The Bathers – Complete – Sorry for the delay

I’ve been a little preoccupied with report cards and year-end curricula for my first graders, as well as my daughter’s high school graduation… add to that life keeps me busy with many other things. So, I haven’t taken the time to try and escape the painter’s block I felt. I moved the painting around the house to see it inn different lighting, to see if that helped. It helps me decide I needed to paint the sides black to give me that closure I needed.

So, I brought it down to my studio, hung its in the lighting I now find so terribly frustrating and will need to change before the fall (‘ll paint outside this summer, to see how that feels).

As I felt would happen, once I got paint on a brush and started to paint the sides black, I started to feel what minor details needed to be added to finish this painting. I needed to darken the eyes, and add some more subtle shadows. I needed to add some yellow to the unbleached and dull skin tones. I needed to bring some of the atmospheric blues onto the skin too.

I sat back while listening to Big Head Todd and the Monster, marvelling how much this 1990s band still amazes me, especially their cover of John Lee Hooker’s “Boom Boom”. As I watched the painting dry, I felt the music in it and it sounded right to me. It’s done!

I’ve got a few projects cued up to start as soon as my final day of teaching for this school year approaches, but I’m not sure I can wait to start!

As always, please stay tuned…