Untitled (work in progress)
Acrylic on canvas
18 x 24 inches
Barbara Muir © 2013
I am having a great time working on my babypainting, but am amazed at how much time it's
taking. Anyone who has never painted a baby
may think -- wow that's easy. But it's not true.
Babies look straightforward -- but they are as
full of personality and physical quirks as
any grown up.
One of my friends is studying classical drawing
and painting methods. I was trained in those
methods as a teenager in art school. But one of
the qualities that line of study values is -- time.
Poses last for weeks on end, just like they do
when you are painting a portrait commission from
life. Thinking about these sorts of studies, I let
myself off the hook. This baby will be done when
it is done.
At the moment I am still fleshing her in and fine
tuning her. Sometimes at night before I go to bed
I make a list of what to look at/work on tomorrow.
It's helpful as it is in this case for deciding what to
work on next. So here she is at stage I don't know
maybe 4 in her development. I will keep you posted
as the painting progresses.
Have a working-through-the-list day
