Solemn - Part 4

I've been remembering my dreams a lot lately. One, in particular, has really stuck out. I was dreaming about cockroaches. Ugh...I'm no fan of cockroaches. I actually catch them and then release them in the backyard where our chickens gobble them up right away.

Anyway, in my cockroach dream the cockroaches had fuzzy little tails and actually kind of resembled puppies. My waking thought was, "Cockroaches are so darn cute!" (Interpret that, dream analyzers!)

That feeling did not last long.


I completed this painting. I really enjoyed working on it. Particularly when I stopped thinking of it as a self portrait, that is. I've loved using this palette of dark colors but now I think I'm ready for some brightly colored flowers or butterflies!

"Solemn"

Just when it seems like I'm getting near to
completion I go and decide I want to make
big changes. I decided that I didn't like the
shape of her lips. I also decided that I
wasn't really liking the totally dark background.

I got the lips pretty much right and then the
nose stopped looking right.

I redrew the nose.

Then I decided I didn't like her hair or the
way the necklace chain fell on one side. I
also added a bit of green to her eyes.

I went over her hair with a yellowish tint and
redid some of her neck. I also changed the shape
of the right side of her face. I added some pink
to her face as well. Then a number of changes
happened and I neglected to document them.
I was too busy working on the painting...bliss!

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Solemn - Part 3

I wake up in the night pretty regularly. Mostly I can go right back to sleep, but sometimes I go on ahead and get up and move to the couch...where I fall asleep pretty quickly. Now, when I leave the bedroom our lovely critters always accompany me. Our eighty-five pound Hazel jumps off of the bed and our two cats follow right behind. They go about their business having a middle-of-the-night snack and whatnot while I grab a blanket, settle in, and doze off. When my alarm goes off I can hardly move because there's a HUGE dog at my feet holding the blanket firmly to the couch, and two cats are on top of me. I hit "snooze" because who wouldn't want to enjoy that for an additional blissful nine minutes?


I continued working on this painting for the class I'm taking.

I let my ego get involved with my work this
time. While this is only loosely based on the
photo of me I have to admit that I wasn't
really liking how darn sad/depressed I was
looking. So I went all wacky and upturned
the mouth and added some smile lines
around the eyes. I also added eyelashes.

Then I went and changed the color of the face
and neck entirely. But what I discovered very
quickly is that I did not, in fact, like it better.
Not at all!
Dave gave it the big thumbs down, too.
So, baby wipes to the rescue....

I removed pretty much all of the changes I'd
made. Only I kept a bit of the lighter color
of the complexion and I left the smile lines.
Those were on the photo I was using and, by
golly, I rather like them! Same with the
eyelashes. So it was a two steps forward, one step
back kind of day...I LOVE those kind of painting
days! I always ultimately move forward. 

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Solemn - Part 2

I like to think I'm a hopeful person who doesn't easily give up. Case in point.


Me: "Want to go to an art show with us?"

Little guy: "Clearly you don't know me at all."


Yup, I'll keep asking him. He might as well get used to it.



I continued working on this painting. And I decided to title it "Solemn".

I added some black shadows to her cheeks and neck.
I also added black to her hair, lips, and shirt.

I used a yellowish tint on much of her face and neck.

I used white to add highlights to parts of her
face and neck. I also added yellow to her hair.

I began adding some reddish tinting to her
cheeks and lips. I also added a sparkle to her eyes.

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Untitled at this Point - Part 1

I started on a new piece. This time I'm doing a very loosely based self portrait. My goal was to capture reality, to capture truth. So when I took a selfie, I didn't smile ear to ear as is my custom. Rather, I pulled my hair back, bowed my head a bit, and took on a decidedly expressionless look. It was actually hard for me to look at the photo at first as the passage of time clearly shows on my face. Parts of my cheeks have become jowls. I've got dark shadows under my eyes. And my normal look when I just try to remain expressionless is that of a corners of the mouth downward frowning look.

But while it was hard for me to look at at first, after looking at it over and over as I sketched some basic features, I've come to really appreciate the changes my face has undergone and the story it tells. And now I consider it to actually be a pretty good photo.

So with this painting I'm continuing in the Max Beckmann style I used a couple of paintings ago. The color palette will remain the same...in fact I intentionally left all of my paints out by my easel. My routine is to put away all of my supplies away between paintings. It gives me a fresh start and keeps my area tidy. But this time I got to save those few minutes of work.

Another thing about this painting. I started by painting over a canvas that my mom had given me. She'd purchased it with the intention of painting over the glittery painting that had been done by another artist. I'll include the original painting in my blog so you can see what I started with.

Here's the canvas I started with.
It's actually a two canvas painting.
I painted over the top canvas.
Hope it wasn't by some famous
painter because it's gone now!

I covered it with a white/yellow background.
Here it is about two hours after I painted it.
It's shining because it's still wet...after all that
time. It took till evening to dry. This is why I
ended up posting a different painting last night.

I did a quick sketch.

I did a messy black background.

I did some basic outlining with black paint.

And I'm being super brave here. I'm posting
the photo I'm loosely basing my painting on.
Yup, lines, bagginess, dark circles...and none
of it bothers me any more. It's just me.

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With his Back to the Window - Part 4

I'm a lightweight...in so, so many ways. Case in point, tonight. The little guy, Dave, and I went to Schlotzky's for dinner. Each of them had cokes with their meal and then afterward they each had an ooey, gooey cinnamon roll. I looked at the roll with a longing rooted way in my past. Before I knew what had happened I'd taken a pinch of the little guy's roll and popped it in my mouth. It was a swirl of cinnamon sugar deliciousness. Then I took a small bit of Dave's. And then I took a ride on the sugar rush express.

Mmmmmm...it was worth every second.


I finished this painting. I loved being introduced to Max Beckmann's life story and his work. I enjoyed creating this piece with my own vibe inspired by his painting.

"With his Back to the Window"

I did a yellow wash over much of the painting.

I worked on the details of his face.
I struggled a lot with his right eyebrow, his nose,
and his mouth. Teeth are hard!

I added some reddish tinting here and there.
And before the final stage, I reworked his right eye,
his ear, and his hairline. I decided I liked the
unfinished look of his arms and hands. It
worked for me to leave them less finished
as it made his face pop as the most important
part of the painting.

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With his Back to the Window - Part 3

Gifts are lovely. Well, almost all the time they're lovely.

When are they not lovely? When they come in the form of a very large dead rat. Our little cat, Tommy, was so excited, too. I looked at him as he pranced by me, presenting it so proudly, and then I turned my back on him. 

Somehow I don't think I've managed to discourage him one little bit.

I continued working on this painting (and on my mystery commissioned painting as well). I'm really liking the darker tones with this one.

I started adding some red tones.

I worked a bit more on the shape of his face.
I'm wanting him to look more harsh
than I'm managing to do.

Working on his hairline and his eyebrows
seems to have helped a lot. I still want
more harshness, though.

I darkened the black areas and added
some dark details here and there.

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With his Back to the Window - Part 2

Sometimes things come full circle. Tonight my little guy and I were walking through a parking lot. I started to step off the curb and he, having seen a car approaching, put his arm in front of me. Mind you, I was in no danger, but how lovely was it that his protective instincts kicked into gear. Particularly considering that whenever I put my arm out to protect him he thinks I'm being ridiculous. I kept my mouth shut and just relished in the lovely moment, of course.

Me: "I love you, kiddo." (Except for that...I couldn't help but say that.)


I continued working on this painting. It's going to look like slow progress as I'm also spending time working on a commissioned piece. I'm not able to post anything on the commissioned piece until it's given away during the holidays. It's kind of fun doing something on the down low.

I began adding some color. I also decided
that his left arm was too high. You can
see the beginnings of my moving it.

I added some dark shades and
continued working on that arm.

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With his Back to the Window - Part 1

I went to my first Zumba class in a couple of years last night.


Little guy: "You looked ridiculous, mom."

Me: "Was it just me or did everyone look ridiculous?"

Little guy: "Everyone looked ridiculous."

Me: "OK, then I was doing just fine."


Whew! Good thing that as I get older I don't take the things my kids so so seriously without digging just a tad deeper.



I started working on a new piece. The artist we're studying in the class I'm taking is Max Beckmann. I'd never heard of him, but his story is incredibly compelling. He did a number of self portraits and I'm working on a looser impression of one of his self portraits. My goal with this one is not to work on matching his painting stroke and technique-wise, rather to explore the emotions being conveyed and explored.

I watched a couple of hours of coursework this evening before beginning this, so I don't have a lot to show...yet.

The last few paintings I've done (this one included) have been on canvases given to me by my mother recently. She is an amazing artist and painted a lot during my childhood. It was with mixed emotion that I accepted these canvases. This girl always loves some free art supplies, but accepting these also symbolized an end of my mother's painting. I hope she enjoys what I'm doing with them.

I started by doing a quick charcoal sketch.
There's a lot that will be "corrected" during
the painting stage.

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Most of my paintings are for sale and I welcome commissions.

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