Working on a Portrait/Figure series.
Well, I think I might be finally getting the hang of this painting thing. Working on a series and being focused really seems to help. I did a demo yesterday for the Canyon Lake bunch, presenting them with watercolor portraits. I did not do a whole painting but, the starting process on one work, the next phase on another, and then tweaked on two others explaining the process of each phase. I think they liked it...
As usual, I get busy on one thing and something else falls to the wayside. It seems like I can either market, and teach, or paint and study, but Marketing, painting, study, and teaching, seems to be more than I seem to be able to handle. With last year a sort of hiatus dealing with family issues, and the exaustion that followed those months there, I find that I have less teaching obligations. That happens when you don't stick to the marketing..So, the fallback is to work in the studio, and improve my work. I am having a good time doing just that. While I was away helping out with family, I started on a series of watercolor portraits. They say paint what you know, so since family was there, and I pretty much know them, that is what I did. I am pleased with the work that has come out of that effort. I will though try hart to get the work onto the blog more..I know..You have heard that before, but hey, I am an artist and we are supposed to be flakey right? So patience will help..and going to my facebook page, since that seems to be where the new work ends up. I have two, Gabriele.baber (Oma) which is where the work ends up, and Gabriele.baber artist..which the work is not ending up, but should be. Give it time, it will get there eventually..so now about the painting:
Today's painting one of those pieces from last night that was on the third wave of the demo. This one is one of my Onkel Willie, who lives in Germany. He is a sweet soul that you would love even if you did not understand a word he was saying. He is a warm gentle man, with lots of information to share. He doesn't seem to mind if you can't understand all of what he says, as is the case with my daughter. He would just explain more carefully, with gestures, and you know, the strange thing is, you end up at least thinking you know exactly what he is talking about. I love this guy..he's great.
I miss my family in germany, and it must be time to go back for a visit, since I seem to be drawn to paint them these days. My goal is to get through each of the surviving seniors that are there. Perhaps I will put together a book of family portraits..I certainly have enough of them. These are smaller works, meant to be study works, to improve my skills in portrait and figure painting. I am starting to feel more comfident all the time. Just when that happens, it is usually time to change things up again.
