Shondra Portrait in Red

Shondra 8" x 10" Oil on canvas
Remember the under-paintings I did and posted on Friday, March 28th? Well, this is what one of them turned into and is my painting contribution for today. I have to say, I might like the photo a bit better than the actual painting! I have a heck of a time photographing these things - especially when the paint is still wet. The light lavender looking lights in her hair is actually very dark - but it is wet and reflecting light. I actually think I might like it light! This was a disaster! In fact in class, after working on it for 2 hours and it kept getting worse and worse I took a paper towel to it and wiped it back to the beginning stage. Funny thing is, both people on each side of me did the same thing and I think there was at least one more student that scraped hers back too. It was April Fools day - and everyone seemed to be having a tough time.
Other things in the works - we bought a portable table saw so I could cut Masonite to paint on. I now have a bunch of ATC sized (2 1/2" x 3 1/2") pieces to play with. I have been gessoing them and getting ready for a binge of teeny tiny paintings. Also, I spent 6 hours today photographing the Journals I have been working in from the Journal Swap, and setting them up on Flickr. Some of the participants want to enter their pages in some kind of event - for a book I think, so every one's pages need to be online somewhere so they can grab them and enter them. So that is done, learned a few things, but mostly felt like more avoidance behavior. I have been thinking a lot about my Bio and Artist Statement. I know I have my old ones around here somewhere - which would help with the Bio part - but the artists statement would probably have no relevance to me now, or what I am doing. I am a totally different person. I knew then what I was doing and trying to accomplish - now, who knows?
Geesh - and I have to do my taxes too! I was so determined to keep up with them for this year and I haven't done a thing! So I have all of last year and this year to catch up on. Even more avoidance behavior - on so many levels.....

Hmmmm...now that I've looked at this for a bit online, it seems that the shoulder and dress strap is a little too distracting, I may have to go tone that down...