Pikes Peak in September (Painting as of August 28, 2024)

Here is my newest painting as it looked on August 28, 2024.  Now that I was happy with the composition, I continued to modify shapes and colors.  I wanted to use some typical "Colorado" colors like sage green and dusty rose.  To be continued. . . .

Pikes Peak in September (Painting as of August 26, 2024)

Here is the painting of Pikes Peak that I have been working on, as it look very late on August 26th.  The day before, I had finally modified the composition and was happy with it, so I began to add more color, using my painting reference as a rough guide.  I wanted an intense blue for the sky.  I added purple to the mountains, and painted the snowy areas an offwhite, mixed with very pale yellow.  I added yellow-orange to the field in the foreground, and added more color to the foothills.

Pikes Peak in September (Painting as of August 25, 2024)

Here is my newest painting as it looked at the end of the day on August 25th.  It went through a lot of changes that day. On the preceding day,  I had realized that I was uncertain about the placement of the sun.  I usually know exactly where I want that sun; it is a kind of triangulation.  So I took this as a sign that I wasn't happy with the composition.  I thought maybe I needed something on the right-hand side to balance the road and sun on the left.  So I decided to try painting in a tree in the foreground which is actually in my reference photo.  But I quickly decided that I didn't like it.  So goodbye to the tree.  Instead I painted in some green vegetation on the right.  And suddenly the composition was better, and I knew exactly where I wanted that sun to be. To be continued. . . .

Pikes Peak in September (Painting as of August 24, 2024)

Here is the painting I have been working on as it looked on August 24th.  I added some more color to the foothills,.  I was still uncertain where I wanted that red sun, which is unusual for me.  This was a clue that I wasn't entirely settled on the composition..  To be continued. . . .

Pikes Peak in September (Painting as of August 22, 2024)

Here is my current project as it looked on August 22nd.  I continued to work from my painting reference as I painted in shapes in the foothills with purple and brown paint, and then added some texture to suggest texture.  I added a bit more orange to the foreground.  To be continued. . . .

Pikes Peak in September (As of August 21, 2024)

Here is my current project as it looked on August 21st.  I was finally ready to start painting.  I began to apply some color to my sketch.  I started with that crazy yellow that made me want to paint this, and the purple shapes on the mountains.  This was very rough, really a sketch in paint, but it felt great to get started.

Pikes Peak in September (Sketch for Painting as of August 19, 2024)

Here is my current project as it looked on August 19, 2024.  I continued sketching with conte crayon. (I sketched right on the canvas, or rather gessoboard, that will become the painting).  I re-checked the measurements on my photo reference, and revised my sketch accordingly.  I added a bit of color just to help me see where things are.  To be continued. . .

Pikes Peak in September (Sketch for Painting as of August 18, 2024)

Here is my current project as it looked on August 18 when I began sketching the composition.  I will be painting on gessoboard 16 x 20, and relying on my painting reference, I used conte crayon to make a preliminary sketch of the composition right on the board. It felt good to get this started.

Pikes Peak in September (Photo Reference for Painting)

In preparation for my next painting, I edited my photo of Pikes Peak to get it ready to serve as a photo reference.  (This is a photo that I took during a trip to Colorado some years ago.) I scanned the photo into my computer, and using Painter, I straightened the image and then cropped it to get a pleasing composition, while making sure that height and width would be in the right ratio for my painting, which is going to be 16 x 20.  Then I used Painter's editing tools to eliminate some cars, a billboard, a street lamp, and a bunch of small poles.  I used digital pastel  and posterizing effect to "cover my tracks."  I adjusted the colors and contrast a bit and then it was ready. What you see here is the result, the image that I am going to use as my photo reference.

Pikes Peak in September: Inspiration for next painting

Time to start another painting.  I will be showing a landscape painting in the Artist Alcove show at Galatea Fine Arts next month.  The title is "A Time and A Place".  I was looking through my old photo albums and found this one, a photo of Pikes Peak taken during a September visit to Colorado.  I like the shapes and colors and immediately wanted to paint from it.  I planned to use it as a photo reference, but it needed to be edited first.  To be continued. . . .

Taking a Chance on Flowers (Drawing)

I have been trying out my new Sharpie Creative Markers, and this is the third is a series of flower drawings I have done recently. My goal was to do at least three drawings as a way of getting to know these new markers. It was a lot of fun and I may do more. When I am drawing lines, these markers behave prettty much like the standard Sharpies, but filling in areas of color is different, smoother and easier. I started this drawing yesterday or the day before, but finally finished it today. Although I just wrote that it is finished, I think it might need a little bit of digital cleanup.  I decided to see if I could use the white pen as a color, not just as a way to fix mistakes, and I was happy with the result. I started this a day or two ago, but finally finished it today, although this one is going to need a little digital cleanup. 

Red Lilies at the Cumming Center

This is from a July 20th walk at the Cumming Center Pond here in Beverly, MA.  Lots of day lilies were in bloom, and I took lots of pictures.  Today I edited this one, cropping it to focus on this one central blossom.

Flowers for a Happy Surprise (Drawing)

Here is another drawing that I made with my new "Creative Sharpie Markers".  I decided to do a set of at least three drawings as a way to get to know this new drawing tool.* Of course, this is also a good drawing exercise. I drew this on July 26th, the day of the Olympics Opening Ceremony.  I was hearing good things about the ceremony, and decided to turn it as background while I drew. Maybe the celebratory atmosphere on the TV was infectious, or maybe I am just feeling more optimistic this week.  In any case, I became captivated by the ceremony and by Paris, and so I kept watching  and kept drawing, and so these flowers became more elaborate and more joyous. 

*(These are like my beloved Sharpie markers but they behave more like paint than markers:  no bleeding, easier blending, and supposedly can be used on ceramic, rocks, fabric.).  So far, I am pretty happy, though there are only 12 colors.  

Experimental Flowers (Drawing)

I made this little drawing of flowers today.  Like my other drawings of flowers drawn with Sharpie markers, I began with no preconceived plan.  But really the title is "Experimental Flowers" because this is my first time using Sharpies new 'Creative Markers."  I bought a set several months ago when I first heard about them, but this was my first opportunity to try them out.  I really had a good time.  The pens behave a lot like markers but coverage is easier and there is less bleeding.  As a bonus, there is a white pen that makes it easier to cover stray marks and mistakes (something that I have to do digitally with traditional markers). There are only 12 pens, so the colors are limited but no doubt I can combine these with traditional Sharpies. (I have a whole box full). The ads for these pens say that they work on surfaces beyond paper, but I haven't tried that yet.  

The Whirlpool (Moby Dick project), Acrylic Painting

This is my painting ("The Whirlpool") as it looked on July 13, 2024.  At this point, I had sealed the edges, attached the wire, and signed it.  I had turned the painting round and round, making a lot of small, possibly invisible, changes -- which I now recognize as a sign that the painting is finished.  I painted this for a special "Moby Dick" show at Porter Mill Studios, and dropped it off over the weekend. At this point, the show is on display in the lobby. This is a representation of the whirlpool at the end of the novel that swallows up the Pequod and brings the narrative to a close -- apart from the epilogue.  Spoiler alert: only Ishmael survives,  The text is the final sentence of the last chapter: "And now concentric circles seized the lone boat itself and all its crew and each floating oar and every lancepole and spinning, animate and inanimate, all round and round in one vortex, carried the smallest chip of the Pequod out of sight."

The Whirlpool (Moby Dick project) as of July 10, 2024

Here is my painting as it looked on July 10, 2024.  This project is  for the "Moby Dick" show at Porter Mill, now on view in the lobby.  I decided to paint the whirlpool from the end of the novel, superimposed with the final sentence of the last chapter: "And now concentric circles seized the lone boat itself and all its crew and each floating oar and every lancepole and spinning, animate and inanimate, all round and round in one vortex carried the smallest chip of the Pequod out of sight." Over several days, I had continued to work on this paint, turning it round and round as I continued to revise the lettering, the colors, and the shapes.  And finally I added brush strokes to the corners to suggest the circular movement of the water surrounding the whirlpool.  This photo shows the painting in progress, but over the weekend, I delivered the final version to Porter Mill for the show.

The Whirlpool (Moby Dick project) as of July 7, 2024

I continued to work on my "Whirlpool" painting and this is how it looked on July 7, 2024. This is my contribution to a special show based on Moby Dick, being held at Porter Mill Studios. I decided to paint a representation of the whirlpool that swallows the ship at the end of the novel.  The text that is superimposed on the whirlpool is the last sentence of the final chapter: *"And now concentric circles seized the lone boat itself and all its crew and each floating oar and every lancepole and spinning, animate and inanimate, all round and round in one vortex carried the smallest chip of the Pequod out of sight."  On July 7th, I made the lettering darker, I softened the shapes in the water, and began to work on the background (the four corners of the painting).  At this point, my painting was still a work in progress, but over the weekend, I dropped the finished painting off at Porter Mill.  To be continued.. .

The Whirlpool (Moby DIck project) as of July 6, 2024

This is my "Whirlpool" painting as it looked at the end of the day on July 6, 2024.  This painting this for a special show based on Moby Dick, being held at Porter Mill Studios. This is a representation of the whirlpool that destroys the Pequod and ends the narrative. The superimposed text is the last sentence of the final chapter: *"And now concentric circles seized the lone boat itself and all its crew and each floating oar and every lancepole and spinning, animate and inanimate, all round and round in one vortex carried the smallest chip of the Pequod out of sight."  On July 6th, I focussed mainly on the lettering, trying to make sure it was legible.  I had the idea of using silver for the lettering, but it was too light.  Then I went over the lettering twice with translucent purple, and that seemed to do the trick.  It is darker but still shines when the light hits it.  To be continued.

The Whirlpool (Moby Dick project) as of July 5, 2024

I continued working on this project, a painting for Porter Mill's special exhibit about Moby Dick.  This is a representation of the whirlpool that destroys the Pequod at end of the novel.  The text seen in the painting is the last sentence of the final chapter: "And now concentric circles seized the lone boat itself and all its crew and each floating oar and every lancepole and spinning, animate and inanimate, all round and round in one vortex carried the smallest chip of the Pequod out of sight."  At this point, I was a bit more confident about where this was going, but I was still figuring things out as I went along. I added more color: dark blue for depth, white to suggest sea foam, and a softer blue in the middle. The tricky part was making sure I would have sufficient contrast with the lettering. To be continued.  

The Whirlpool (Moby Dick project) as of July 4, 2024

This is my "Whirlpool" painting as it looked at the end of the day on July 4, 2024.  I am painting this for a special show based on Moby Dick, being held at Porter Mill Studios. This is a representation of the whirlpool that swallows the Pequod, bringing an end to the narrative. Although I am not attempting a realistic painting, I continued to look at videos and photos.  I had made a beginning with some dark blue shadows around the circles.  I added some lighter blue and some white to suggest the movement of the water. I decided to try using breaks in the water coincide with spaces between the words. The superimposed text is the last sentence of the final chapter:

  *"And now concentric circles seized the lone boat itself and all its crew and each floating oar and every lancepole and spinning, animate and inanimate, all round and round in one vortex carried the smallest chip of the Pequod out of sight."

The Whirlpool (Moby Dick project) as of July 3, 2024

Here is my "Whirlpool" painting as of July 3, 2024.  This is for the upcoming art show based on Moby Dick at Porter Mill Studios.  After looking at lots of images and videos, I finally began to apply more color, trying to suggest the movement of the water.  Although this is not an attempt at a realistic image,  I do want to suggest a whirlpool. The text is the final sentence of the last chapter of Melville's Moby Dick, describing the whirlpool swallowing up the Pequod.*

  *"And now concentric circles seized the lone boat itself and all its crew and each floating oar and every lancepole and spinning, animate and inanimate, all round and round in one vortex carried the smallest chip of the Pequod out of sight."

The Whirlpool (Moby Dick project) as of July 1, 2024

Here is my painting for Porter Mill's upcoming Moby Dick show as it looked on July 1, 2024.  I had spent a lot of time working on placement of the text,  the last sentence of the final chapter of Moby Dick, describing the Pequod's disappearance into the whirlpool.*  It was time to start painting the whirlpool.  I didn't really have much experience painting water until I moved to Massachusetts, and I certainly have never painted a whirlpool.  I didn't expect to be able to create a realistic painting of a whirlpool, but still wanted to make a representation that would communicate the idea of a whirlpool. So I looked at images and videos of whirlpools.  There were a lot of ways to go.  Still uncertain, I decided to begin by creating blue shadows to indicate the concentric circles. To be continued. . . 

  *The text is: "And now concentric circles seized the lone boat itself and all its crew and each floating oar and every lancepole and spinning, animate and inanimate, all round and round in one vortex carried the smallest chip of the Pequod out of sight."

The Whirlpool (Moby Dick project) as of June 30, 2024

I continued to work on my painting for the upcoming Moby Dick show at Porter Mill. This is how it looked on June 30, 2024.  At this point, I was still focussed on placement of the text, which is  the last sentence of the final chapter of Moby Dick, a description of the Pequod's disappearance into the whirlpool.*  But as I worked, I was also starting to paint, using white to clean up my mistakes, and beginning to add blue brushstrokes to suggest the movement of the water.   *The text is: "And now concentric circles seized the lone boat itself and all its crew and each floating oar and every lancepole and spinning, animate and inanimate, all round and round in one vortex carried the smallest chip of the Pequod out of sight."

The Whirlpool (Moby Dick project as of June 29, 2024)

Here is my painting for the upcoming Moby Dick show at Porter Mill as it looked on June 29, 2024.  The text is the last sentence of the final chapter of Moby Dick, describing the disappearance of the Pequod into the whirlpool.  You can see here that I was working on placement of the text, which is important to the composition.  As I fiddled with that, I was also beginning to paint. The text is: "And now concentric circles seized the lone boat itself and all its crew and each floating oar and every lancepole and spinning, animate and inanimate, all round and round in one vortex carried the smallest chip of the Pequod out of sight."

The Whirlpool (Moby Dick Project) as of June 24, 2024

This is a work in progress, a painting I am working on for a show at Porter Mill with the theme of Moby Dick.  This is a representation of the whirlwind at the end of the novel, and the text shown here is the last line of the final chapter.*  I had already  sketched this onto the canvas with conte crayon the day before.  So here I am refining the composition, starting with the spacing and placement of the words, trying to straighten out the circles as I go.  I used some white paint to cover up mistakes, sort of easing my way into painting this.  It did strike me that the writing between two blue lines looks a bit like notebook paper.  To be continued. . . .

"And now concentric circles seized the lone boat itself and all its crew and each floating oar and every lancepole and spinning, animate and  inanimate, all round and round in one vortex carried the smallest chip of the Pequod out of site."  

The Whirlpool (Moby Dick Project) as of June 23, 2024

This is my current project as it looked on June 23rd, 2024.  I managed to get a rough version of my idea drawn on to the canvas with pencil and conte crayon.  This is  for an upcoming show at Porter Mill on the theme of Herman Melville's novel Moby DIck. I am painting a representation of the whirlpool at the end of the novel, superimposed with the text of the last long sentence of the final chapter, describing the disappearance of the Pequod. 

Red Leaves in the Woods (Oil Bar Painting) has a new home!

This is my oil bar painting of the trails around Long Hill Gardens in Beverly, MA, painted  from a photo that I took there.  It was fun to paint this and I enjoyed seeing it in my studio.  I recently mailed it off to its new owners n New York, and it has arrived safely.  

Chess Game (Reposting for Father’s Day)

This is a double portrait that I painting back in the 1990s of my father playing chess with my cousin David.  This is based on a black and white photo David sent me, taken by his father, Ike Fitterman.  I am posting it again in honor of Father's Day. 

 

Pink Apples on a Branch (at Beverly Art Fest Show 2024)

This is the second of two of my paintings currently on display at the Beverly Art Fest 2024 show.  I took this picture at the opening. Both of my paintings are based on photos that I took at Longhill Gardens here in Beverly, MA. The show is in the fine arts building on the Endicott campus, and will be open until early August.  This is part of my "Branches" series, paintings based on closeup views of nature.  This is oil bar, 8 x 10 inches.

Branch with Golden Berries (at Beverly Art Fest Show 2024)

This is the first of two paintings of mine currently on display at the Beverly Art Fest 2024 show.  I took a picture at the opening on the Endicott College Campus. This is oil bar, 8 x 10.  The show will be up till August 2nd.  

Sketch for "The Whirlpool" (Moby Dick project)

Today I sketched out my idea for an upcoming show at Porter Mill on the theme of Herman Melville's Moby DIck.  This is an idea for a collage, using the geometry of a whirlpool and Melville's long sentence describing the disappearance of the Pequod.  The idea for the whirlpool came first.  I was going to use a different quote, but then I found this one, and it fits perfectly.  It describes the whirlpool, and is also long enough to go round and round and end with the disappearance of the ship.  

"Lacy" at Reception for Cod Auction

I took this picture of Lacy last week at the reception for the annual Cod Auction, held in Marblehead at Abbott Hall.  It was fun to see all of the decorated wooden codfish (and also whales) on display together.  (It is a rare treat to see them like this. After the reception, each one goes to a different business in downtown Marblehead, to be on display until the auction is over.) Anyway, the auction is now "live".  If you want to help Lacy find a good home, follow the link:

https://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/auctionhome.action?auctionId=341748617

"Spring at Kelleher Pond" at "Colors of Beverly"

This is the second of my paintings recently on display in "Colors of Beverly", a show at the Beverly Historical Society.  I thought it was a great theme. I finally got to see the show last Thursday, at the closing reception.  I painted this from a photo that I took during a walk to Kelleher Pond.  This is acylic and oil bar, 20 x 20 inches.

"Red Leaves in the Woods" at "Colors of Beverly"

This painting is based on a photo that I took at Long Hill Gardens here in Beverly.  I am reposting it because it is is one of two oil bar paintings that was included in the recent show "Colors of Beverly" at the Beverly Historical Society.  I finally got to see the show at the closing reception on Thursday.

"Lacy" (Codfish Project)

This is my codfish project, completed on May 2nd.  Over the preceding few days, I modified the bottom row of the pattern, allowing more light blue to continue the scallop pattern.  I sanded, smoothed edges, painted and signed the back, looked for small errors, and generally obsessed.  Two days later, I delivered Lacy to Marblehead, for the auction which will go live tomorrow, May 31.  Lacy has been photographed and now has an auction web page: https://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/item/item.action?id=343081110

Lacy (Codfish Project) as of April 28, 2024

Here is my codfish project as it looked on April 28, 2024.  In the intervening days, I worked on this project, straightening lines, making sure all areas were covered, etc.  However, those changes would be hardly perceptible on screen, so I decided not to post all that. However, on April 28th, I painted the head, tail, and fins, and that was a big change.  This painted codfish is for annual Cod Auction to benefit Marblehead Festival of Art.  This auction takes place on line and people can bid from anywhere.  The auction goes live on May 31st.  Watch this space.

Dad at Place de La Concorde (Posterized): Edited version

I posted this in 2020 on Memorial Day, and  decided to post this again. Here is what I wrote four years ago: "On Memorial Day we honor soldiers who did not come back from war. But I saw this quotation today (by Ronald Reagan, posted by Al Franken) : 'They gave up two lives. The one they were living and the one they would have lived. When they died, they gave up their chance to be husbands and fathers and grandfathers. . .'.  Those words made me think of my father, who did come back from World War II. It makes me think about everything he was risking. But unlike many others, he did return, and did go on to be a father and grandfather.  My own life, my own family, resulted from that fact. So today I am posting this picture of my dad in Paris. The image began with a small snapshot in a wallet-sized album that my dad carried during the war. This album was among my father's photos, sent to me last year by my cousin Rori. In it are snapshots of my mom and my father's brothers and sisters, along with his military ID and his military discharge card. Today I transferred the snapshot into the computer, where I cropped it, cleaned it up, and added some color with Painter.  Nothing was written on the back of the snapshot, but as I worked, I used a search engine to try to learn more. I searched for an obelisk in Paris and found the matching image at Place de la Concorde.  It took me longer to identify the balustrade, but the photo matches Pont de la Concorde, connecting the Palais Bourbon with Place de La Concorde. So I was able to figure out where he was.  And when? This picture must have been taken after the liberation.  The nearby Hotel de Crillon had been occupied by the Nazis, but he's not worrying about nearby Nazis in this photo. The Place de La Concorde was the cite of a victory parade for the liberation of Paris, though, as I learned, although the Nazis had abandoned Paris when liberation was celebrated, some active snipers were still around. Maybe that's why my dad is wearing a helmet.  In any case, he seems relaxed in the photo, maybe relieved that the worst was over, maybe thinking about going home. I have said before that my father was a peaceful man.  He told me himself that he had been afraid during the war.  He had married my mother shortly before shipping out to Europe. He had a wife waiting and a life to get back to. But he did his bit to fight the Nazis. I owe it to him to follow his example and stand up to tyranny and prejudice whenever I can.  We owe it to all those who lost their lives to remember not to take our freedom, our democracy, or our lives for granted. "

Lacy (Codfish Project) as of April 24, 2024

Here is Lacy, my codfish project as of April 24, 2024.  I am decorating a wooden codfish form for the Cod Auction, an anual event to benefit Marblehead Festival of Art.  Each year, a group of area artists are given identical wooden fish forms to decorate.  The decorated codfish are then displayed and auctioned. The auction takes place on line, and people can bid from anywhere. This year, my inspiration was something I often see at the beach: as gentle waves come on shore, the seafoam makes a pattern that looks like lace.  So I  replaced the fish markings with a wavy pattern that looks like lace.  On April 24rd, I finished applying the first pass at all the colors in the pattern, using Sharpie markers and  acrylic paint.   To be continued. . . .

Lacy (Codfish Project) as of April 23, 2024

Here is my codfish project as it looked on April 23, 2024.  This is for the cod auction.  Some 50 area artists are given identical wooden fish forms to decorate.  This are then displayed and auctioned to benefit Marblehead Festival of Arts. This year, I was inspired by the pattern that seafoam makes when waves roll onto the beach.  So I decided replace the fish markings with a pattern that looks like lace.  On April 23rd, I began applying color, starting with Sharpie markers.  I did enough to make sure this was going to work.  To be continued. . . .

Lacy (Codfish Project) as of April 20 2024

Here is my codfish "Lacy" again.  On April 20th, I decided to revise and simplify my design.  I wanted to make it easier to perceive the pattern.  Every year I swear that I will not do this! It makes a big mess to erase pencil drawn over gesso. (In fact, it made such a big mess that I had to "clean up" this image digitally with Painter before posting it.  But anyway, the revision had to be done, and I was happier with the design when I was finished. This is for the annual Cod Auction, to benefit Marblehead Festival of Art.  This will be an online auction, and people can bid from anywhere.

Lacy (Codfish Project) as of April 19, 2024

This is how Lacy, my decorated codfish, looked as of April 19th.  I am creating this for the annual "Cod Auction", an event I have participated in for the past several years.  Some 50 area artists are given a wooden codfish form to decorate. These decorated codfish are then displayed in downtown stores, and  auctioned to benefit Marblehead Festival of Art. (The auction is online and people can bid from anywhere.) On April 19, I began to work on the actual wooden form. Following the design I had worked out on paper.  I used pencil to draw the design over a light coat of gesso.  I took this photo in the evening, hence the strange shadows, but I kind of like the effect.

Sketch for "Lacy" (Codfish Project) as of April 18, 2024

On April 18th, I was working on my sketch for "Lacy," the wooden decorated codfish for the annual "Cod Auction" to benefit Marblehead Festival of Art.  This year, I was inspired by the way seafoam looks like lace when gentle waves hit the beach.  So I decided to substitute a wavy pattern of lace for the markings of the fish.  At this point, I was still working on paper; trying my ideas out on an outline of the wooden form.  The day before, I had drawn the basic design with pencil on paper, and on the 18th, I was trying to work out the color scheme. To be continued. ..

Sketch for "Lacy" (Codfish Project) as of April 17, 2024

For the past several years, I have participated in the "Cod Auction," to benefit Marblehead Festival of Art.  Some 50 area artists decorate wooden cutouts of codfish, which are displayed in downtown Marblehead, and then auctioned off. This year,  I was inspired by the look of seafoam as rows of gentle ocean waves reach the shore.  So I decided to replace the markings of the fish with rows of lace (and so I decided to name my fish "Lacy". My original idea was to use collage with actual lace, or from doilies.  But a few  quick tries helped me decide to just paint the lace.  Why? Designing a pattern for a fish is complicated because the pattern needs to become become larger and wider to follow the shape of the fish. It is easier to do this with drawing rather than pasting pieces of lace).  Anyway, on April 17th, I traced my wooden codfish on a big sheet of paper, and sketched out the pattern.  To be continued. . . .

Mother's Day Flowers (with Prisma filter)

On Wednesday, I received this bouquet, an early delivery for Mother's Day from my family.  Such a beautiful arrangement, and of course, I took pictures.  Yesterday I chose one of the best of the photos and used the Prisma app on my phone to add a filter (Oleander).  I also used iPhoto to make a few adjustments. This is a nice souvenir of Mother's Day, 2024.

Flowers for Celina (Portrait)

Here is my portrait of Celina, finished on May 7th.  After a lot of checking and re-checking a lot of details, I was finally ready to sign this. Then I photographed it and send it off to Portugal as a digital file, to be printed off there.  I enjoyed painting the young Celina in a field of flowers. This was painted with love and gratitude.

Flowers for Celina (Portrait as of May 5, 2024)

Here is my portrait of Celina as it looked on May 5th.  I added som pale yellow highlights to indicate sunshine on the face and figure.  I re-worked the hat and the purse.  I checked the horizontal and diagonal lines to make sure they were straight and extended all the way to the edges.  At this point, I was ready to say that "this is the portrait,"  but even after I declare that a painting is done, I will still fix any mistakes or problems that I see.

Flowers for Celina (Portrait as of May 4, 2024)

Here is my portrait of Celina as it looked on May 4th.  I made a few small changes to the eyes, and at that point, was ready to say that I had a likeness.  Also, I was finally happy with the expression on Celina's face. I continued to make small changes and color corrections, adding color to the figure and muting the saturation of the background.  Just some details left to fix, but approaching the finish line.

Flowers for Celina (Portrait as of May 3, 2024)

Here is my portrait as it looked on May 3, 2024.  If you have been following the progress of this project, you will note quite a jump in dates since the last posted version.  This is for three reasons.  First, an unexpectedly derailed schedule prevented me  from doing too much with this painting for several days.  And second, as I began to apply color to the face, I "lost the likeness".  This can happen, and it is very frustrating.  I worked on this every day but I decided not to post again until I got the likeness back, which I would say is in this version, May 3rd. (I usually post my art daily, "mistakes and all", but not if I am making mistakes with someone's image.)  And third, I plan to post the final version soon, so I will cut to the chase. You can see while I was working on the face, I also made changes to the figure, corrected the color, and continued to paint hundreds of flowers for Celina.  To be continued. . . 

Flowers for Celina (Portrait as of April 17, 2024)

Here is my portrait of Celina as it looked on April 17th.  That day, I was making some changes to the figure, especially the shoulders, adding some color to the face, and working on the flowers.

Flowers for Celina (Portrait as of April 16, 2024)

Here is my portrait of Celina as it looked on April 16th. The biggest change I made was to the position of the left arm, which had been bothering me.  I used the reference photo to measure the spaces between her torso and her arm and made coreections on the canvas.  I also worked on the face, mostly the eyes.  To be continued. . . .