finished double portrait

Here's the finished portrait.

I was kept away from it for a while since the last step and as I eyeballed it in passing I got rather fond of its looseness. When I went back to wrap it up, I wasn't feeling the detail I was adding - I stopped myself and will let it be.

When I'm working I'm fed by the magic moment, not necessarily the moments of absolute control. I enjoy the amazement of how one loose gesture can create the wrinkle around a lip that gives away the secret of a concealed smile more than a couple days of glazing would. At the same time I greatly enjoy the work of those who feel fulfilled by a different process, which illustrates a wonderful thing about art - art is witnessing someone's understanding -- how wonderful is that??

Now - Dinner/dishes, a walk to get water ice with the kids, reading, tucking in and then back to the easel. Deadlines approaching for three new pieces.

You can read more here, here, and here,

waiting for paint to dry, next step in the 20x20 oil on panel double portrait

I've been busy working on the house with A while he's been home the past couple days, that and plenty of Summer playdates, playdates, playdates. I just now finished up a couple hours in the studio - A took the kids with him to Lowes.

I went into that door I was dreading - that kind of french scroll work is not my bag. I had the option of changing it, but find it such an identifying characteristic of the row houses in our neighborhood that I want to keep it in this portrait of the girls. I need to go in and chisel away at it and get to the details of the hands. It will nag me to look at it like this while I wait for the paint to dry enough, but I thought I'd share anyway and not edit my annoyances out of the process.

You can see the rest of the process here, here, and here

20 x 20 oil on panel double portrait for (w)holon show

And we're almost there.

I don't think I want to work the faces much more. I will evaluate how the highlights settle in tomorrow.

There's an intricate iron door behind them on our left, I've been thinking about how to approach this - I don't want it to get fussy.

Previous steps are here and here