the year is running out

Xmas day was a good opportunity to get out and paint a couple of quick plein air sketches, hardly a soul around,

 but I find it hard to comprehend how some people can turn an idyllic location into a garbage pit... (photo of the same location from two different angles)

and I was invited to contribute to a self portrait Facebook page, so I painted this on Sunday, an A3 size Oil  on paper

the end

every year at this time, the life drawing and portrait groups around here stop for a couple of months, and nothing resumes until the end of January- beginning of February.
here are some from the final sessions

a 5 minute pencil sketch

and a 30 minute oil sketch

and from the portrait group at Richmond Art Supplies, two one hour oil studies, I usually like to alter positions if I do a second one... but there wasn't enough room this time!