Pondering a Project

I have been thinking about my next project, and feeling very undecided. I keep coming back to a painting I haven’t finished—the old woman on my Projects Waiting page—but I simply can’t seem to muster up the confidence to finish it. I know, you’re probably thinking what’s the big deal? But interpreting black and white is harder than I estimated. I have learned from experience that there are so many subtle colors in what appears to be something rather monochromatic—like skin for instance. Look closely at some of my portraits, and you’ll see not only the expected reds and browns, but yellow, blue, green, violet—basically the whole gamut of the rainbow.

In the past, when I felt stumped (for lack of better word to describe that thing in my head that keeps me from starting or finishing something—pretty sad for a writer to not come up with the perfect word), I have eased back into it by choosing a monochromatic photo, and simply painting it as is.

Here are a couple examples:

 

 

These felt relatively unintimidating at the time I undertook them, which is what I feel like I need right now…but…I still want to find it challenging, something to spur a little growth…
Anyway, I keep coming back to this tiny snapshot from a collection of farm pictures from my Iowa kin-of-old.

I thought I might attempt a combination pen and ink and watercolor...I may have to think on it a little longer before I post an update…

Oh, and for you lovers of old photos, I stumbled across this blog, Tattered and Lost VERNACULAR PHOTOGRAPHY,via Google Images. She has quite a collection, and her remarks are witty and imaginative—well worth the visit!

Now for Something Completely Different...

Here’s a little intermission from my regularly scheduled painting update (while I labor away on tiny boats). This is for Glenn, and anyone else who has ever had to part with their favorite truck…

This was my husband’s 1938 International pickup. (He restored it when he was a teenager, from 2 trucks, and kept the ID plate of the ’38). She took many a trip to the dump and hauled a lot of fire wood—real slow, but if she ever got up to full speed, you sure didn’t want to be in her way. Alas, we had to sell her or watch her rot away...