Arrie B. Too

Arrie B. Too 14X11 Original Oil on Panel

If you have been following my blog for a while, you may remember the paintings I posted on March 13th of Arrie B and Holly Mack, two of the Cotton's grandchildren. Both of those paintings were painted alla prima from the posing model. Arrie B. had a hard time posing and the sitting was frustrating for both of us. I decided that I could do a better job, so I did another alla prima painting using the photograph and original painting for reference. This one is a much better likeness. I may have relied on photographs but the end result says a lot more about this charming little lady.

As I progress through this project, I feel that my paintings are getting better and I am learning from every attempt. The challenge now is that I find myself wanting to repaint several of the portraits. I know this will add a considerable amount of work to the project but I think I will happier with the results. My work is no longer about each individual painting, but about the entire body of work that will be in the "Portrait of Dewees" book. I am also planning on adding a few landscape and wildlife paintings.

It's a big project but I am thoroughly enjoying it. Just like an individual painting, one of the hardest things is knowing when to stop!