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.