Here are the two images I wanted to load a few days ago.  I got everything ready and then could not get them to go onto the demonstrations page.  I still cannot figure out what I am doing wrong.  That page is on hold somewhere in the ether.  I decided to put it here so you don’t have to wait any longer.  The first one is the sketch that I have worked on a little while the transfer paint is still wet. (I don’t like to leave lines).  The second one is after two or three sessions.  Mostly I have just worked the lights and darks in a few layers so that I can make as many corrections as I want.  Soon my student and I will begin with adding color to the flesh.  This is very difficult because it involves using a light touch and being able to know what you are looking for.

I thought you might like to see another painting I am working on.  It takes a lot of work for me to do something other than portraits because I really have no idea what I am doing.  I just love flowers and so when I have nice ones, I get some photos and then later I can work on a still life.  Of course I will call this one Wine and Roses.

I got a nice surprise recently.  I was watering my orchids and noticed three flowering stems on a specimen that I’ve had for five years!  It took almost two months for the inflorescence to open.  It is a mini oncidium and that blossom is about as big as a thumbnail.  Then a couple of days ago, I discovered two blossoms, not open yet, on my cymbidium that I’ve had for years!  Since it never bloomed, I did some research and found that they just won’t bloom in this part of the country.  But there they are.  When they open, I’ll show you.

I am really eager to let you see the painting I’m preparing for the shows but I just don’t want to reveal it yet.  Maybe I’ll take a detail shot and post it soon.  Till next time.  Blessings, Shalom, Diana

I know it has been a slow winter. If you have followed this blog you know about the life events (health and deaths) that have taken time and energy. Now I am trying to get back into a regular routine. An exciting thing for me is working with a private student. I was concerned at first that I might not be up to this task but the student has made that concern vanish. This person is talented and completely dedicated to acquiring the skills needed to accomplish similar works but from a unique perspective. We are enjoying the interaction.
I am also concentrating a large segment of time/energy on the large piece for next year’s shows. I’m not ready to release much info about it except to say the following; the piece is quite large (I decided on the size based on the largest possible dimensions allowable for most juried shows and also, of course, on the composition.) The composition is very complicated and tedious although I am enjoying it. The subject is interesting, different, and captivating. Everyone who has seen it says it is their favorite, but they say that about each one as they come along! I wanted to have it done for last fall but all the personal things interrupted my work. Now it is moving along.
I am going to place photos of works in progress from my class on the demonstration page. We are working on a close – up portrait that I have painted before. You will notice that I am approaching it differently this time. I chose this portrait because of the facial features being cheerful and excited but mostly because of the lighting. When I finished it the first time, I did so in a hurry to have something for my art group. The finish was loose and painterly, not typical for me. Now I am working on a more precise rendition, what people sometimes call ‘tight’. My favorite artist is William Adolphe Bouguereau. His skin tones and surfaces were smooth and deep and his mastery of the human figure has no comparison. If he made such beautiful works of art with such a tight method, then I certainly can work in that manor as well. I’ve never conformed to someone else’s idea of ‘correct’. I paint what my heart tells me. I am going to download the most recent examples of this work into the category of demonstrations. As I continue, I will try to get some really good close- up shots of the work. The new camera we have should get some pretty good views. Hope this is helpful. (I’ll load these later today.) Shalom, Diana