Seeing errors though a camera

When I think a face is finished, I always photograph it. It is interesting to me that by looking at the photo, I can see if there are errors, or something needs to be changed. It proves my theory that the eye stops seeing the details after some time in the studio. The same thing works when I check the paintings first thing in the morning. I almost immediately see what needs to be changed.

If you want to send your photos, please continue. I have a pile of face photos, but I am looking for more. I go through the pile each day and decide what face I want to start that morning.

April 17, Process of a Portrait

I had several faces started and now am finishing them. It is time to start new ones. I have been receiving some wonderful photos and others make me think, "There are visual people....and others surely have other talents" because some of the photos I get, really would not transfer into interesting paintings. But since this is my project, I get to choose which faces capture my interest. I do appreciate receiving the photos.

Portrait Project April 16th

I've realized that working 7 hours a day in the studio is just too much for me. I have to force myself to stop, but if I don't, I am really tired and notice that my legs and feet are hurting. Now, I have decided to stop at 3 pm to do other things, like study Spanish, study my ecommerce classes, work on my website, etc. Maybe even go to town and meet a friend. It is hard to get out of the studio, but 5 hours a days seems to be the right amount of time for painting.

Today's posting. I think this is as far as I want to go on this painting. I will put it aside and look at it in a couple of days.

Working on 6 Paintings

I took the morning off yesterday to go to the Tuesday market with my daughter and a neighbor. I bought 2 pair of pants - one with a Patagonia label, perfect for travel and a perfect fit. The price for each equalled $2 U.S. I also bought 4 blouses, 3 lovely linen and one a new studio shirt. (My old one was even too paint covered for me) We always start our day at the market with fresh juice or a green drink; look at the clothes; buy whatever else on our list for the day; for me it was more pots for my vegetables; my daughter Cynthia got a new cover for her iPad mini; fresh vegetables and fruit and then we end our market adventure with fantastic quesadillas.

We didn't get home until about 1:30, so I got a late start in the studio. I was able to continue working on 6 faces. Hopefully, I'll get a couple finished today. Here they are:

Portrait Painting, April 14, 2015

I appreciate all the photos that people are sending to me. It seems to be time to specify what I am looking for again. No babies, small children, grinning smiles, small, or cloudy snapshots with lots of background. I will choose the faces that have interesting character and clear details.

Please keep sending photos

Finished painting

Today's portrait

I appreciate all the photos that people are sending to me. It seems to be time to specify what I am looking for again. No babies, small children, grinning smiles, small, or cloudy snapshots with lots of background. I will choose the faces that have interesting character and clear details.

These faces are not painted in one day. I take at least 3 days on each portrait, and I stopped in time with this one

Portrait of a healer

This is the portrait of my dear son-in-law' Dr. Maká ala Yates.
He is a specilist in Hawaiin medicine. His hands on healing body therapy, has relived me of pain after 2 car crashes in just a couple of treatments. He teaches Internationally and is a published author.
http://www.manalomi.com/

What is So Rare As a Day In June? (April in San Miguel)

These warm sunny days are like magic for the growing vegetables and flowers. I can almost see them growing before my eyes. This magical event brought to mind the poem I had to memorize when I was in 8th grade. 1948. What is So Rare As a Day in June, by James Russell Lowell. It is the only poem I know by heart and it is amazing to me that I remembered almost all the words.

"And what is so rare as a day in June?

Then, if ever, come perfect days;

Then Heaven tries earth if it be in tune,

And over it softly her warm ear lays;

Whether we look, or whether we listen,

We hear like murmur, or see it glisten;

Every clod feels a a stir of might;

An instinct within it that reaches and towers,

And, groping blindly above it for light,

climbs to a soul in grass and flowers;"... 

and that is as far as I got in my memorization of this lovely poem, but I was only 13 years old.

Oh yes, I reworked a face today. I had temporarily lost the spontaneous bold paint stroke while working on a few women's faces and a child.

Portrait #13

I seem to be slowing down. Probably because I missed 2 days of being in the studio.

Here is the latest addition to the Portrait Project.

Portrait Project, the start of week 3

Here is a face from a friend that I haven't seen in many years. It is wonderful how this project is connecting and re-connecting me with friends, old and new and some people that I will probably never meet.

If you would like your image to be included in this project, please send me a photo of a close up of your face. Not an image with a lot of background. If I can't clearly see the details of your face, I can not paint it. I can't paint your eyes if they are covered with dark glasses. No babies or pets. Since these are free portraits, I will choose which ones to use and how they will be interpreted. Thanks for all your interest and support.