Painters Block

I took a week and a half off from painting for a trip to visit family and celebrate a Mobile style Mardi Gras.

My kiddos loved the kids parade and throwing beads.

The cousins in matching Mardi Gras outfits.

 

 

We also celebrated my oldest's  fifth birthday.

 

Tonight's painting session did not go well. I don't know if it was the time off or something else but I am having a very hard time progressing any paintings. I worked on three separate paintings tonight and was frustrated with all of them.

 

I am trying to paint this image of St Francis De Sales from an old etching. My church requested the painting because the priests are the Oblate's of St Francis De Sales. It is very hard to paint someone long dead from very limited resources.

I have been working on this painting off and on for well over a year. the background has been painted and repainted many times. Most of my time tonight was spent working on it. I changed the background at least three different ways just tonight.  

 

I only made minor changes to the painting of Grandma and Goose. Added a stack of books on the left side, other than that I did not want to carry on any of the bad energy from the other paintings into this one so I quit while I was still OK with what I had done.

I received a letter in the Mail today informing me that two pieces have been accepted into the Art at the Mill Spring show. "On the Fence" will be in the show/sale and "Antiquing in Vienna" will be on their reserve list.

While in Alabama I said a sad farewell to "Shades" This painting has had mixed reviews. My mother in law does not like it. It does not come close to capturing her beauty and her loving personality.

 It was one of the first paintings I finished after I started painting again and was a breakthrough for me. I painted it without a preliminary sketch or transfer of a drawing.  I usually struggle when painting directly but was very pleased with my efforts on this painting. I also love the glasses and the texture of the hat. It does capture some of her personality because she is a very strong woman who can run her entire hospital. I was still learning and continue to learn how to capture form without such harsh shadows.  Making flattering portraits that the subjects like is truly a difficult task.

This painting also won my first painting award with an honorable mention at last years Vienna Art Society Spring Show.

I guess she wanted me to give it to her so that no one else would see it . Because I love the painting and focus on the breakthroughs and the painting process, it makes me very sad to give it away to someone who focuses of the flaws of the painting. But I love my Mother in Law and if she wants the painting and if it will make her feel better to control who sees it I am happy for her to have it. I just hope that seeing it more often will not make her more frustrated with me.

 

For more artwork or information on commissioning a painting please visit my website at www.debbybirdart.com