Getting closer...

So I finally feel ready to show some progress on the current piece. I've been adding lots of glazes in the background and foreground to try to bring more depth to the surface. The storm clouds are starting to come together nicely though they're still giving me a bit of trouble since I'm completely making them up. I still need to add more ripples to the water to really fill that area and make it seem like it's moving off in the distance. There are also still a few areas where the temperature has to be adjusted (cool or warm) to bring everything into harmony. I've spent a lot of time making small adjustments to the figure this past week - pushing and pulling the mixtures to show only what I want to show. At this point I'm pretty happy with the figure except for the ribcage which needs to be toned down so that it doesn't draw emphasis so much.

This piece has been on the easel for a long time and I'm looking forward to starting a new piece soon. I've recently put together a shadow box and plan on drawing and painting some still-lives which I haven't really done for over a year. It'll be nice to clear my head for a bit and move onto something different. I always feel so much more engrossed in the work when it involves the figure or a person in general. In fact, since I first started this blog the figure has pretty much been the focus of everything I've done. It's certainly not a bad thing to be engrossed by your work but sometimes it can feel hard to walk away from. A still-life, on the other hand, will hopefully keep me engaged and not torment me so much about the million little details calling for my attention. I'm also hoping I can pick up a bit of speed by working through different compositions and altering my approach when needed. Then again, that's sort of been my thinking for each painting I've done this year so, no promises.

On a side note, I recently went to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston with someone special. Though it hadn't been that long since my last visit it was so much fun to see the work again (many pieces were new to me) and discuss which pieces we were drawn to the most. I've always found museums and galleries to be great inspirations when I'm feeling confused or troubled by a project. Sometimes they can be even more inspiring in the company of another person...