Monday, November 17, 2008

The promised promise

Today was the day my painting "The Promise" had to be submitted.
Ouch! I worked at school up in King City today, then drove
home between classes to finish it up. With one hour to go I
looked at it in complete despair. The face was just not
working. What to do? My reference photos weren't
accurate enough, and I didn't have my wonderful model.

On the point of tears, I sucked it up and painted out the face.
Yup. I started the face from scratch. Not only that
I was jumping between reference photos of three different
people. So it went in tonight after I got home from driving
through a snowstorm, not as the ideal portrait I was planning,
but as the painting I had promised to the show -- The Promise.
I don't have a photo to show you, and that's just as well.
Thank goodness the nice woman on the desk at our D.V.A.C.
show said I was wrong, and that it was fine. Still, I know what
I was working towards, and unless it sells, I will still have my work
cut out for me.



In the studio
16 x 16 inches
acrylic on canvas

I came home and spent some time on my little painting of the
studio tonight to celebrate my change of pace. So here's the
(almost) finished version of that piece. Maybe the moral of the story
is, "you can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes
you get what you need." (I needed a painting). Thanks to the
universe and shameless willpower I got it on time. Just.

Have a forgiving-yourself-for-being-human day.

8 comments:

milindmulick said...

this is a wonderful composition.cheers

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Milind,

Thanks so much. I really appreciate your support.

Take care,

Barbara

Anonymous said...

I hate it when that happens. :) Like Anna Rosanna Dana said, "It's all the time somethin". But I'd bet my last dollar your painting is just fine like the lady said. Barbara M. aint no slouch. And wiping out a face with an hour to go? Gutsy too.
Eldon

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Eldon,

You're so kind. It was gutsy, and
probably wrong. But hey. I think
you'd know what I meant right away.
The simple truth is that I needed more,time, and more time was not available.

Your faith in me is greatly appreciated.

Take care,

Barbara

David Lobenberg said...

You are one hot tamale when you go into your red mode. Love this one. Thanks for tagging me. Yea, we are in the same art blogging universe, and sometimes the tagging travels in circles. That's OK, and I'm ready to tag! Looking forward to seeing some more hot portraits from you.

Edgar said...

Well, this one fulfills a promise. I discovered I have a bit of color blindness in the red range (unable to distinguish between some shades). But your palette is courageous, and works beautifully.

Barbara Muir said...

Hi David,

Thanks so much. But I think you've
cornered the hot art market. I love
your paintings, sketches and superb humour.

More portraits are coming soon. Thanks for your vote of confidence.

Take care,

Barbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Edgar,

Well this painting is pretty red -- and pink because of the antique satin dress the model was wearing. I'm glad you like it.

I've never been a value person -- so turned off by those grey studies at art college, but I hope it works for you even if the colour isn't exact.

I had one teacher who looked at every painting I did and said that what it needed was the dark darks. I guess my cat Timbah satisfies that requirement in this painting.

Sometimes I'm just painting.

Take care and keep writing and
painting,

Barbara

Portrait Artist

My photo
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
I paint and draw on commission and for shows. To commission a portrait, or purchase one of my paintings please contact me at: barbara.muir@sympatico.ca
A major highlight in my career? Drawing Oprah Winfrey live via Skype for her show "Where in the Skype are you? Galleries: Studio Vogue Gallery, Toronto, Canada. The Amsterdam Whitney Gallery, New York City. Gallery at the Porch Door, Kingston, Canada. Your positive comments on this blog mean the world to me. I'd love to hear from you!