Just What All the Excitement is About

Today was a very long day that started with a list of errands, packing and shipping three large paintings, and finally, around 1pm, I got to paint! I've been very excited to get back working on this painting but had so many things to do before I could begin. It was a few hours of "chores" but when I finally got to sit down and paint, it was well worth it.

I love when what I am working on excites me enough that I wish I could just paint until I am finished. It's like when I get a really good book and I want to read it all the way through until it's done, not noticing the other things I need to work on. I'm sure getting this excited about a painting makes me into a huge dork, but I don't care. I'm just happy that I am doing what I love for a living and can get excited about what I do. Unfortunately I can't paint for as long as I would really like too. I find that after 5 hours my hands and wrists start to really hurt and I have to stop (dumb tendonitis in both hands, wrists, elbows, and shoulders!). Fortunately I have all day tomorrow, without any shipping, errands, etc, to work some more on this piece.

Here's the progress on my painting. I covered the eyes pretty early so that I didn't have to hear people tell me that I should not cover them on this one. I did completely paint the eyes and then covered them about an hour later. I'm sure that seems like a useless exercise, but I like painting them, it helps me get the rest of the facial expression right, and it's good practice for when I do commissions.

This is all still underpainting so the shadows will be pumped up and the whites brightened when this is done. Also, I'll add the details in her hair and the fabric once this dries. 

Yes, that's a bit of her areola peeking out of the towel. 

So does it make sense now on why I am excited about this painting? The shadow on her chest and face are the kinds of things that I love to paint. It is challenging but will be so worth it when I am done.