Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Attempting Portrait Painting- Finally!




I have been painting for many years, and I love it!  I started with watercolors and gouache and then, oils and acrylics.  I have just always been very uncomfortable with painting people.  I should have faced that fear a long time ago and by now, I'd be finding it easy.  I mostly paint watercolor beaches and still life, and still life in oils.  My oil painting teacher said to just treat a face like any other object in a still life- or even turn the painting upside down. No big deal, really.  Anyway, I have pretty much avoided painting people and faces- except maybe small people in a beach painting.

I haven't been painting on a regular basis for the last several 
years.  Family matters have been a priority, but now its time to get back into my art.  To help with that, in August-AND on my birthday- I became a grandma.  Now that I have the cutest grand baby on the planet (in my totally non biased opinion) to paint- it is time to get over it and start working on painting people!  I have a desk full of attempts and do-overs, but all of my practice is starting to pay off.  I am starting to have some luck with baby faces and now am working hard at getting a baby face that looks like the baby I am painting specifically.

  I really am on a mission and hope to be able to paint this sweet baby by the time he gets out of high school.

Wish me luck!

"The scariest moment is always just before you start."
-Stephen King