New Painting Underway / Thoughts on my Artistic Maturation...

This is 12 X 18 Oil on Wooden Panel. I love the smooth surface Wood can allow but I am not set on just painting this. My beautiful friend Airin modeled for me and the gaze of this photo was very compelling. I am currently working from life and Photos. My number one concern is emotion and reality is there are times when Photos can capture an emotion that life cannot. I hope to work more and more from life however.

I have been trying very hard to get to a point where I can polish off an area like Waterhouse, Sargent, or even Bougerou. When I started Oil Painting I was very intrigued by the effect "impressionism." created on the picture plan and I loved doing that approach. I also didn't believe I could ever paint really tightly when starting and it has taken me years to get to this point, and I still have a ways to go:). I am now a firm believer that I can attain the smooth polished off realistic effects that I would like to use in parts of a painting as well as go for looser brushwork in the background. I remember reading in Charles Bargue's "A Drawing Course." how patience can be attained. This is true! I believe the more we focus on it the more of a strengthened muscle this can become.

I LOVE the www.artrenewal.org Salon catalog I just looked at. It is so inspiring and humbling to know that thousands of Artists now are doing incredible realistic work. When I started Art School over 20 years ago there was nothing like this. It's good to know that if we work hard enough we can attain the skill to create masterworks that revel the likes of the 19th century Academicians, the Renaissance, and beyond.

I am excited to see where I'll be in another 20 years. Painting is hard work but it more than makes up for it in the feeling of accomplishment. Thanks for reading! Hopefully you get to see the final picture in the Art Renewal Salon next year:).

Grassman