Bride Revisted

40" x 30" oil, in progress

Revised the size of the head and a few other shapes and lines; started rubbing in a thin layer of local color in hopes that it will be dry and ready to use as a demo on Saturday during the Studio Crawl.  Overall, shapes still feel a bit clunky, and I'm going to have to get off the fence and decide about whether to approach as old school portrait or in a more modern fashion, with flat shapes and paint surface qualities.  It will be a learning experience either way, I just don't want to end up straddling the two ideas and achieving neither (a familiar story).  Or, maybe I'll stop worrying about it and just make it up as I go.

Blocked-in Bride

   30" x 40" Oil

     Still in the mood to paint in oil; maybe it's the fall weather.  This is a first stage monochromatic block in, done right on the toned canvas. One of the benefits of oil is that I can make as many rub-outs and alterations as I want.  Do-over heaven, which is good because the head is too big, and there's some odd stuff happening at her back.  I can continue to refine shapes and sizes of things all through the next stage, the local color block-in, which will happen after this has had a chance to dry a bit.  Might be a demo for the Studio Crawl.  

      Couple of content issues:  what's outside the window, and what's that stuff in the lower left corner?  A car stuck in snow and a bouquet of calla lilies, but I really don't want to be messing with this kind of stuff, so I think all that may disappear in favor of vague and indistinct shapes.  I have to keep reminding myself that this is NOT a portrait, and I need to let go of my photo references.

     I am having fun thinking up titles, though:  Waiting, Stood Up and Sitting Down, All About the Dress, Second Thoughts.  Taking suggestions.....