Like most figurative artists I occasionally work from the live model. Painting the figure from life is practice before attempting a portrait commission.

Studies and sketches are good to share because the construction of the piece is more visible. Parts of them will look good and some parts will be unfinished. When working from photographs the freshness of color can be lost and some of the best marks also.

Sometimes the brevity of the study is the best part: "...unless you are not into that whole brevity thing."(The Dude in 'The Big Lebowski'. ) 

It is saying the most with the least. An impression of a gesture charms the imagination in a way that a rendering does not. Along with color it is the core of Impressionism.​

All the pastels in this collection are on rag board prepared with a mixture of fine pumice and acrylic by Graham unless noted otherwise. All the oils are painted on stretched canvas except when noted. All pieces are framed in gold frames and pastels are covered in glass unless noted.