New Rag Reduction Oil Portrait

In the last couple of hours of the Sebastian River Art Club's show in Riverview Park I decided to start a painting ... silly me.  But I must follow my "muse" whever it calls me, otherwise it may not come back again soon after.  So I slopped some alizarin crimson and sap green all over the unprimed canvas with a palette knife putting globs here and there at random.  Then I took a big brsh and squished it all over the canvas, allowing the colors to be somewhat separate in spots.

Then I looked for a rag, and found I had none in my bag, and I was stuck.  So I took a paper towel and some Q-tips I had packed and went to it, wiping the highlights away, leaving the shadowed areas intact.  Looked pretty bad at first, but within about a half hour it started looking like a face.  I lightly glazed alizarin on the cheeks, prussian blue on the iris, orange at the bottom of the eyeball for the glow under the sparkle at the top.  It was such fun to begin to see that face looking out at me--that's the part I love.  I think she's beautiful, and can't wait to frame her, although I looked and looked today and could't find a 9"x12" frame.  Not a common size.  I will be demonstrating this technique tomorrow at the Sebastian River Art Club during my class.  Enjoy.

Two New Portraits Started Out As Demonstrations

Finished the African woman in acrylic which start out as a demo, put hair on her based on Ethiopian hair designs, lipstick, and an ear adornment.  I think she's beautiful.  It will be hard to find an appropriate frame for this lovely little 9"x12 portrait on canvas.

Below is another acrylic of mine, starting out as a demo at the Sebastian River Art Club.  I'm quite happy with this one too, although I got too into detail.  Don't need a frame for this one, it's a gallery-wrapped stretched canvas, 12"x16"x1-1/2", continuous painting on all sides.

That's it for now, this blogger has to get ready for an art show at Riverview Park, Sebastian, for the Sebastian River Art Club.  Framing, packing, etc.