Day 3: Not Amused
This is Jo, from Little Women. My mother made this doll for me when I was a little girl. She came complete with a wardrobe of little outfits for every occasion, right down to tiny fake leather shoes. Jo March was my hero growing up: a strong, confident young woman who defied the conventions of her day. So, a couple of years ago I sat Jo in a little chair on my drafting table, and appointed her my muse. She's been pretty lonely there, up until this week.
I started reading Sargent: Portraits of Artists and Friends, by Richard Ormond, which I borrowed from the library this week. I absolutely adore his work. I really want to paint people, so I thought I'd start with someone easy (ha!), a doll. It was not easy. And her expression looks kind of angry, to me. I was going to title the painting "Muse," but...get it?
Lessons learned, Day 3:
1. Repeat Lesson #1 from Day 1, PICK AN EASIER SUBJECT.
2. Add and mix medium in colors right out of the tube, before mixing other colors. Sometimes I'm getting too thin of a mix.
This is Jo, from Little Women. My mother made this doll for me when I was a little girl. She came complete with a wardrobe of little outfits for every occasion, right down to tiny fake leather shoes. Jo March was my hero growing up: a strong, confident young woman who defied the conventions of her day. So, a couple of years ago I sat Jo in a little chair on my drafting table, and appointed her my muse. She's been pretty lonely there, up until this week.
I started reading Sargent: Portraits of Artists and Friends, by Richard Ormond, which I borrowed from the library this week. I absolutely adore his work. I really want to paint people, so I thought I'd start with someone easy (ha!), a doll. It was not easy. And her expression looks kind of angry, to me. I was going to title the painting "Muse," but...get it?
Lessons learned, Day 3:
1. Repeat Lesson #1 from Day 1, PICK AN EASIER SUBJECT.
2. Add and mix medium in colors right out of the tube, before mixing other colors. Sometimes I'm getting too thin of a mix.
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| 4"x4", oil on canvas |
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| Jo |
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