Giving thanks to the photograph

After school today I worked on my big painting.
My biggest passion in painting at the moment is
working from the model. Reading other bloggers
I am so stimulated and immersed in the idea of
art, that all my art senses are heightened more
than ever before. And that's saying something.
So anticipating what I'd be painting when I got
home made the whole drive magical. Looking at the
golden light setting the still bare trees aglow
out in the country made me think of Laurel Daniel,
http://laureldaniel.blogspot.com/and think about
how she'd design that image. She'd far prefer it in a
few weeks when the new green bursts out everywhere.

People grinding their teeth as they waited, and waited
and waited in traffic, talking impatiently on
what will soon be illegal (in cars) cell phones
were all bathed in a luxurious, gilded,
start-to- spring, evening light. I sat transfixed wishing
for a sketchbook and pen, although you know
the police would frown on that.

More work on the big painting
acrylic on canvas
48 x 36 inches
I moved the eyes,
lowered the bangs,
filled in more of the dress,
thought about the background with paint.
All of it is still changeable at this stage.

My model arrived and we sat talking. I know
our conversations get into my paint, and
I welcome that. I'm afraid I didn't get far,
and I made decisions that I'll reverse tomorrow.
But that's the luxury of the longer portrait
process.

Ultimately photographing the big painting
for you tonight lets me see where I need to
go next. Before the blog I guess I just
stumbled along. Now I have to take a hard
look at what I'm doing every day. I was
trained to step back from my work, and I
do. But the camera takes that step even
further -- and the blog asks every night --
"would you publish this image?" The
answer today is yes, if I can keep working on it.
I can and will.

Have a letting-the-camera-help-you-see day.