While Waiting

While I wait on the results on my submission to the local Openshow 2006, which I'll comment on in just a minute, I will dig into my harddrive for a post. This painting was done on my last portrait session a month or two ago. My son agreed to sit for us and played his gameboy while we painted. I first tried to get his relaxed manner, reclining and intent on what he was doing. However, to fit the whole thing in, I would have to give up his likeness for a more proportionate whole to fit on the canvas. After scraping down, I chose his face and honed in on his likeness. Despite his gaze downward (which really makes him look like he's asleep) the likeness was wife approved! :) ...with the added point that I aged him just a tad. With a good result, I like to do more and will likely try a full figure in relaxed mode and perhaps a portrait where his eyes are visible. Two future projects born out of one morning's worth of painting!

Now, about the show. On Friday, I went to openstudio to practice my landscape painting and picked up a form for my submission. The form was more simple than I first expected, so I had time to fill it out and returned that afternoon with my painting. Already submissions were pouring in by the dozens and what good one's too! Something to really shake my confidence! Yikes, so many good paintings, I think I have less of a chance of getting in...but, that's me talking. Shows are subjective to a point and I'm more excited about getting a chance to at least make an attempt than being worried about the results. A growing artist with certain goals inmind can't afford to fear or worry about these things, even if it seems natural to do so. As the saying goes, "you can't relish the destination without first making the journey" and fear can put an end to a journey quite easily. So, onward!

Upcoming Show

I should be posting more often now that I started up a new blog, but I have been in a mad rush to learn framing for an upcoming show at the local artcenter. I have gotten all the necessary hardware to complete it and now sits ready to be submitted! There is a catch, it must pass scrutiny of the judge before it gains entry and should it pass, the painting will be a part of the openshow for a full critique. I’m quite confident that it will get as far as the show itself, but there are some very fine artists that will surely gain entry and I really don’t expect getting a placing based on my lack of experience. In short, it is all for fun and the experience of submitting for shows. Updates on how this goes, coming soon!

Here's something to kick off my new weblog, a 16x20 water-mixable oil painting I have yet to post at my website. Dated October of 2004, I remember struggling with this one, mainly with getting the color of the lemons "just" right. I got a little help in that area by taking a painting class. Beyond that little detail, this was my first result of a serious attempt to complete a painting. Being so pleased with myself, I went right on to paint other subjects and instantly made a ton of blunders and mistakes and managed a few more triumphs here and there. Such as it is, humbling, exciting, frustrating, all the possible emotions one can experience wrapped into the pursuit of learning to paint, but what fun!