I Endorse the Scrape-Down, with Metaphors

  

"The Brown Beret"

8 x 10 inches, oil on canvas

$200

click to buy

I love this model, Jessica, because she always picks great outfits. Today I felt like she was a character from a movie set in some bygone era. Not sure quite which, but even her facial expression was dripping nostalgia. And on this 8 x 10 inch canvas, I had to capture that expression using my signing brush. It has like four hairs. I don't usually do that, but when I do, I make sure to have an extra cup of coffee so my hands feel like they're shaking the whole time. (Art tips!)

Here's a shot after the first 45 minute sitting next to the finished piece. I lengthened the torso and completely repainted the legs somewhere in between these two. I also scraped the face before the last 45 minutes, hence no middle picture.

 

I never go back and mess with my older paintings. I'd rather throw them out and start from scratch. During the process of making a painting, though, you have to be willing to edit, delete, spell check, carpet bomb, and decapitate to get what you want.