Frog Princess

Why do I avoid faces?

Is it because I love the story that can be told from the back or side as if you're looking in on the story?  That's an answer I've given.

I think, however, that's only a partial truth.  I think the more accurate reason is that faces are just plain hard!
The challenges that come with making a white canvas look like a specific person keep me humble, remind me that my skills are limited.

I "finished" this precious little girl a few days ago; however, I could tell from my husband's polite reaction, that it really wasn't finished. Because I was frustrated with her for not cooperating, I literally put her in the corner for a few days.

With fresh eyes and spirit, I put her back on the easel, turned her upside down, and went began the plastic surgery... cut off some hair, lengthened an eyebrow, lightened a cheek... fattened a lip, lowered a chin..... almost.  But she needed one more go... squared a chin, added some mascara, highlighted a nostril, deepened a crease...

There  comes a time to say, "I'm satisfied. I love her.  I love the story this image tells."  

This final stage is like editing - looking for what's wrong.
There are several strategies that I use to help me "see" better.

** Leave the room and come back.  When I imagine seeing it for the first time, I can be more objective.

** Ask a friend what they notice first.  Usually if something jumps out first, it's shouldn't be there.  

** Take a picture of it, and put it on the computer screen.  It's like a fresh view where things show up that I just wasn't seeing on the canvas.

**Look at it in the mirror.  Sure the reflection is backwards, but it's amazing what I notice that I didn't see before.

**Turn it upside down.  This takes the "person" out of it and just lets me concentrate on colors, lines, and shapes.

[SOLD]

Little Curt

Isn't it hard to paint a face?

That's a question I get asked all the time.  The answer is "no" and it's "yes."  The first thing I learned about painting a face is that I have to stop seeing a face, a mouth, an eye, an ear, a nose. It's just shapes and colors, darks and lights.  If I think of an eye as an eye, I make it too round or to almond shaped and exactly like the other one; if I think a mouth is a mouth, I make it too red, too crescent shaped. 
My portrait paintings are just like every other painting... they go through an ugly stage.  I'm never comfortable letting someone see a portrait that's not finished.  I can see in their face... "ummm... yeah..." while they wonder what to say.  In the first stage of my portraits, they look very creepy, kind of like the zombies from Thriller, while I'm getting the darkest darks blocked in. The second stage happens pretty quickly, and I have a lovely portrait of some little child - just not really the one I'm supposed to have.  The most tedious part is what follows.  What tiny  brush stroke will it take to make these lips, his lips?  What's wrong with the shapes of that eye? Where is that nostril supposed to be?
Finally, there's the, "Oh, there you are!" moment followed by a big "Whew!"  because the stress level is usually high by then.
So, my answer is no, it is not hard to paint a face.  But, if you want a specific face... well, yeah, it's hard!

In general, I don't enjoy painting portraits. My love is painting a story - a toddler doing something cute or sweet.  My thought is that if you want an exact picture of someone's likeness, then put a frame on a photo; however, sometimes there's a good reason.

My sister-in-law's father carried a photo of her and her brother in his wallet when he went to serve in the Korean War.  While there, he had someone paint those pictures.  Now, she has that portrait.  She asked me if I could paint a portrait of my brother, her husband, as a toddler and turn it into a color painting to be placed with hers.  She gave me an old black and white photo of him, a color photo of their daughter in a similar pose, and that was the challenge.

Isn't he a sweetie and a cutie!!  (Both 50 years ago and now!)

[SOLD]

Here's Looking at You

Why would anyone paint this?

Well, I'll tell you how it happened.  I had the opportunity to enter two paintings in a 5x5 showing and auction at Art Center of the Ozarks.  I was sitting at Sonic (yum!) with my teenaged son talking about what I should paint.  I said I wanted to do something different than a flower or piece of fruit like most people would do.  I said, "I don't want to shrink something down, I want to paint something small but make it bigger.  But, I want to paint something that's really beautiful and colorful.  What could that be?"  He flipped down the visor, looked in the mirror, and said, "My eyes.  They're small and beautiful and colorful."  That was it!

I suppose I shouldn't ruin it by telling how he whined and fussed at me having to take at least a dozen pictures to get a good one of each eye.....

I entered one of these little eye paintings in a challenge that encouraged artists to think about "Color" and what colors represent in different contexts.  Visit "In the Moment" to see the other "color" pieces.

Mama's Kiss

I love this little bright-eyed baby. I think it's pretty clear that his Mama does too. I hope she takes every opportunity to give him kisses. In no time at all, he'll think he's too big.

Guess what... I remember when it was this Mama that was being cuddled and kissed on the cheek!

Click below if you'd like to purchase "Mama's Kiss." It is available in several forms.

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