Portraits and Plein Air Works

Portraits + Land, Sea and Cityscapes during my travels and sittings, mostly painted from life. They’re raw and carry with them the urgency of working from life and outdoors or en plein air.

If you like anything here that is not yet in my shop, please do send me a note for purchase information!

Painting in delight: nudes from life

Portraits and Plein Air Works

Montalut Life Nude Session Nov 2016 (1)

Last Saturday a lot of people were downcast and angry from the sneaky Marcos burial, but I’m thankful I still got to end the day in delight. Saw the Nutcracker ballet for the first time (happy music and smiling dancers–sure to uplift!), and went to a live nude drawing/painting session that lasted til 11pm…the kind of geeky thing that makes me super happy!

I painted over 10 works, in full appreciation of the human body. This is a great hangover from reading Big Magic earlier this week, which really brought me back to making delight a part of my daily life. I think it is possible to fully engage the difficult (ie climate change, politics, economic strife, uncertainty), and yet find joy in the everyday. It is not self-serving escapism when seeking joy is done consciously, and it can even be considered a radical response or protest to the difficult.

Montalut Life Nude Session Nov 2016 (23)

In college I came across an interview with Pope John Paul II which asked him how he remained joyful amidst so much suffering and hate in this world. He said that the worst has already happened–we killed God–and yet something beautiful came out of it–we were saved.

Montalut Life Nude Session Nov 2016 (25)

Even if you frame that in different words, the message is the same. Joy and delight are powerful ways to actually engage fear and helplessness. We don’t forget or cast aside the difficult, but we go to battle, all in, and with an armor built from within.


Nude drawings and paintings from this session are available for purchase. 


Here’s a slideshow of the rest of my loot (click on the arrows to view next):

Life Drawing/Painting

WIP: Taal Volcano after a hike

Portraits and Plein Air Works

Here's my friend, Billy, holding a #wip portrait I did of him after we hiked the Taal volcano in Talisay,  Batangas last month. Known as the world's smallest volcano, it is actually a crater within a crater, with many other volcanoes next to it inside this big lake. Been wanting to do the hike for ages, so I was thankful to have an outdoorsy visitor agree to join me.???? Needed more time to work on the features of his face, but I really miss working outdoors like this! How's your Saturday coming along?#outdoor #portrait #acrylic #painting #pleinair #wip #taal #volcano #lake #taalyachtclub #boat

Here’s my friend, Billy, holding a #wip portrait I did of him after we hiked the Taal volcano in Talisay, Batangas last month. Known as the world’s smallest volcano, it is actually a crater within a crater, with many other volcanoes next to it inside this big lake. Been wanting to do the hike for ages, so I was thankful to have an outdoorsy visitor agree to join me.???? Needed more time to work on the features of his face, but I really miss working outdoors like this! How’s your Saturday coming along?#outdoor #portrait #acrylic #painting #pleinair #wip #taal #volcano #lake #taalyachtclub #boat

Behind the scenes pics of that hike:
Finally hiked the Taal volcano and even got to boil an egg on the shore of the lake! The Philippines has so many hidden gems like this-- so thankful to be living here.  #taal #volcano #crater #hike #egg

Finally hiked the Taal volcano and even got to boil an egg on the shore of the lake! The Philippines has so many hidden gems like this– so thankful to be living here.

#taal #volcano #crater #hike #egg

Nagtabon Beach

Portraits and Plein Air Works

Will be posting a series of drawings for sale, starting with this sunset sketch of Nagtabon Beach, Palawan.Colored charcoal on Paper9x12 inchesJuly 2013For sale at Php500.Other drawings and sketches also available to buy.#sea #beach #palawan #nagtabon  #sunset #drawing

Will be posting a series of drawings for sale, starting with this sunset sketch of Nagtabon Beach, Palawan.
Colored charcoal on Paper
9×12 inches
July 2013
For sale at Php500.

Other drawings and sketches also available to buy.

#sea #beach #palawan #nagtabon #sunset #drawing

Ayutthaya

Portraits and Plein Air Works

Remembering Ayutthaya. This time last week, we braved the midday heat to explore temple ruins at the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Siam. Happy I managed to sneak in a quick 30-minute sketch!#pleinair #painting #temple #ruins #ayutthaya #thailand

We braved the midday heat to explore temple ruins at the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Siam. Happy I managed to sneak in a quick 30-minute sketch!

#pleinair #painting #temple #ruins #ayutthaya #thailand

 

Final work after finishing touches at the studio:

Ayutthaya 9x12 inchesAcrylic on canvas July 2016#pleinair #acrylic #painting #temple #ruins #ayutthaya #thailand

Ayutthaya
9×12 inches
Acrylic on canvas
July 2016

#pleinair #acrylic #painting #temple #ruins #ayutthaya #thailand

By the Mae Ping River

Portraits and Plein Air Works, ,

I love the sea and rivers and anything with water, and was smiling from ear to ear when I was in Thailand and had easy access to them.

Sharing snaps and paintings/sketches from the trip below:

Happy to spend my last day in Thailand ferrying on the Chao Phraya River. As someone who loves boats and anything with water, it's a shame that it took me 4 visits before I really gave this city a chance to amaze me.#bangkok #riverside #ferry #thailand

Happy to spend my last day in Thailand ferrying on the Chao Phraya River. As someone who loves boats and anything with water, it’s a shame that it took me 4 visits before I really gave this city a chance to amaze me.

#bangkok #riverside #ferry #thailand

Walked to the river on the other side of town this morning and got to sit and paint, so happy! Hope you're also finding ways to be happy this Tuesday, friends ????#acrylic #pleinair #painting #river
Walked to the river on the other side of Chiangmai town this morning and got to sit and paint, so happy!

#acrylic #pleinair #painting #river

By the Mae Ping River9x12 inchesAcrylic on canvasJuly 2016#pleinair #acrylic #painting #river #mountain #chiangmai

By the Mae Ping River
9×12 inches
Acrylic on canvas
July 2016

#pleinair #acrylic #painting #river #mountain #chiangmai

Chanced upon this lovely restaurant with a fantastic view of the river. Wow. I could sit here all day. #river #trees
Chanced upon this lovely restaurant with a fantastic view of the river. Wow. I could sit here all day.
#river #trees

I sat mesmerized by this tree and took out my pen to draw. Tried using canvas as ground instead of paper. Was so therapeutic to do this. Thank you, tree.#pen #drawing #tree
I sat mesmerized by this tree and took out my pen to draw. Tried using canvas as ground instead of paper. Was so therapeutic to do this. Thank you, tree.

#pen #drawing #tree

The yummiest mango sticky rice I've ever had...also because I made it! Spent the day learning to cook Thai dishes at an organic farm and was pleasantly surprised that curry and pad thai aren't so difficult to make. I continue to be amazed at the level of organization the Thai have in showcasing their culture. We have so much to learn from them.#mango #rice #cooking #thailand

The yummiest mango sticky rice I’ve ever had…also because I made it! Spent the day learning to cook Thai dishes at an organic farm and was pleasantly surprised that curry and pad thai aren’t so difficult to make. I continue to be amazed at the level of organization the Thai have in showcasing their culture. We have so much to learn from them.

#mango #rice #cooking #thailand

Mountain temple visit

Portraits and Plein Air Works,

Was hoping to finally find a good painting spot (scenic, quiet, with space to sit and stay put for a good while) in the mountain temple grounds today, but didn't expect Doi Suthep to be swarming with tourists. Also felt wrong to bring out my gear in a temple, so I did what I thought was proper: sit still. I bought a book on Buddhism from a souvenir shop and after reading it, felt more ready to do a quick sketch.#pen #drawing #sketch #trees #balcony #doisuthep #chiangmai #thailand

Was hoping to finally find a good painting spot (scenic, quiet, with space to sit and stay put for a good while) in the mountain temple grounds today, but didn’t expect Doi Suthep to be swarming with tourists. Also felt wrong to bring out my gear in a temple, so I did what I thought was proper: sit still. I bought a book on Buddhism from a souvenir shop and after reading it, felt more ready to do a quick sketch.

#pen #drawing #sketch #trees #balcony #doisuthep #chiangmai #thailand

Back in pine tree country!

Portraits and Plein Air Works

Love this! Pretty wood from fallen trees ready to be used in the community garden at Dominican Hill, Baguio City.
#greens #baguio #garden

One last hurrah before heading home! Baguio weather and views are so conducive to puttering and sitting by balconies. #sketch #mountains #baguio

Baguio
9×12 inches
Pen on paper
July 4, 2016

Quick sketch over coffee yesterday. Haven’t picked up the pen to sketch in years and it was great to revisit the straightforwardness of lines and black on white. Those mountains were such a crisp and pretty blue, though!

#arcasyard #mountains #pen #ink #drawing #sketch

Nature hangover from the weekend. Did you know that pine trees have a 60-year life span?

Sunrise-sunset

Portraits and Plein Air Works

Sunrise-sunset12x18 inchesAcrylic on canvasApril 14, 2016Spent the morning finishing this painting, which I started on Guinto Island, Palawan last week. It was a humid and sticky day but the sky went crazy to impress us by late afternoon. The night was filled with constellations and shooting stars, and we couldn't stay away from the water for too long when the bioluminescent plankton began to come out and play. I woke up at 5am the next day and spent 2 hours watching the sky turn blue again. Endings are also beginnings, which turn into endings-beginnings day in, day out. We live in such a beautiful world.#pleinair#painting  #acrylic  #beach  #taophilippines  #palawan  #adventure #sunrise  #sunset

Sunrise-sunset
12×18 inches
Acrylic on canvas
April 14, 2016

Spent the morning finishing this painting, which I started on Guinto Island, Palawan last week. It was a humid and sticky day but the sky went crazy to impress us by late afternoon. The night was filled with constellations and shooting stars, and we couldn't stay away from the water for too long when the bioluminescent plankton began to come out and play. I woke up at 5am the next day and spent 2 hours watching the sky turn blue again. Endings are also beginnings, which turn into endings-beginnings day in, day out. We live in such a beautiful world.

#pleinair #painting #acrylic #beach #taophilippines #palawan #adventure #sunrise #sunset