Little Treasure

How do those colors & shapes, lights & darks, actually become something recognizable?

I love watching it happen...

The process still amazes me.

Mix a color palatte that has lights, mediums, and darks.

 Just get the shapes in the right place.

Squint and find the shadowed places first.

Squint again to find the lightest places.

Blend, tap, touch, brush, add, remove, fuzz...

Don't stress when it's in the "ugly" stage.  All paintings, like all kids have to go through it.

 Be brave with new strokes that have to cover what's already right.

 Step back and look at it with fresh eyes, or take a picture of it and look at it on the screen, or hold it up to a mirror.  Change whatever draws your eyes first.

My spot.

[SOLD]

Thanks to Rebecca Marinoni, photographer, 

for capturing this image and 

for granting permission to paint it.

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]

First Recital II

When is one just not enough?

When Mama wants it on her wall and Memaw wants it on her wall!

I've had giclees made of several of my paintings.  The place that does the imaging and creates the giclees is really good.  The product looks great, but it's expensive.

I'm getting better and faster as a painter, I had left over paint, and it I had fun doing it the first time. So... I decided to do a do-over.

They're not identical, but they're pretty close.
Cute.
Cute.
Cute. 



Click "First Recital" if you'd like to purchase this little one for your wall.

[SOLD]