The Coverup and a Selfie

 Last week I posted one that had several layers and I still wasn't liking anything. I covered it with more colors, then some white and I didn't like the brush strokes.  I had a baby wipe in my hand because I was cleaning paint off my fingers,  WHAT IF I smooth things out with it? I discovered it did more than smooth the brush strokes, it brought just a touch of the color underneath to the surface.  I finished one but didn't get it photographed before I took it to Central Park Place for the Gallery Uptown 50th Anniversary show.  This is the second one still waiting to be finished.

And another fun exercise this week -- blind drawing self portrait.  A Creative Restart Workshop exercise and I love how some of them came out.  None a really good likeness but fun anyway.

The one on the left is with a fountain pen, on the right, charcoal. One thing I realized looking at them later, if one has drawn enough faces one can come pretty close to lining eyes, nose and mouth up because one knows the nostril comes down from the corner of the eye and the mouth is just below that.  I have done a lot of faces.  Another advantage I have is a couple wrinkles across the bridge of my nose between my eyes, I can come pretty close to positions. Making them accurate is another story.

Sometimes You Just Have To Cover It Up

 And that is just what I'm doing on this piece.  What you see on the right is what it was and I've done several layers and keep thinking -- surely I can make this work. Well, I had several good compositions and decent finishes but didn't like them so I also did a lot of sanding.  Finally, this morning, I decided it's the color.  I just don't like the green and so I decided to sand again and use totally different colors.  That's started on the left.  Hopefully I can come up with something I'm happy with.  Still a long way to go before it's done.

DeStash Bash Done, Time To Plan For Retreat

 And I'm pleased to report that this piece has gone to a new home.

I was able to sell some good art supplies at a very reasonable price to several artists in need.  It felt good for two reasons -- one, more gone from my studio and two, budding artists got some good supplies at bargain prices.

I will be heading up to my annual art retreat next week. This is the view from my perch at the bar where I do my morning journal.

Since the bash my time has been spent figuring out what I want to work on and deciding on the necessary supplies.  We also spent a few days on Mackinac Island.  Marshall did the Chicago to Mac race again this year and we took his son up so they could spend time on the island.  Didn't turn out as we expected but a good time anyway.  In addition to time with all three of my guys we spent some time with my niece Shannon and her husband who were there staying at the Mackinac Island Yacht Club.  All good.