A. finished

I've reached a strange new point where my paintings look better in person than they do once they are photographed or scanned. It used to be the other way...I don't know if this is a sign of progress, but it's certainly worrisome given that most shows are selected by digital images now.

At any rate, A. is finished. I've done some good things...and some not so good things...in this painting. But it's all a learning process and it's time to move on to the next project.

A. under development

I'm still working on A.'s portrait. As usual, I feel disappointed now that I've moved beyond those initial washes. I love the look of glowing, fresh paint in those first moments. I think that look matches the fresh look of a child's skin.

But, I have yet to master making those washes vivid enough to stand up to scrutiny from across a room. So, I have to keep working -- and I lose the freshness in the process.

Nonetheless, I'm still generally pleased with this...it does look like A. -- a critical measure of success -- and I think there are good elements on which I can build.