The Making of a Masterpiece: The Autograph Seekers of Bel Air Phase 7

There in no formula that dictates where he will start painting. Sometimes he starts with the foreground, sometimes with the sky, sometimes with the ground, or other feature.


After a couple of days, you already get the feeling of clear summer day.

The Making of a Masterpiece: The Autograph Seekers of Bel AirPhase 6

The canvas all drawn up.

Hello from Mort!

Welcome to my redesigned and improved website, it's more interactive and easier to navigate.

I hope you enjoy it!

Mort

The Making of a Masterpiece: The Autograph Seekers of Bel Air Phase 5

Mort always draws his final composition on brown paper to create the grid that will help him transfer it to the canvas, and also to mark the lighting effects.



Here he is in the process of transferring it to the canvas. Of course he had to take the time to explain what it’s all about and how excited he is about what the finished painting will communicate.

The Making of a Masterpiece: The Autograph Seekers of Bel Air Phase 4

His original concept was a vertical painting, but as you can see, he decided that a horizontal approach would better serve the composition.

The Making of a Masterpiece: The Autograph Seekers of Bel Air Phase 3

He drew Gen. Lee in different positions in order to see which would play better with the overall picture.

The Making of a Masterpiece: The Autograph Seekers of Bel Air Phase 2

Back at the studio, he started creating his first layouts to come up with a composition. Some of these drawings are no bigger than 3”, but help the artist put down his idea.

More samples of his original sketches trying to come up with the final composition.

The Making of a Masterpiece: The Autograph Seekers of Bel Air Phase 1

Ideas for paintings come from many sources, Mort already has a long list of them but as an artist he has to have “that” excitement about portraying certain events. Very rarely has he decided to paint something almost on the spur of the moment. Although he loves what he does, there are deadlines to meet, previous engagements, appearances to schedule, and so on.

On his recent trip to Strasburg on March 22nd, 2009, he also visited the Bel Air estate in Front Royal, Va. Current owner Larry Lehew had invited him and suggested the mansion as the subject of a future painting. After reading more about it, Mort became so excited that he decided it had to be his next painting.

Everybody here at the studio was afraid that he wouldn’t make the print release deadline; he had exactly five weeks to come up with a masterpiece!

Little did we know that Mort would take on the challenge like a top professional athlete. I’ve never seen him that focused, so concentrated, working so hard, days, nights, and weekends; but he did and the result is amazing.

I hope you all enjoy this painting because, as they say, it was done with sweat and blood! And I must add...love.

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While Mort was on site he made a quick diagram of the layout from the house viewpoint. The painting’s final viewpoint will be from the creek below.