A portrait of Steven

At the dance in the yellow chair

Acrylic on canvas

36 x 48 inches

Barbara Muir © 2008

(My Dance series about people

in the midst of, or anticipating

a happy life featured many 

women, and not enough men. 

As usual, Steven my husband

stepped into the frey and posed. 

What I captured I think is how reluctant 

he is to sit around doing nothing.  He

is always on the move.  I did not

at all adequately capture his 

beauty, or joyous wit.)

I'm going to do a new portrait of Steven my husband.  Today
I began drawing on the canvas in acrylic, from the reference
I'm using, and everything was going well until I stepped back.

You know that rule.  Step back frequently to see what you're
up to, and I was drawing him too small for the canvas.  So
I gessoed over the place where I'd been drawing, then had to
let the gesso dry, which took a couple of hours.  And tonight
I hope to get at it again.

Meanwhile.  Unless I am very happy with what I've done,
I'll talk to you about other works.  I love the portrait of
Steven I'm showing you tonight, painted in 2008.
At our New Year's Eve party this year, a friend stood
in front of the painting in awe -- impressed by it.
I vowed one day to do a large portrait of Steven,
that shows his happy, and contented side, which is of
course my normal view of him.

Setbacks happen in art, and they are in some ways the
font of creativity.  As artists we have to be able to rally,
no matter what.  This painting will be accomplished one
way or another.  Please be patient.  (I say that like you're
waiting, when I know your own creative life is filling
your day with challenges, and you are happily busy
doing your own thing.)

Have a doing your own thing day.