"Babe in Arms"

18"x12"

Oil on Board

for purchase information contact River Bend Fine Art Gallery

Well, I do believe this is finished. It has been a great subject to work with and I've really enjoyed the size. It just feels very different to be able to scrub around with a brush more than I do with the little paintings. I love the calligraphic quality of brushstrokes and it was great to be able to explore that a little (and I think it was "just a little"!). After I finished the painting I took my dog for a walk. It's been a snowy/rainy day, very gray. What struck me, though, is that the colors in this high-desert landscape today were the same as what is in this painting. Hmmm. . . .

Painting in Process #2--"Babe in Arms"

18"x12"

Oil on Board

Unfinished

I was able to spend some more time on this today. There's really not much to say about it except that what you see today may be different tomorrow! One thing I'm thinking is that mom's face may have to fade out somewhat--the painting really is about the little guy. Mom is holding a cell phone. I want to keep it, but also want to make sure it's "readable". It doesn't look as much like the actual people as it did when I started. I'm not sure if I'm going to worry about that or not. I may just go ahead and let it be more of an "interpretive portrait". I like the freedom of that, but have a huge strain of "get it right" running through my veins!

"Helping With the Ribbon" #3 (sold)

8"x6"

Oil on Board

$115 plus $10 domestic s/h

click here to ask about purchasing this painting through Paypal

Here's a smaller version of the same painting I did a few weeks ago. It's funny to me how there are some images I could paint over and over--and also some challenges I feel compelled to try again--like painting the whites. This little painting was also a challenge because of the size. I think after doing it larger that I expected the same detail, etc. It was nice to see that it could be its own painting, not necessarily a copy of the other.

"Morning's First Hug" (sold)

6"x6"

Oil on Board

As to the painting of the whites on yesterday's post, I meant to mention (for the benefit of anyone whose been in my drawing classes and may be reading this) that I ended up making myself a value scale in order to find the correct values in that painting. It was difficult putting together color and value and I found that I really needed the scale. The values make so much difference in a painting coming out the way you want it to. I find that when something doesn't feel right, it can often be corrected by making something lighter or darker.