Painting Mom

I asked my mom recently to sit for me. She agreed. I took about 10 photos of her in certain poses and choose the best one. When embarking on painting a portrait there is only one known - everyone knows what a face "should look like". No pressure, right? Portraits, surprisingly, DO NOT have to look like the sitter 100% of the time if that was not the intention. You would call it a gesture portrait painting. But when you want to paint someone as you see them, it is important to focus on what is it about "this" face makes it unique. You have to have balance in each brushstroke taken to make sure you are not over exaggerating a feature. I had several frustrations while painting, as it only takes 1 bad stroke to make it not look like the person you intend. But oil is less forgiving and can be pulled off, or scraped off, easily. I find it is key sometimes to just stop and come back the next day. Sleeping on it allows your brain to be blind to it when you look at it again. You may see something you didn't yesterday that needs correction. This took me a while to learn and it has helped me "save" several paintings from the burn pile.

I sure do love my Mom! She is the strength of our family. While painting, I make sure to step back many times. In seeing the painting from afar, I can see her likeness. With each layer of painting and color laid, she kept getting closer and closer. When I look at this painting I see my Mom, my Grandmother, Kitty, and myself in some of the features.

Cheers!