When my fellow artist friend Kitty was visiting yesterday we discussed painting while I began work on another painting of mine. Technique is something we each continuously develop as we work. We remembered always being told to loosen up in our work those years ago when we were both at RIT. I try to remember that as I work on this painting.

I paint a mid tone for the background, sketch in the figures, and then build up the painting as I add highlights and shadows. I’ve decided to make the figure of my sister Betsy on the left the focal point. By keeping the other two cousins incomplete and with less detail I comment on the loss of memory of these days of my childhood.

I’ve chosen her red cowboy boots as the main focal point.

Trying to add interest to the painting, a triptych really, I focus on shape and shadow. My painting mentor Heather always stresses looking st shape and shadow as I build my paintings. The images below show some of the detail I’m adding as I study the shapes and shadows in the reference photo.

and those red boots . . .

The sun is out so I’m going back into the studio to work on this painting. I’ll show the close-to-final-painting in my next post.

When I was a young girl I wanted to be a ballerina. I took ballet lessons until given the choice between Ms. Botsford’s Social Dancing lessons or ballet. I followed my friends and my ballet career ended.

I started a painting from a 1950’s photo I found of my sister and me in my ballet recital outfit. Her teasing pose reminded me that she favored playing in the back field and catching snakes.

This painting is shown below as it progressed in the studio.

The figures are on the canvas and I'm starting to add detail.

Dark tones were added to the background to bring Betsy, on the left, forward on the canvas.

I like the subtle addition of iridescent paint on my paintings. If you look closely the plaid jumper has iridescent ‘pearl’ buttons. There are also tiny iridescent ‘pearl’ details on the shirt collar and the top edge of the tutu. I’ll continue to add more detail to Betsy. I’m keeping the background figure more faded, as my memory of that recital has indeed faded.

The Wall Street Journal’s “Friday’s Journal” section had a fascinating article about Gerhard Richter titled, “The Top-Selling Living Artist” this past Friday March 3, 2012. I like his abstract works, but particularly like his realistic works, based in Soviet Realism. His painting from the Wall Street Journal’s article below has inspired the idea of painting my own subjects in unusual, unexpected views.