Diane Aeschliman Demonstration at Maple & Main

Diane Aeschliman gave a seemingly effortless demonstration of portrait painting last night at the Maple & Main Gallery of Fine Art in Chester, Connecticut.  Formerly a professor at Lyme Academy of Art in Old Lyme, Connecticut, Diane is one of the other artist-owners of our new gallery.  She showed how with only turpentine and burnt sienna to use "The Grisaille" approach.  This method of creating a tonal painting using one color is based on centuries of classical painting.  By working thin transparent paint over a white ground, the artist allows light to emanate through the layers, producing a painting that glows. 

In two and one half hours, Diane painted not just ONE portrait, but TWO!  Isihita Bandyo, another artist-owner of Maple & Main, was our first model.  I'm sure when Ishita got home last night, her husband was thrilled to see the incredibly beautiful portrait of his vivacious wife.  And I bet Ishita's daughter was excited this morning to wake up and see "Mommy" in a painting. 

Diane's second portrait was of Mike, the photographer who had come to take photos for the Valley Courier newspaper.  He was an excellent model.  Watching his face appear out of the whiteness of Diane's canvas was awe-inspiring.  His portrait reminded me of one that Ghirlandaio might have painted of Lorenzo de' Medici in the fifteenth century.  Exquisite!

No one who came to the Gallery last night was disappointed.  Diane's demo was awesome!  Thanks, Diane!

Tuesday evenings in January, I will be taking Diane's first set of classes at the Gallery:  Introduction to Figure and Head Drawing.  I can't think of a better way to start the New Year!