Welcome 2012!

01/15/2012

I am super excited for 2012. Mostly because I was mentally done with 2011 back in September. I don't know what it is about the start of this new year that seems much more significant this time. After all, it's just another day. I suppose there were things - obligations, revelations, complications - that more closely coincided with the end of 2011, and I am so glad to be moving on.

Jack and Lucy
11 x 14"
Oil on Canvas

Already I've made some exciting plans for this year. In fact I would have to say the plans I've made would rank in the very top most adventurous and meaningful things I've ever done for myself. Now that you're on the edge of your seat, try not to be disappointed when I tell you I signed up for a painting workshop. But this isn't just any workshop. Since there is a lot more I'd like to say about it, I'll save it for its own post later on!

Since the new year, I've done two small commissions and have two more small ones lined up. There are a few commissioned paintings from December that didn't get posted on this blog. But they can be viewed in the pet portraits gallery. And now that I'm thinking of it, I haven't even posted an update about the December show at the Candy Factory. Needless to say, I have some catching up to do in the blogging department.

Allow me to start catching up with this little challenge (above) that I finished up yesterday. Painting portraits of people, for me, is way more intimidating than painting animals. But this has been a good exercise, and I enjoyed the chance to venture out of my comfort zone.

This is an image of the initial sketch or underpainting. Below are the pictures the purchaser sent to me to use as references. As you can see, the photographs don't need to be perfect or exactly like the finished painting. I usually edit them on my computer, adjusting the contrast and sometimes editing out the color and working from black and white, especially in the beginning.