Paintings and Pictures

The painting is well under way. I have already moved though several stages...the normal ones I go through in the painting process. Immediately after I get the sketch on the canvas, I love it. I stare at it for several days and compliment myself many times over. I fantasize about how this will be my best painting ever. But I don't begin, thus putting off the inevitable dive in confidence that comes when I actually put brush to canvas. No matter how good the sketch is, the first few days of painting are difficult. Mixing the colors on a palette is one thing, but actually seeing them on the canvas is another. There will always be colors that are incorrect. And once the color goes on, any imperfections in the sketch that didn't show, all of a sudden GLARE. The first few days on this painting were no different. The Boy said "Her face looks weird...wrong color." Little one said "Her eyes look funny." The Husband, who stands in front of it while eating his dinner, said "I'm not sure about the lips. are those right?" WELL NO. THEY ARE NOT! No matter how many times I explain that the the first strokes will always have to be corrected....my lovely family always has to let me know that ....so far......not so good.

Then things shift. A couple of days into it, the colors and shapes begin to take shape. All 3 of my critics run by the painting, and then stop and stare. They then look at me and smile and nod. This is when I know I'm on the right track....So that is where I am this morning. It's moving in the right direction. I'm anxious to get started...so very quickly...

Saturday, I took Little One and headed to grandma's house to meet Big Sis and her friend Lindsey. As I said yesterday, Lindsey is a great photographer, and we had arranged a little photo shoot. I needed some "edgy" photos for a project that I am not ready to discuss. (Wow, isn't that a great tease?) Anyway, I gathered together a group of clothes that are much more...let's say fashion forward...than my everyday school drop-off clothing. My friend and stylist Elizabeth met me at the house, and I thought she was going to cry when she saw the clothes. (it has evidently been awhile since I have dressed in the chic manner which she likes.) I walked out in a mini-dress, boots and leather jacket. Elizabeth literally jumped up and down. Little One stared at me like I was from another planet. Then she smiled. "Ok, let me choose your next outfit."

So for 2 hours and 10 outfits, the 4 of us played dress up and model. It was so much fun watching Lindsey at work. Big Sis was her mouthpiece, stylist and prop-girl, switching out jewelry, makeup and props whenever necessary. I morphed from go-go boots mom, to evening gown diva, to jeans and boots farm girl. Little one was her usual vocal self, exclaiming from time-to-time "Mom! Stop Posing. Look Natural!!! No. Not that smile. Relax!!" If only I would have had her direction back in my modeling days....

Big Sis has just e-mailed the pictures to me this morning. I haven't looked at them yet, but regardless of the outcome, it was a successful day. What can go wrong when you have 5 girls, beautiful clothes and a lovely setting?

So until tomorrow, when the picture on the canvas will hopefully look good, and so will the pictures from the shoot...