"Twin Arts" Part 1

Last week I began my most ambitious project to date, a 48" x 40" double portrait of my twin sister and me (which I explain in last month's newsletter). This painting has been a long time in coming. Emily and I were actually apart for about two years after we graduated college...I was working in Madison, WI, waiting for my husband to finish school before we got married, and she was living out in Colorado as a flight attendant. Somehow God brought us back together again, a little over a year ago, and we now both reside in the Dallas area. The benefits of seeing her almost weekly have been extended to my art career, as she has modeled for me several times. This portrait is no exception, but I feel that it's particularly meaningful because she and I have something truly special. So, amongst my other projects and commissioned portraits, I've taken the time to begin "Twin Arts," and I am documenting my process all along the way.

Early stages (Block-in):

Once the block-in was complete (using mixtures of burnt sienna, ultramarine blue, and white), I was able to get into the good stuff: color! I refine my drawing continually as I go...

I know that some painters can work long hours, but I myself find that my maximum per day is only 6-7 hours. Even then I have to take frequent breaks just to get up and walk away from my canvas, so that when I come back to it, my eye is fresh again. Yesterday at the end of the day, I thought my painting looked awesome. Then I came back to it this morning and saw at least a dozen things that needed immediate fixing! So it goes - the life of a painter is the life of a mistake-fixer!

I hope you enjoy seeing my works in progress. Artist friends, please feel free to ask questions about my methods, materials, techniques, etc.

"Twin Arts" Part 1