Of Portraits and Rocks .......

Been working on a portrait.

I have never been successful in painting people's faces. Okay I admit to only ever trying three times of which two were absolute failures. That was many years ago and I have never had the guts to try again.

B11 (those who followed my dating blog know who I mean) is very much taken by the fact that his girlfriend considers herself an artist. He was discussing various works that I had done recently which were all of torsos. "Why headless?"

So there I was preening under his praise when he asked the one question I hoped he wouldn't....lol. I explained about my brush with heads and his response was "that was when you were a kid now you are wiser and have more talent." Awww don't you love it!

Well, it spurred me on and I was itching to try a portrait. But what to do? Found a picture of a wonderful native Australian elder who was so regal looking and interesting and decided to give it a go.

I have to admit to being pleasantly surprised by how he is looking. I am at a stage now where I have to decide whether to stop or to fine tune him. Bit of a quandary actually.

There are a lot of things wrong with him but overall I am pleased with my attempt. I don't know that I will do a lot of portraits - they still have that scare factor attached to them; but at least I put the boogie to bed and was reasonably successful in my attempt.

I have put him to one side while I consider which way to go with him and am now working on a picture of a rock .... lol. It that the proverbial rock and a hard place one sometimes get between?

Took lots of pics on my recent houseboat holiday with B11 and did some sketches in watercolour, charcoal, pencils and pastels. Now transferring them into detailed work.

The area is full of Hawkesbury River Sandstone which has marvellous colours and shapes as it is exposed to the elements. There are lovely purples, yellows, oranges and golds not to mention blues and greys and reds.

They just sang out to the artist in me and I took photo after photo. At the beginning of the cruise B11 thought I was crazy whenever I would go into raptures over a rock we sailed passed but by the end of our trip he was seeing them through my eyes and pointing them out to me so I wouldn't miss them.

So I have begun a small watercolour of the rock to the left - the colour isn't as vivid in the pic but you get the idea.

I have just completed the fourth 'pass' of wash and colour. I will start the final highlights - the oyster shells, lichen on the rocks, grasses, etc in a bit more detail.

B11 laughs at me - I took over 90 pictures of rocks or rocks and trees and about 10 of the houseboat, him steering or other boats......rotfl; he tells me I have enough inspiration for dozens of paintings - I tell him I need to go on another outing to find more.....