38″ x 19″, pigment ink print and acrylic on canvas
This collage is based on imagery I captured during the Frankie Centennial celebrations in New York City which celebrated the 100th birthday of my original Lindy Hop dance teacher, Frankie Manning. To learn more about Frankie I recommend viewing the wonderful video documentary Frankie Manning: Never Stop Swinging, produced and directed by Julie Cohen. The two dancers featured in the center of this artwork are professional dancers, teachers and performers Evita Arce and Paolo Pasta Lanna. The moment captured and portrayed in this artwork was during a dance ‘jam’ at the event titled Frankie’s Centennial Savoy Ball at the beautiful Edison Ballroom. This event was produced by Alan Sugarman, completely independently from, and not to be confused with, the Frankie Manning Centennial & World Lindy Hop Day events, from which some of the other source imagery in my collage comes from.
I started this artwork during my Painter Live! presentation in London and continued working on it for a further few weeks.
This portrait was created from life on a plane journey from London to San Francisco using an iPad Air using the Sketch Club app and Pencil by 53. Click on the video below to see stroke by stroke build up of the painting.
My subject, Ishmeet, was a passenger who happened to be sitting next to me on the journey. I don’t think he quite knew what he was letting himself into when I asked if I could draw his portrait… he ended up sitting still for almost 45 minutes! I love using Sketch Club on the iPad. It’s a great app for sketching and provides you with the opportunity to record and replay the painting and export it with music as an mp4 file (see the replay movie at top of this page).
If you’re interested to learn how to use Sketch Club and sketch on the iPad then please join my next Paint on the Go! one day workshop here in my studio in San Francisco. To see more examples of my mobile digital art please visit my Mobile Digital Art page.
Brandon, Masha and Arthur, 2014
After I finished the portrait of Ishmeet the gentleman sitting behind us, artist Brandon Jones, showed me his Wacom Cintiq Companion Hybrid on which he was using the app ArtFlow to sketch with. We swopped tools and he painted me on my iPad while I painted him on his Wacom CC Hybrid in a “draw off”! Neither of us had used the other’s platform or app before so it was very fun! This is my sketch of Brandon and his family.
“Chazz”, 2014, pigment ink and acrylic on canvas, 24″ x 36″
This is a portrait of dancer, performer and teacher Chazz Young. It features him leading the Shim Sham at Frankie 95, a celebration of his dad, Frankie Manning, legendary pioneer and Ambassador of Lindy Hop dancing whose Centennial (Frankie 100) was celebrated around the world on Monday, May 26th, 2014.
BREAKING NEWS: Chazz is recovering from a stroke and needs our help. Please visit this Chazz Young Back in Step crowdfunding page aimed to help with his medical-related expenses.
In the upper portion of the portrait you can see three views of Frankie and Chazz performing together to “It Ain’t What You Do (It’s the Way That You Do It)” by Jimmy Lunceford. To learn more about Frankie and Chazz I recommend viewing the wonderful video documentary “Frankie Manning: Never Stop Swinging”, produced and directed by Julie Cohen.
This painting was created using Corel Painter and a Wacom tablet on a Macintosh computer. I started by experimenting with all the new brushes included in the Extra Extras set here on PaintboxTV (see the close up details of the brush strokes shown below). I ended up with one of my new favorite brushes, David Gell‘s Eliron from his Inkspiration brushes, which reminds me of the looseness of painting with twig and ink.
Other portraits in this series of Lindy Hop legends include Frankie, Dawn and Norma. These paintings were displayed during the Frankie Manning Centennial celebration in New York City, May 26, 2014.
After Frankie 100 I sent Chazz his portrait which he framed and hung in his house. He then sent me the nicest thank you note (see below). His heart felt expression of how much this painting means to him is the greatest gift I can get for creating art. Thank you Chazz for inspiring this painting and being such a wonderful, warm, appreciative portrait subject as well as amazing dancer, teacher and performer!
Below is a video of Chazz dancing to Shiny Stockings, one of his Dad’s favorite tunes, at the Swinging at the Savoy dance weekend in Oakland, California, on February 27th, 2016. I love the way he improvises and flows with the music…
“Ishmeet”, 2014 – This portrait was created from life on a plane journey from London to San Francisco using an iPad Air using the Sketch Club app and Pencil by 53. Click on the video to see stroke by stroke build up of the painting.
“Brandon, Masha and Arthur”, 2014 – This portrait of artist Brandon Jones and his family was created from life on a plane journey from London to San Francisco using Brandon’s Wacom Cintiq Companion Hybrid with the ArtFlow app. It was a “draw off”: he painted me at the same time using my iPad with Sketch Club. Neither of us had used the other’s platform or app before so it was very fun!
“Folly Bridge, Oxford” – painted from life on an iPad Air using the Sketch Club app and Adonit Jot Touch stylus, 2014
“Portrait of Paul”, 2013, created using Art Rage and Adonit Jot Touch stylus on iPad2 at the ideacity conference, Toronto
On this page I share a small sampling of my (mostly) iPad drawings and paintings I have made over the last couple of years. I performed live iPad painting at the De Young Museum in October 2013 for the opening of “David Hockney: A Bigger Exhibition” (see my Inspired by Hockney page). I teach iPad painting workshops and classes. If you’re interested in learning how to draw and paint on your iPad, then please visit Paint on the Go! and The iPad Art Summer School. If you’d like to set up a portrait sitting please email me (jeremy@jeremysutton.com) or call me at (415) 641-1221.
“Still Life Study”, 2013, created using Art Rage and Adonit Jot Touch stylus on iPad2
“Mac at Cana”, 2014, created using Zen Brush and Adonit Jot Touch 4 stylus on iPad Air
“Alison Wright”, 2014, created using Sketch Club and Adonit Jot Touch 4 stylus on iPad Air
The portrait of Alison, shown above, is one of a series of portraits I drew from life on my iPad of fellow presenters at FOTOfusion 2014 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Alison is an amazing photo journalistic photographer who has captured portraits of people all over the world, including an extensive series of portraits of Tibetan Buddhists in Tibet and in exile (see her book Face to Face: Portraits of the Human Spirit). The following three portraits (below) were also created at FOTOfusion of fellow presenters.
“Lou Jones”, 2014, created using Sketch Club and Adonit Jot Touch 4 stylus on iPad Air
As I drew Lou’s portrait we discussed his six year project in which he and his team photographed and interviewed death row inmates across the country (see his book Final Exposure: Portraits from Death Row). It was an intense subject and that intensity was reflected in the portrait…
“Lawrence Gartel”, 2014, created using Art Rage and Sketch Club and Adonit Jot Touch 4 stylus on iPad Air
I’ve known Lawrence, a pioneering digital media artist, for many years. This year at FOTOfusion he drove up in one of his Art Cars. I included a photo I took of his artwork on the car in the background of this portrait.
“J. Tomas Lopez”, 2014, created using Sketch Club and Adonit Jot Touch 4 stylus on iPad Air
Tom, University of Miami Department of Art and Art History professor, sat for me for a few minutes at the FOTOfusion Awards Dinner between courses..
iPad painting performance at the de Young Museum, San Francisco, at the opening of the David Hockney: Bigger Exhibition. Photo by Stephen Somerstein.
Portrait of Sarah created live during my iPad painting performance at the de Young Museum, San Francisco, at the opening of the David Hockney: Bigger Exhibition. I used Brushes app (favored by Hockney) and an Adonit Jot Touch stylus.
Portrait of Meg created live during my iPad painting performance at the de Young Museum, San Francisco, at the opening of the David Hockney: Bigger Exhibition. I used Brushes app and an Adonit Jot Touch stylus.
Portrait of Lisa and Frank (with self-portrait) created live during my iPad painting performance at the de Young Museum, San Francisco, at the opening of the David Hockney: Bigger Exhibition using Art Rage App app and both the Wacom Intuos Creative Stylus and the Adonit Jot Touch stylus.
iPad sketch of author and historian Lawrence Weschler giving a talk, “Love Life: David Hockney’s Timescapes”, at the de Young, being watched by filmmaker Bruno Wollheim, who created the documentary portrait “David Hockney: A Bigger Picture”, created with the Brushes app and an Adonit Jot Touch stylus.
Over the last two years I have taught iPad painting and given iPad painting presentations in North America and Europe, including at the Oxford Internet Institute, Oxford University, (see William Dutton’s blog post) and at the magnificent flagship Apple Stores in central London (Regent Street), and San Francisco.
“Portrait of Tony”, 2013, created using Sketch Club with Adonit Jot Touch on iPad (created on Southwest flight at 30,000′ altitude). I like the recording feature in Sketch Club that also allows you to easily add your choice of music to the replay.
“Life Study”, 2013, created using Sketch Club with Sensu Brush on iPad2.
“Seated Man, after Diebenkorn”, 2013, created using Art Rage and Adonit Jot Touch stylus on iPad2 at the de Young Museum
Caricaturist Jon Casey and I sketch each other at the Coffee Bar outside my studio in San Francisco, Jon using pencil on paper and me using the procreate app on an iPad with a Sensu brush (see What’s in my studio). For a summary of the different iPad painting apps I am exploring, click here.
“Sketch portrait of Jon Casey”, 2013, creating using procreate on iPad2
In March, 2010, I came across artist Roderick Smith sketching on his iPhone in the Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena, using a PogoStick stylus and Brushes iPhone app, the same one David Hockney started with when he began sketching on his iPhone. He kindly let me have a go. When I got home I ordered a PogoStick and experimented with sketching in Brushes and Sketchbook Pro on the iPhone. It didn’t quite click for me. The iPhone screen felt too small and restricted, and the brush stroke styles too flat and uniform. I preferred sketching in my regular sketchpad.
The iPad introduced a significantly larger painting area. That summer in 2010 I sketched my first iPad portrait from life of one of my students at my Amsterdam Painter Workshop on his iPad (see iPad Sketching in Amsterdam). A year a half later, in January 2012, I went to see David Hockney’s Bigger Picture exhibition at the Royal Academy and was impressed with his display of huge prints of his iPad drawings, as he referred to them, in the spacious galleries of the historic and esteemed institution. For me that was the ahaa moment when i knew iPad art had arrived! On returning to San Francisco, I immediately bought a Nomad brush at Macworld and purchased all the cool iPad painting apps I saw they had on their demo stations, even before I’d purchased an iPad! I then got painting on the iPad in earnest, leading to my teaching iPad art workshops and performing live iPad painting at special events, including the Hockney show.
Lyana sitting for her portrait at an event organized by the Monaco Government Tourist Office. Notice that her name is in the structure of the brush strokes used to portray her. The next two portraits (below) were created at the same event. All portrait subjects received both a JPEG image of their portrait plus a video replay of the painting process of their portraits so they could watch it unfold brush stroke by brush stroke!
“Kyle” – painted from life on an iPad Air using the Sketch Club app and Adonit Jot Touch stylus, 2014
“Shambhavi” – painted from life on an iPad Air using the Sketch Club app and Adonit Jot Touch stylus, 2014
“In Thought” – painted from life on an iPad Air using the Sketch Club app and Adonit Jot Touch stylus, 2014
“Simon Playing Double Bass” – painted from life on an iPad Air using the Sketch Club app and Adonit Jot Touch stylus, 2014
“Tuyen Playing Piano” – painted from life on an iPad Air using the Sketch Club app and Adonit Jot Touch stylus, 2014
“Key West Patio” – painted from life on an iPad Air using the Sketch Club app and Adonit Jot Touch stylus, 2014
Rick and His Buick Beauty 2007 Mixed media on canvas, 20″ x 24″
This portrait of Rick and newly detailed and renovated 1936 Buick convertible was taken outside his Art Deco Oakland home on the shores of Lake Merritt. The painting features the Buick 8 logo he designed and the special red and yellow hub cub trimming he added. Also featured are depictions of him and his lovely wife Laurie, and him playing with his band The Martini Brothers at the historic Lake Merritt Hotel.
Me, Laurie and Rick with his Buick and the painting at the Hillsborough Concourse d’Elegance.
Moment in Time 2004 Pigment ink and acrylic on canvas, 38″ x 47″
This painting is based on a photo I took of my good friends and professional Tango dancers, performers and instructors Christy Coté and Darren Lees, performing at Peña Pachamama restaurant in San Francisco to the live music of Trio Garufa.
Christy and Darren dancing in front of the painting at the Move to the Groove Art Show: Celebration of Art, Music & Motion, part of ArtSFest, San Francisco, 2005.
Christy and Darren dancing in front of the painting at an exhibit at the Art Explosion, San Francisco, 2005.
rtSFest’s Spectra Ball guests take a gander at “A Moment in Time.” The Spectra Ball was held at the historic Old Mint in San Francisco on Saturday, April 9th, 2005. Chronicle photo by Christina Koci Hernandez
Moment in Time featured on the cover of the East Bay Monthly, February 2010.
* To purchase the original painting please either call 415-641-1221 or email jeremy@jeremysutton.com. Prices may be subject to change.
This portrait was created by hand in a single sitting from direct observation. The paint media used was digital paint which was then printed onto canvas and acrylic gel and paint was applied. Thanks, Andrius, for being such a great portrait subject!
Dawn Hampton Mixed media on canvas, 40 inches x 30 inches, 2008
This portrait is of the inspirational and legendary dancer, singer and cabaret artiste Dawn Hampton, who performed with artists such as Cab Calloway and Bette Midler, and inspired Lindy Hop dancers all over the world through her teaching of musicality. Learn more about Dawn and her incredible family of musicians in the documentary “The Unforgettable Hampton Family”. This painting depicts Dawn dressed up for one of the theme nights at the Herrang Dance Camp in Sweden in 2008. The painting was displayed as part of Dawn’s 82nd birthday celebrations in San Francisco, June, 2010. Sadly Dawn just passed September 25th, 2016. She will be greatly missed.
At that same Herrang dance camp in 2008, Dawn sat for a 3 minute portrait I created as a live painting performance, “Happy Feet, Happy Paint”, during the weekly Herrang cabaret evening. Even in sitting she shows her humor, spirit and musicality! Enjoy the video:
Dawn and her portrait, the Harlem Hotshots, Chris Lee and I at the Diego Rivera Theater, City College of San Francisco.
Dawn and I at the Diego Rivera Theater, City College of San Francisco.
Dawn talking at the Rent Party, San Francisco, June 2010
“The Golden Gate Bridge”
2012
120″ wide x 84″ high, mixed media on canvas
Created in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge
Unveiled at the
GGB75 Soirée
May 26th, 2012
The Painting “The Golden Gate Bridge”
This painting is a tribute to the vision, determination, skill and sacrifice of the many people we have to thank for this magnificent icon. In the lower left corner of the painting you will see the faces of five important players in the creation of the bridge. From left to right:
Joseph Baermann Strauss, Chief Engineer, who doggedly pursued the idea of building a Golden Gate Bridge after being asked in 1917 to offer a proposal by city engineer Michael M. O’Shaughnessy, and eventually saw it through to completion.
Amadeo Peter Giannini, financial guarantor whose Bank of America bought $6 million in bonds in 1932, without which the project would probably have never got off the ground.
Irving F. Morrow, consulting architect with is wife Getrude C. Morrow (they replaced the initial consulting architect John Eberson) and who, building on Eberson’s initial design and in close consultation with assistant engineer Clifford Paine, was responsible for the beautiful Art Deco styling. Irving Morrow lobbied successfully for the distinctive International Orange color.
Charles Ellis, key engineering expert who undertook many of the complex design calculations (they filled ten volumes).
Leon Moissieff, designer of the NY Manhattan Bridge, who contributed force calculations and worked closely with Ellis.
The workers who toiled above and below the treacherous waters are represented in the mid-left section of the painting. Throughout the artwork are newspaper clippings from the San Francisco Chronicle published on May 27th, 1937, the day the bridge was opened to the public, and the subsequent two days. The opening of the bridge was accompanied by a parade and a city-wide “Fiesta” featuring multiple celebrations, events and venues. The Fiesta program is included in the artwork. There is much else besides which I’ll be happy to point out when you visit…
The Painting “San Francisco Heart” This painting, which prominently features the Golden Gate Bridge, is on display at Sutton Studios & Gallery in a unique 36″ x 60″ luminescent LED Light Panel presentation kindly loaned by TaDah Corporation, as well as the original mixed media collage on canvas.
Sumi-e brush paintings on paper inspired by the Golden Gate Bridge
New series of Sumi-e ink paintings inspired by the Golden Gate Bridge, painted on 19″ x 24″ fine art paper prints of original pages from the San Francisco Chronicle at the time of the bridge opening. Besides being inspired by the Golden Gate Bridge, the series of Sumi-e brush paintings were also inspired by a number of other influences, first and foremost by my Zen calligraphy teacher, Sarah Moate sensei, who studied under the late Zen master calligrapher Terayama Tanchu Sensei, and also by the art of Jung Woong Lee and Robert Motherwell.
Historical program presented by Peter Moylan on the fascinating story behind the building of the bridge
Included in the GGB75 Soiréee was Peter’s telling, with slides, of the epic saga of the greatest theoreticians and designers of bridge building, fearless engineers and construction workers, and dedicated political and civic leaders, all led by a visionary with a desire for a monumental achievement of a lifetime, to build the Golden Gate Bridge.
Bridge historian Peter Moylan told this story in a unique combination of documentary narrative and storytelling that captures the dramatic events and personal sacrifices of those whose faith in the future and the value of progress overcame vast challenges of finances, politics, and engineering to create one of the world’s greatest icons.
Peter has been a student of San Francisco history for 36 years. He has also been a participant in civic and political events. He currently operates San Francisco Walks and Talks, offering the only walking tours that tell the entire history of San Francisco from native American village to the City we know today. I highly recommend arriving at the GGB75 Soirée before 7:30pm so you can enjoy his fascinating presentation.
May 26th is also a special Lindy Hop swing dance anniversary: Frankie Manning’s 98th Birthday
The day before the Golden Gate Bridge opened, and across the continent in New York City, a talented young dancer, Frankie Manning, was celebrating his 23rd birthday. While the Golden Gate Bridge Fiesta weekend was in full swing in San Francisco, it is likely that Frankie was pioneering innovative Lindy Hop air moves on the dance floor of the legendary Savoy Ballroom to the live music of big bands like the Count Basie Orchestra. Frankie, who performed internationally with the famous Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers and appeared in films like A Day at the Races and Helzapoppin’, subsequently served in the Army in World War II and fought in the Pacific, worked in the United States Post Office for over thirty years, and in his 70s started teaching Lindy Hop around the world, becoming the Ambassador of Swing to new generations of dancers. I took my very first Lindy Hop lesson from Frankie in 1995 and was inspired by his incredible joy, spirit and energy. He continued dancing and teaching until we sadly lost him age 94. May 26th would have been his 98th birthday and in Frankie’s honor my portrait of him was displayed at the GGB75 Soirée and some of his favorite tunes from the same era of the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge were played.
Big thank you to the Sponsors & Contributors whose generosity has made this event possible
Peter Moylan for contributing his time and sharing his deep knowledge on this fascinating topic!
TaDah Corp for loaning their fabulous LED Light Panels
SF Teatime / The British Grocery for their delicious contributions to the refreshments
Vinfolio for donating a top notch wine to the drawing
SFMade for donating SFMade T-shirts with their distinctive logo that features the Golden Gate Bridge
Golden Gate Bridge Furniture Company for bringing along examples of their furniture made of metal from the actual bridge (yes, there will indeed be real pieces of the bridge in the studio!)
Big thank you to Sarah who helped prepare the studio and the refreshments (even arranging
the cheeses to look like the Golden Gate Bridge!)
Big thank you also to Peggy for helping out, beyond The British Grocery!
“Chazz”, 2014, pigment ink and acrylic on canvas, 24″ x 36″
