Our Lady of Guadalupe

After getting ready for the retreat, the art festival and vacation,
I was very tired...

I had to take a break from drawing, painting and
making "completed" artwork.

Oh, I still did some doodling in my sketchbook
but nothing other than quick little reminders to myself
of things I might go back to later.

When I went to Colorado Springs for the "Textile Evolution" art retreat,
my friend Liz gave me a cool book mark.




It was for the "Guadalupe Festival" in Phoenix, AZ (from 2009).
It was the image on the front that had drawn her attention (and mine),
not so much the festival info itself.
I've had the book mark in my studio,
in a spot that I can see it every time that I work at the studio table.
She has been calling me...

So instead of doing housework, writing class proposals,
sending out artwork or any of the 18 other things that were on my "to do list",
I started painting.
I've asked my friend Sharon Tomlinson (check out her classes!)
to critique my work for me as I go.
Here's what I have so far.

I did have to adjust her eyelids.

I also moved her eyebrows down (they were just too high)

and lower her chin (also too high).

All in all I think that she is coming along.

Not an exact copy (which I wasn't trying to do) but coming along.

In the past, I have just made up faces to draw or paint (usually)

but I am enjoying having a reference image.

It can make things a lot easier.

This is a mixed media painting.

I've used acrylics, watersoluble wax pastels (Caran D'Ache Neocolor 2),

a tad of watercolor and graphite.

I'm painting on a 5" x 7" canvas panel that has a layer of molding paste

and a sheer fabric overlay.

I'll try to remember to scan it and post my progress as I go.

We're getting rain here in South Carolina.

And we're very thankful for it!