Finis!

I can hardly believe I actually finished it! Overall, I’m pleased with the result, despite its overworkedness. Normally, I would have focused as much on the background, i.e. the window trim, but Todd told me to leave it alone already—‘the focal point is the subject, not the woodwork!’

One of the problems with allowing a watercolor to sit for over a year, before finishing it, is that the masking tape doesn’t want to let go—and, in a couple spots it didn’t. (And masking fluid has to be gouged off--not good.) Not to worry, I’ll simply matt up to the edge…

I'm being very brave, now, posting the real Susie...(this is where I start feeling very critical—can I call the discrepancies ‘artist prerogative?’)

Now, it’s time to start querying—while I do the big wait between the rejections—perhaps I’ll finish another painting...

It Won’t Be Long Now

It’s getting close for sure. I’m pretty much over the panic mode, mostly because if some one who knows her looked at it, they’d say, ‘Oh, sure—that’s Susie!’
When I say that my biggest motivation, at this point, is just getting it behind me, I guess no one would be shocked—I seem to fall into the angsty artist profile.

More on the Face

Okay, I’m not going to whine this time; I’m just going to post it…
I will say this much—I’m scared of giving her raccoon eyes…

I Haven't Quit Yet...

A little more progress…It actually looks pretty good under dim lights.

Okay, you may as well know what I'm shooting for. See how much darker the face needs to be?

And see how tricky I am, using a much smaller picture so you can't quite tell if the eyes are right?

Some Progress

Okay, I know it doesn't look like much, but it is something—and I won't say how long it took me, and yes, I know I'm overworking it...
And I know I said she's a beautiful girl; granted, she doesn't look too good right now, but I'm hoping to improve that today...
To be honest, this is another one of the panic stages for me. I’m afraid to lay down the dark colors to get the depth I need… and if I don’t get the eyebrows right…and the exact curve of the lips…and I don't even want to talk about the nostrils...and then I still have all that background to detail…

There's a part of me that feels like canning it, but I'm in too deep. Just stop whining and get back to it.
At least it’s something like progress—better than a week ago…

At Least I Haven't Quit

Well, I’ve made some progress. I had forgotten how many different colors go into adding depth to flesh tones. Sure, it’s easy to see vermillion, but ultramarine? I know blue tones belong there, but it always make me want to hold my breath.

Todd always reminds me ‘Don’t over work it,’ to which I reply, ‘As if! You're not the boss of my painting.’ If I’m going to worry about that, I may as well abandon it right now. Someday when I’m a real, grownup artist, I'll learn how not to do that overworking thing…and then I can apply the principle to writing while I'm at it.
Perhaps soon I'll be brave enough to post the photo I'm working from—we'll see how it goes.

I Hope I Don’t Regret Posting This...

…but I decided to go ahead and at least make an attempt at finishing one of my watercolor WsIP. It’s probably not the best candidate, seeing as it’s larger than I usually work (at a whopping 16"x16"), and getting watercolors to layer as dark as this one calls for without looking muddy is pretty tricky (looks better here than in my studio). In all honesty, It’d make a better oil, but that’s Todd’s department.

Anyway, I chose to work this one because the subject is getting married and I thought, Gosh, what a great wedding gift! Besides that, she’s an exceptional young woman—beautiful inside and out.

So, I’m going to post my progress as I go. Here’s where I left off:

I started in on it yesterday—I know that it doesn’t look like a lot of progress, but the fact that I pulled it out of inactivity is a pretty big deal for me. I feel like I’m learning how to paint all over again; I can’t tell you how awkward the brush feels in my hand. Already I’m over working it, but, oh well…

Happy—If I Must

I just received an auspicious award from Deb, at Ranch Girl Ramblings—auspicious, because Deb knows I’m in a slump, and hey, it’s always good to force oneself to think happy thoughts. Therefore, I scraped together 10 things that make me happy:
1) Dark chocolate along with a glass of pinot noir
2) Warm weather
3) A hot Toddie on a cold winter night
4) Actually feeling the alteration in my brain chemistry when I’m creative
5) Discovering new music
6) I can’t wipe the smile off my face everytime I hear the song Start Wearing Purple
7) Friday nights with a hot Toddie
8) Tossing pizzas with a hot Toddie
9) Sailing
10) Pretty much anything with a hot Toddie

According to the rules, I must pass the award to another ten worthy bloggers*, so here they are…

1) Scott Daniel at 275 Words (because you set precedence by accepting an other award)
2) Bane of Anubis at Bane's Blogging Blues, even though I know he already got one
3) Liza Carens Salerno at Middle Passages
4) Back at Deb at Ranch Girl Ramblings (because I can, and there are no bloggy police)
5) Julie Doa at Silver Lining
6) Tricia O’Brien at Talespinning
7) Michelle at The Innocent Flower, because I miss her
8) The ever so insightful, Susan Mills at A Walk in My Shoes
9) Mary Jo Rhodes at her other name blog, Matilda Mcloud
10) Laura Martone at Getting Hollow Souls Out There while hanging out in the Keys

*as usual, I absolve all recipients of any obligation to follow the rules.