Barack Obama

oil on board

6.75"x7"

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I've got three things to say about this painting. One, I know it's a little cheesy to paint famous people but I really, really, really wanted to paint this man. Two, I hope to not make any enemies by having chosen Obama as my subject. Three, I've been wanting to slow down and get my teeth into a painting, and so I did.

The hardest part of this painting was the background and the suit and tie- to try and get them to not look really cheesy.

Questioning the Daily Painting Movement

An apple a day is good for you, but how about a painting a day?

Sometimes I wonder if anyone else ever feels a little trapped by the Daily Painting Movement- you know, to keep paintings small and work quickly no matter what. Most of all, to keep churning them out.

I'm going through some confusion over whether I want to paint quickly, or slow down and spend at least several days on a painting, or maybe even several weeks. I mean, what would happen if I spent a week on a painting? Would I get off to a good start and then ruin it by overworking, which has certainly happened to me? Or would I come up with a more satisfying statement? 

Would I make less money? (gulp)

It's a good thing to be able to simplify, and having to learn to finish up quickly has been good for me, but sometimes I wonder if the practice of Daily Painting encourages superficiality....please share your thoughts!  
Conversation continues here. 

Three Girls in a Crowd

graphite

8"x8"

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Here are three preteen girls, lots of sunlit blond hair and a feather boa. What's not to like?

I drew this from a photo I took on New Year's Day. Here is the original photo- you can see how much cropping it took to come up with a composition I liked (and 8 months passed before I realized I had something).

Evening Light on the Casco Bay

oil on paper

5.75"x7"

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I think this is perhaps my favorite of the paintings I did on Peaks Island last week. The situation didn't last long, so I painted like my pants were on fire.