Sketch of Josephine 18x14
Telling a story through my art is important to me, but I'm not always able to do so... I love the figure and I love relationships - mother and child, sisters resting on a Sunday afternoon, a boy and his dog, an old couple sharing an apple in the shade of tree they planted when they were newlyweds.
Sometimes I'm not always able to handle a painting with a story, yet, unable to put down my brushes down, I turn to subjects that for me are fairly simple. Recently after finishing up a landscape from out of my head, I needed to relax. Portraits are the simplest subjects for me due to the fact I began my interest in art doing portraits of real and TV cowboys.
Yesterday I decided to really take a day off from work, and do a portrait of Josephine, my 16-month-old adopted granddaughter. Josephine has been inspiring me with her explorations in my studio since she came into the world. I'd love to do her portrait from life but, crawling or walking, she is a little whirlwind. Each visit I simply study her, her coloring, her features, her smile. Yesterday I selected one of my photos of Josephine, one that keeps me smiling. By the end of the day, I was totally reenergized and had a nice sketch to hang in my studio that I can look at when things aren't going right.
