Two Rough Weeks Come to an End

Friends and I went out after work last Friday night and saw a fun side of Louisville. A light dinner at Carly Rae's began a great night of talking and fun - even a bit of singing by my friends. A relaxing end to a very rough couple of weeks. I enjoyed my friends' company very much. Friends can definitely make bad days better.

Good friend Diana is home from Florida until Spring break when she will take her grandson back to FL for the week. Hopefully we will get together before she goes back. She described her new art studio and it's drool-inducing. I can hardly wait until I can see it and the new work she will produce.

I haven't done a lot of art lately, but did those tiny love quotes in little golden frames and a large piece for a friend - the Credo in Romanian. It turned out pretty well. I did three full-sized versions and gave her two of them - the first one had spelling errors...sorry, but I am not used to three "i"s in a row. The detail photo above is pretty close to life size. These were LARGE pieces.

I have not returned to the portrait of my niece - finished until I decided the skin tone wasn't right. She's much more peaches and cream than I had her pretty face. She saw it and loved it though, so I do need to complete it. And, as I predicted, she has totally changed her 'look' since I started it. Her hair is more her natural blonde again instead of the dark color she had in it May when I took the photo I based it on. The image posted here is after I'd 'undone' her highlights and shadows, so it needs some real fine-tuning as well as a lightening of the whole face and neck. It's not going to be easy. It's my first portrait - not quite ready. It was supposed to be her Christmas gift. It's a good thing she liked her jewelry armoire. Maybe I'll have this finished for her July 4th birthday!

This weekend I may try to do a few small quotations for an art show I may do late this summer. Mostly, however, I have to prepare to be away from home for a solid week, when I'll be traveling in MO and Kansas. Charleston will be the destination the following week for a couple of days. Too much to do. Have to check the weather and plan my travel wardrobe. The internet is such a help!

I began a painting recently - all pink! - for a friend who saw one in Savannah that he loved (I didn't.) I thought I'd try to make him something in that vein, but I hate it so much that I'm having trouble with it. Moral of this story - stay true to yourself...your art should be your own, not a flimsy representation of someone else's. I predict that unless the muse rests solidly upon my shoulders, this pink will be painted over.


Thank you Purple Pixie Sue - for nominating me for a blog award! I am not worthy, but I appreciate you so much!