Surreptitiously Snapped – 04/27/2017

8:47 PM

 

I knew I wanted to draw this woman yesterday. surreptitiously snapped a photo yesterday while she was on her knees goo-gooing with a puppy she was considering adopting. she had come without her husband because he said he wouldn’t come until she had narrowed the choice down to one or two. thank goodness I’ve gotten in the habit of always having my phone in my pocket. I’m always hopeful when I see a person bond with one of our cats or dogs, but it’s tough… some days I’m sure there’ll be an adoption and then I’m crushed when I come back the next week to find the creature’s still there. we already have 2 cats from there and dogs just wouldn’t fit into our schedule… even if the landlord would agree. the long term residents break my heart the most.

 

iris is oval when seen from the side.

looking up.

( image: 11 in. x 14 in. )

 

 

( image: 22 in. x 14 in. )

#IFJM2017

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Smiling Eyes – 04/26/2017

8:57 PM

 

squinty, happy, smiling eyes. it’s been a while since I’ve done my eye practice. there are so many variations to consider. all I know is that my own eyes are squintier than these eyes when I smile. so narrow that I can barely see my iris when I look in the mirror. I guess that’s why I draw all these other eyes… I see enough to be able to determine what color they are! Peter says there’s a pitcher in baseball that has two different colored eyes… says it’s called heterochromia. Jeanne’s still out, but her husband’s doing much better. at least that’s what Sara said. she dropped in last Friday after I left. said she’s planning on taking a few more weeks, even though he’s home. Sara asked if I’d be willing to do her Friday’s ’till she’s back. P’s okay with it and it works for me.

 

Left

Right

Left

Right

 

( image: 11 in. x 14 in. )

#IFJM2017

Hoodie – 04/24/2017

9:14 PM

 

sigh. I put a few years on this young lady. she looks to be in her mid-teens in the photo. I was attracted to her uneven eyes and that hoodie. I thought about using my artistic license to leave it out but it seemed to be integral to the shadowing on her face. quiet day today. much warmer than I expected. the laundry dried immediately in the sun & the breeze. I feel good that I got that done at least. just vegging my way through the day. having visitors just took all the p & v out of me… and they’re family! you’d think I’d be more relaxed about the whole thing. I’m in awe of people who can entertain easily. I just get stressed.

 

widely set eyes

 

Don’t forget the hoodie

 

more distance from eye to nose tip

 

more distance nose to chin

 

 

( image: 22 in. x 14 in. )

#IFJM2017

Traffic Exodus – 04/21/2017

11:42 PM

 

yes, I painted this in the afternoon, but it just seemed wrong to do my write up then. too early. this was a lesson in patience… way too many tiny strokes and squiggles… I did some, walked away and set up the spare room… did some more, walked away and made a large salad & stuck it in the fridge… did even more, and cleaned the bathroom. ready for Paul & Suzanne! they actually arrived pretty early ~7:00. turns out they managed to get out of work and escape the city before the major traffic exodus. the bros have been discussing politics. I saw Suzanne roll her eyes so we left them at the dining room table and took our wine into the living room. we talked jobs etc. she thinks I should forget the whole job thing and go back and get a teaching certificate / degree… I don’t think so. who’s hiring art teachers now! no one! sweet of her to think I could do it. now to bed.

 

right eye

 

left eye

 

just a hint of an under-eye shadow on both.

 

( image: 22 in. x 14 in. )

#IFJM2017

Multitasking At Its Best – 04/18/2017

8:46 PM

I think this may be my best nose yet! and it may be better… the whole painting is actually better than my prelim. I remembered to widen her face and add more hair. the shadows under the hair seems to be more important than I originally thought. two weeks of nothing but gouache. my watercolors have been put away so I’m not even tempted. P watches the Red Sox while I take over the dining table. he watches while catching up on the latest biology journals. he’s leading journal club on Thursday. multitasking at its best… science & sports. 

smiles need squinty eyes to be authentic. 

Left

Right

needs more hair

less upper lip
( image: 11 in. x 14 in. )

#IFJM2017

Absolutely Meditative – 04/17/2017

10:43 PM

painting her hair was absolutely meditative. phthalo blue, burnt sienna, & payne’s grey. just layer it on. and on, and on. I didn’t want to stop. her eyes are too big but… too bad. I guess I still need more proportion work. it was better in the pencil drawing. esp. her right eye. left was just a hair too large. tomorrow I’m going to check out J. Crew in Hanover. maybe they’ll have a skirt in a color other than black. I’ve finished my resume… mostly… and I’m going to check out the college job listings. one of the women who works at the med-school says there are a few openings. that would work as long as I don’t have to work with Peter. that would be way too much togetherness.  

Left eye

Right eye

nose needs to be wider

Quite Dark under lip & nearly a lost edge under right side of chin. 

( image:  22 in. x 14 in. )

#IFJM2017

Beautiful Streaming – 04/16/2017

9:22 PM

service did go very long today but the light was beautiful streaming through the windows. made me almost forget how uncomfortable those pews are… almost. we had a lovely dinner at the Morris’. The easter standard, ham & scalloped potatoes. it was a full house. 12 of us. the Morris family, a couple of students, 2 of the other post-docs with their husbands and Peter & me. there were lots of flowers so I’m extra glad we brought a plant. it was so warm today we opened all the windows once we got home only to have to run around & close them all when a surprise shower blew in. the wind picked up so fast. of course, the laundry still needs to be done. P’s flipping through the channels searching for something good. he seems to have settled on hockey. ugh.

lower far eye

slightly oblique

almost a total profile

true lateral

( image: 11 in. x 14 in. )

( image: 22 in. x 14 in.)

#IFJM2017

Graciously Told – 04/14/17

9:28 PM

P’s gone off to the lab. again, just a quick in & out. says this bit is the last for the week. no work this weekend being the holiday & all. we’ve been invited to Peter’s boss’s house for easter dinner. I’m a little nervous, I’ve only met him when P came for his interview. and I’ve never met his wife. I asked if we could bring something and were graciously told not to bother. they had it all under control. okay, so I don’t bring food but we’ll find something to bring. wine? flowers? I’m sure I’ll find something tomorrow at the co-op. it’s 15% off day too. sat outside this afternoon working on my resume. the sun felt so good on my shoulders. the neighbor’ cat came over. probably checking on our rodent status. our landlord says the chipmunks live under the deck. not for long if the cat has any say in the matter. 

<— CHUBBY cheeks

child’s nose – all three balls relatively the same size and spaced widely apart. 

remember lower lip lighter and has highlights. 

No! —>

huge irises & rounder eyes – looking cranky… eyebrows are knitted up. 

( image: 22 in. x 14 in. )

#IFJM2017

Discomforting Feeling – 04/13/2017

10:08 PM

 

 

it’s too late and I’m too tired. in fact I was so tired when I started this that I decided to forego making a full gouache portrait. my mechanical pencil to the rescue. I had another poor nights sleep and woke up this morning knowing I dreamt and having a real discomforting feeling that something bad had happened. like a nightmare but not. do I remember anything beyond that? of course not. that’s both good and bad I guess. oooh… my hand is smearing the pencil. it’s definitely time to stop, wash my hands and go to bed.

 

look right —>

 

<— look left

 

lower lip more recessed than upper but catches more light

 

 

( image: 22 in. x 14 in. )

#IFJM2017

Egyptian Licorice – 04/12/2017

8:41 PM

 

got to the UVHS early this morning. so early I sat in the car thinking. no radio and that’s how I know it’s serious. Sara was great as usual, such an upbeat person, it’s infectious. we had a cup of tea before I set off to do the cats. Sara always has multiple choices of Yogi brand teas to choose from. I had the egyptian licorice. sort of chai-like with spices but less overpowering. it was a lovely way to start the day. I wish my clothes shopping had been more successful. there’s an odd selection of clothing stores here. high end and fuddy-duddy or cheap and slinky. I guess I haven’t shopped much around here. I think I’ll call Carrie tomorrow & see what she thinks. art supplies are so much easier to buy. well all except for brushes. I wish I could try them out and feel them in my hand before buying but there’s nothing here. it’s online for me. don’t want to do clothes that way either. maybe I’ll chat up the women at the library. one of them, I don’t know her name, has a really cute & funky asymmetrical haircut and she dresses cool too. wonder when she works next.

 

tag:  In every moment of life, you should be what you ought to be.

 

 

way too much iris

 

looking down – still too much iris

 

true profile – can’t see beyond the bridge of the nose

 

ski jump nose

 

nose profiles – shape changes with the location of the balls

 

 

( image: 22 in. x 14 in. )

#IFJM2017