work, work, work

I have pictures! Here are a couple showing the strange and laborious process I'm going through in this novel (and terrifically fun) project for my sister. By the way, I ran into a painter who says he always paints this way. Who knew?!?

This is the first level, all sepia. You can see a little of the old dutch paintings I'm working with.

And here is the "dead layer", which is basically taking everything to black and white. It's used to establish value and takes a #$%^&* long time.

And finally, for your viewing pleasure, an image of my karate toe (see earlier entry). Warning: Please avert your eyes if you're grossed out by seeing other people's aged, yellowing toenails on line.

And in other news, we're all Christmasy around the old homestead as of Sunday, when we got a beautiful tree and decorated it with much less anxiety than last year. Only one ornament dropped, and we don't even have to have an unbreakable zone along the bottom half of the tree. I admit it, I am deeply grateful to have a nearly 5 year old as my youngest.

And as a random addendum, I'm reading The Lay of the Land, by Richard Ford. I adored The Sportswriter, and I will have to reread Independence Day, as I read it long ago (don't remember much), before I had found the first of the trilogy. Good books. And you know, I have more google searches for the last paragraph in The Road (Cormac McCarthy) than any other. Isn't it interesting that that one tiny bit made such an impact on people?

Comments

[Suzanne]

Love the photos! I know pretty much nothing about painting, and I find it fascinating to see all the stages it involves.

[Martin R]

Lovely stuff! Except your poor bashed toesie. Please give us further updates on the still-life.

[Isabella]

Eww! -- The toe of course. The painting is exquisite. Your toe could be an inspirational colour pallette.

[martha]

Thanks, y'all. I'm hoping to work on the still life this week, and I'll post progress. The toe is no longer technicolor, though it is a bit lumpy. I can't actually remember if it was always that way or not.