Here is today’s work.  I am very excited to see this come into reality.  This image is so much like the girls and painting it is almost like carving an image of them and having it come to real life.  They are a few years older now but they still look just the same.  Besides, this is a day’s event that will be nice to have memorialized as I once planned but didn’t get it right.  I hope I can keep working and show you regular updates and I hope you enjoy seeing my process.  I will tell you here that there is no flesh color on this painting although it looks like there is.  The background undercoat is grey and the grisaille is only just begun with a half-paste of lead white.  I am doing the darks with a mixture of burnt sienna, black and burnt umber.  I usually use a grey or green but the tones on their faces are so much in bright sun that I wanted all warm hues.  Of course, they both have toothy smiles, a no-no for most portraits, but who cares?  This is what I want so this is what I am doing.  If I get much done tomorrow, I will try to update, if not, I’ll see you next week.  By the way, the sailor is almost finished.  Tonight while watching TV I hope to paint some details.  Shalom, Diana