Another Hot Day

Yesterday was another hot day in the studio. I thought it was a hot day all around until I took a break and walked outside. Turns out it was really nice outside. It was just my studio space that was sweltering. I guess that's how it goes when you work in a second floor studio space facing the sun and with no air conditioner. My space is also in the center of the warehouse too so I don't get much air from the windows. It's the price I pay for cheap rent and good wall space, I guess.

Despite the heat, I did have a good painting day. It helps that I started with a pretty great image that I loved. The strong shadows and high contrast just made for a great painting. The position of the face, with the elongated neck...I was in painting heaven! I love paintings like this that practically paint themselves in one sitting. I still have some highlights to put in and the really dark areas need to be touched up. I can't ever seem to get a solid dark area on the first pass. Of course, then there's the dreaded (for some I'm sure) dark bar over the eyes. This is another one that will be hard to cover, but as we know, it's a must.

This image makes me wonder what this woman was doing when this picture was snapped. It seems obvious to me she is a swimmer, but the way that she has her head tilted seems to sensual for a "just got done with my daily swim" kind of pose. 

12" x 12"