Portraits Are What I Do Now

Vincent in Rejection. 2015. Pastel. 12.5" x 10." Casey Klahn.

Without overthinking it, my art has become about faces and figures. Expressionist and (forgive this phrase) Matissian is what I wish to do. By Matissian I mean decorative, which was Henri Matisse's way of describing the abstract elements of artwork. 

The struggle is between the narrative and decorative styles. They are in opposition to one another. It turns out that if I can avoid the narrative in these portraits, then they become more powerful.

I have made several attempts to render Vincent van Gogh without looking at his paintings. This is the first time I liked one.

Why not post the Don McLean tune? Please enjoy.

Some Other Person

Self Portrait as Another Person. 2015. Pastel. 12" x 10." Casey Klahn.

Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time. 2015 Pastel. 13" x 12." Casey Klahn.

Night Self Portrait

Night Self Portrait in Costume and with Severe Side Lighting. 2015. Pastel, Oil, Charcoal and Graphite. 17.75" x 11.1." Casey Klahn.

Nocturnal Self Portrait in the Expressionist Realm

Nocturnal Self Portrait with Costume Glasses. 2015. Pastel & Charcoal. 13.5" x 9." Casey Klahn.

The Italian

The Italian. 2015. Pastel & Graphite. 15.5" x 10.75." Casey Klahn.

To Italy!

Umbrian Woman. 2015. 
Pastel. 
9.75" x 7.5" 
Casey Klahn



Beneath Riva Ridge. 
Small, Graphite.
Casey Klahn


I promise to post some images from Italy soon. I'm gone to Umbria for most of October.

19th Century Man

SP as a 19th Century Man. 2015. Pastel with Some Oil, Charcoal and Graphite. 13.75" x 11." Casey Klahn.

Self Portrait with Red & Yellow

Self Portrait with Red & Yellow. 2015. Soft Pastel and Oil Pigment Stick. 20" x 17." Casey Klahn.

Charcoal SP

Self Portrait in Charcoal. 2015. 

Charcoal heightened with White Charcoal and Pastel. 

21.5" x 14.5." 

Casey Klahn.

The Venetian

The Venetian with Black, Indigo & Red. 2015. Informal photo. Pastel & Oil. 18.75" x 11.75." Casey Klahn. 

Self Portrait

Studio Portrait with Red and Yellow. 2015. Pastel. 12" x 5.6." Casey Klahn.

Top Light

Round Glasses Vision. 2015. 

Pastel. 

10" x 4.6." 

Casey Klahn.

Self Portrait

Self Portrait in a Wool Watch Cap. 2015. Pastel. 15" x 9.5." Casey Klahn.

Unwinding

Blue Nude in Orange Jams. 2015. 

Informal photo. Artwork: 15.5" x 12." 

Pastel. 

Casey Klahn.

come un affresco

Umbrian Woman. 2015. 

Pastel. 

9.75" x 7.5" 

Casey Klahn.

When a portrait adopts the manners of a fresco (plaster painting) it is reminiscent of Roman and Classic era art. I enjoy looking to the past.

This portrait is from the imagination.

Portrait

Untitled. 2015. Pastel. @11" x 7." Casey Klahn.

2015-2017 Workshops Update

This is my calendar of workshops scheduled to date. I also will add those planned but with roughed-in dates.

Sept. 12-13, 2015. DC Area / Gainesville. VA. Openings.
Oct. 7-21, 2015. Umbria, Italy.
Apr. 6-8, 2016. Albuquerque, NM.
Apr. 29-May 1, 2016. Norcross, GA (near Atlanta).
May 12-21, 2016 (proposed dates). Florence, Italy.
Mid Summer, 2016. Proposed Washington State. 3-5 days.
Mid Summer, 2016. Proposed Seattle. 5 days.
Sept., 2016 (proposed dates). Provence, France. 6 days.
Oct. @9-15., 2016. Portland, Maine.
2017. Proposed NYC at PSA. 3 days.
2017. Croatia.

Back Online!

After 2 months without internet, The Colorist blog is back in action. Posts to follow!

La Romita is in Umbria

Riva Sole Reviso

8" x 9.75"

Pastel

Casey Klahn

In October I will be going to Italy to teach a 14-day workshop at La Romita.  I first heard about this wonderful art workshop center from a local artist and friend. La Romita was established in 1548 as a monastery. Workshops are housed and catered on site, and logistics for painting forays are supported by the staff.

Here is a blurb from their website:

La Romita School of Art first opened in 1966, under the guidance of Enza Quargnali, as the summer art program of Rockford College in Illinois. For over 50 years people have stayed at La Romita, painting the landscape, people, and towns in the beautiful Umbrian hill country, whose radiant golden light has charmed artists since the days of Perugino and his famous pupil, Rafael.

La Romita.

October 7-21, 2015. Contact me.