Bringing the models to me

These three portrait studies are from my first week of having models come to pose in my own studio instead of traveling long distances to attend various painting groups around northern Vermont. I think it worked out pretty well - considering. The real problem that I was sick most of the week and actually had to cancel three modeling sessions.  The guy in the middle who posed was late and took so many long breaks and eventually fell asleep, so I had only about an hour to work on that one. Oh well, it is all a learning process and now, I am not only trying to learn to paint but am having to learn how to arrange that models and scheduling and how to deal more effectively with people. It is hard for me to tell the models what to do. I am not used to ordering people around.

A WORK IN PROGRESS

This is a painting I started last Thursday night at our Montpelier painting group. The model was entirely back lit, presenting quite a challenge for me. But I wanted to concentrate on the face so I went ahead with it.  I am fairly well pleased with the result - enough that I would like to work on it some more. I will even up the shadows, especially on the shoulder. And I will straighten the eyes. The hair looked like a glowing cloud against the dark background. I was encouraged to paint it in white for now and to work on it later with glazes after the paint dries. So that is what I will do.