on the upper left side of the drawing, where I worked out some of the details.

Owtin portrait

Charcoal on paper
about 60 by 100 cm

This is a 25 minute sketch of Owtin, from a portrait class I'm taking at the International Art Club of the Hague. This sketch has the benefit of input from Pien Hazenburg, the docent. What I learned from this portrait class is that the tiniest details matter in a portrait, or the whole thing falls apart. In this portrait, the lessons have gelled and finally everything clicks- at least for this class.

You've got to use gesture (no problem for me) and be bold (again, no problem there) but you've also got to really focus on the exact line placement in every part of the drawing - not just get it close (for me, this has always been the problem with portraits). So, the lesson learned is this: when most everything is blocked in, step back from the drawing, compare by observing closely, and make minute adjustments, and the whole thing just might come together.

I had to choose which of the four portraits to use for the work of the week, but the whole series was fun, and you can see it on my blog (http://hagenoffindenhaag.blogspot.com/)

Chateau Cardinal Villemaurine

Photograph, wine cellar, St. Emilion.

These wines were bottled in 1978.

Invitation, two new openings

Greetings all,

You are invited to two new openings, October 17th and November 1. Details are below.

The October 17th opening is a group show for new members of the Voorschoten Kunstkring (artist's cooperative in Voorschoten). I will not be there, but Tamara will be there to represent me. I am including all of the Italian paintings from my trip to Tuscany that I can't bear to part with. It's hard to let go!

The November 1 opening is a show of landscapes and seascapes made while out in the dunes near Scheveningen in the last year.

Nieuwe Loten
Voorschoten Kunstkring
Opening Saturday, October 17, 16:00 uur (4 p.m.)
In het (n the) Ambachts en Baljuwhuis
Voorstraat 12
2251 BN, Voorschoten
(boven/above restaurant Floris V)

Scheveningen landscapes by Erik Hagen

American Women's club
Wine and Cheese Art Gallery Reception
Sunday, November 1, 2-5 p.m.
Nieuwe Duinweg 25, 2587 AB
just off tram #9.

Hope to see you there!

Yellow flower

Oil on Linen
24x30 cm (about 0.8 by 1.0 feet)

When it rains, I like to hole up in the studio. This painting is from one of those days.

I am teaching a friend how to oil paint, and we worked from the same still life. It is a good way to teach and we enjoyed ourselves a lot.

Fritz, nude study

Ink on cotton paper
36 by 26 cm

Another day of drawing at the International Art Club. Fritz was the model again. I love this medium, but it is unforgiving of mistakes!

Fritz, portrait #3

Ink on cotton paper
36 by 26 cm

Another 20 minute sketch. I think I caught his eyebrow best here.

Sorry not to have the option of leaving comments on the main web page anymore - I tried to make it easy to do, but eventually the spammers found it and so I had to shut it down. But you are always welcome to comment on the blog or by email. It is the interaction with you all, my audience, that sustains me as an artist!

Fritz, portrait #2

Ink on cotton paper
36 by 26 cm

These were part of a series done at the International Art Club a couple of days ago. I couldn't decide which I liked best so I'm sharing a few of them. They are mostly 20 minute sketches.

Fritz, Ink portrait #1

Ink on cotton paper
36 by 26 cm

I love working with ink on cotton paper. It helps me to paint what I see, now what I know.

Madame T.

Photograph.

I am launching something called the "Beauty Project." This will be a series of photographs, possibly paintings, of women with different body types and all ages. I've been thinking of doing this project for a couple of years, and so am excited to be started now. I am looking for volunteers...

More information on my art homepage at www.potamoi.com.

Pink structure with yellow bits

Oil on canvas
100 x 120 cm (3.3 x 4.0 ft)

This is a big painting, four feet wide. I'm still looking for a better titles, perhaps something whimsical. You can make a suggestion/comment on the web by clicking http://potamoi.com/comments.html.

An August morning at the beach, North Sea

Please feel free to comment!

Oil on linen
40x50 (about 1.3 by 1.6 feet)

As promised, I am including a realistic painting this week... This was done onsite, on a beach near the town of Monster, the Netherlands. By the time I wrapped up this painting, the beach was getting really crowded. This is what it looked like around 10 in the morning.

Green field

Oil on canvasboard, 24x30 cm. (about 0.8 by 1.0 feet)

I've spent a lot of time looking at the artist Niksic from Zagreb. Abstract paintings are really fun to do, but in my opinion are much harder than working from life. This is a small painting, just under 12 inches wide. This painting is about color and texture.