I have a bad habit of making slight value changes within my larger shapes as I try to change the hues and temperatures of the colours spots I'm seeing. I'm also trying to not fuss with my brush strokes too much. By looking at the black and white photo I can see if my values are staying within range.

I'm pretty happy with the ease this is coming along and I started this piece mid last week and had a two hour sitting with Lanna. I've caught a softer smile then the original photo had which she didn't particularly like.

I did get a little spotty with my big shapes and I hope to be able to make minor adjustments to these by linking some of those values up and softening a few edges. With those changes and the final rendition of the garment I should get this finished this long weekend. Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm a long way from being able to dash these off and have likeness, essence and brush strokes that are loose and maintain their freshness. I may never get there but if I can find that something that I am calling essence at this point in time, because I don't know what else to call it, I am very pleased in the end.
This piece has gotten there in some measure for me and I dare not touch it further.

My plan to capture the morning sun breaking through the far clouds was a good idea as everything changed to be a dull overcast by the time I finished this piece. I tried to capture the mood of the day on the river but the event was fun with lots of activities and family events. Of course I missed most of the activity as I spent all of my time painting a bit off the beaten path.
It was hard to pick a location to paint as there were so many great things all very close at hand and these old apple trees dotted along the path that winds through the area with heritage farms and barns. A couple of beautiful horses were also playing in the pasture as we scouted around. Being my first time on this event Michael King walked me around a bit to see the spots he had painted in before.