Portraits and Portals

Ahhh! The studio has been swept clean, and it's time to get it messy again with projects and paintings in progress. This is a portrait I've been working on. It's going slowly, because the photo I took of this young lady is already very nice all by itself.

When I take a break from this piece, I take up the brushes and work on a still life that waits for me on a table. Nice to have more than one painting going! It gives your mind a break, moving from one to the other. There's always a problem with light, or something doesn't just look right. Walking away is a good thing! Knowing when to walk away from a painting is even better. It's always smart to step aside, or leave undone, rather than completely overpaint the subject to the point of frustration.

I used to be an avid reader. Reading was so hypnotic. Now I am an avid painter. When people ask me what it's like to create and paint, I tell them it's like reading a good book. A portal to another world. The session ends when I overpaint, dammit! Then it's back to the real world for a while. Sometimes, I miss reading.