Starting big from small sources

Hi there,

I spent a lot of the day today in my car checking chores off the
interminable list. I wanted to paint at class tonight, but I'm
committed to a big 30" x 30" painting for submission to
a show on Monday. So that pretty much means I have to
paint me -- someone I know well enough to try and go at
a breakneck speed, given that I teach all day tomorrow,
and Friday afternoon.

I apologize for the photos tonight.
This is actually a white canvas
30" x 30"
with beginning of the underpainting
of yellow, pink, orange and a touch of red
to create peach

Steven took some pictures of me, he printed them out
4" x 6 " and I waded in. The photos of the painting's
development have worked out badly because I guess
there was less light than I thought,
and I may not have had the flash on. But this is a kind
of underpainting beginning. The small photo was too
tiny for face reference, and I need better reference
for the hands, because I'm holding brushes.

At our art club, we have to submit the names of
our work almost a month in advance of a show. A month
ago I was having big trouble with large work because
of my broken ankle, so I gave in a name of a yet
to be realized work. The name was "Work in Progress",
and I thought I am one of my works in progress for
sure, so there it is.

I want to try and keep a freshness in it, even though
it will be mostly done from photo reference. But
I will use a mirror too. Right now it doesn't
look like me, but it has the lively happy air I'm
going to try for.

How far I got tonight.

The background is a light peach pink colour.
Something's gone a bit odd with the light
or the camera -- or I hear you -- me.-

I do love painting, and I work on being a happy
person even when times are tough, so the
painting should say that. Big day at school
tomorrow. I'm tired now.

Have a getting-it-all-done day.

Leaving room to breathe

It's time for bed now. Here's one of the
first portraits I did in acrylic. I love
the energy, which comes from my dear
friend Susan, who is a vibrant, brilliant
and kind person. I like the fact that she
looks like she wants to jump out of the
chair and rush off somewhere.

In 2004 when this was done I got so
excited about my new lease on life
in art, as a painter in acrylics,
after 10 years doing watercolour,
that I entered every show imaginable.
It was a great learning experience,
but I found out that if I don't have
the energy to be wildly enthusiastic
about everything I'm doing, I'm probably
overdoing it and need to cut back.

Artists, like everyone else need to find a balance between, work, life
family, friends, love, laughter, reading, sleeping, eating. Most of us
have to do other work to support our art habit, even if paintings
are selling well. So... I learned to pick and choose. I learned to
make enjoying everything I do my number one priority. Of
course that's not always possible, but it's a great goal.

There are hundreds of sites on the net that give you relaxation
techniques. Here's one:

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/ART00521

Have a time-to-breathe-freely day.