Bad Jon

"Bad Jon" - acrylic and charcoal on 300 lb Arches watercolor paper.  NFS.

I thought my instincts were better than that
​- BAD JON

Holiday traditions are sparse around here.  

I mean, we had the usual sorts of things in the past- gifts and stockings and gatherings and whatnot.  But the kids are grown and out of the house and there are no little ones to drive what used to be a wild six weeks of preparation, celebration and exhaustion.  And I am sooooo loving this super chill, relaxed vibe and the opportunity to create new traditions that better suit the current state of things.

So this past Thanksgiving, my son and I began a new tradition - a portrait day.  He sat for me in the studio while we chatted and caught up on everything, I painted and sought to capture this young man and his wildly creative energy.

Bad Jon

He's a force of songwriting, singing and performing in Seattle right now, and you can check out his growing discography on Spotify.  (thanks for allowing the proud mama moment right there!).  

It's hard to believe this kid was once wandering around in footie pajamas on Christmas morning.

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About the art:  beginning with chunky charcoal and a watery brush, roughing in the shadows and dark sections from live model and a notanized photo for value guidance, then coming in with titanium white to spread the charcoal.  Jon chose a limited color palette for this piece, and it made the rest of the painting easy and instinctive.  Using a water bottle and rubber wedge to keep the paint moving, and leaving sections for the viewer's eye to complete.