Piglet therapy

Some days, the paintings come easy and seem to appear on the canvas as if by magic.  There are other days when I feel like Sisyphus rolling that boulder up a mountain; yesterday I was the guy with the rock.

I appreciate my clients so much when I hit a point in a project where I absolutely need their feedback to get to the finish line.  They are always generous and gracious with their comments, and despite having very little artistic background, easily pick out the thing or things that need adjusting.  It happens rarely, when I have to go back and forth with a client, but when it does, the process requires every ounce of energy that I have.

I decided to close out the day by spending time with a little piglet that Kara Cunningham photographed in Vietnam.  Kara is a member of the Bracelets 4 Buildings team and spent a lot of time with Heather while we were in Cambodia.  She is a brilliant editor and an incredibly smart lady, especially in the area of the history and understanding of religions.  She also has a gift with the camera.  These three photos popped up on her feed on day and I snapped to attention.




I asked if she would mind if I painted one of them.  She generously gave me an enthusiastic thumbs up.


I've learned to love the process of underpainting and creating a bright and colourful background first.  During this phase of a painting project, I get to be somewhat carefree and spontaneous.


Once the underpainting has dried, I go in and work the canvas and discover where the subject will take me in terms of colour choices and brush strokes.

It was a relaxing way to bring an end to a full day in the studio.  I'm looking forward to putting the finishing touches on this fun painting that I will call "This little piggie". I'll do that this morning.

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