A Portrait for Today and Yesterday

"Scott"

6" x 6"

oil paint on canvasboard

I have painted most of my immediate family and realized I needed to try this portrait from a photo again.  I had painted it another time, only to struggle with it and wipe it off a couple of times. I am in that mood where I want to revisit a challenge I had this past year - just to show myself it is sometimes about the day, my mood, and mainly it is about the drawing and the inspiration that comes from getting the drawing right.  Does that ever happen to you?

 Started yesterday.  Brought it in from the studio to evaluate it last night. I set it up right in sight of what I am doing and do a self critique for the rest of the night.  Upon returning to the studio today, first thing I did was turn the painting and the photo upside down.  It helped tremendously.  You stop seeing and worrying about the features and definitely see the shapes, contours and values.

This is my brother, Scott.  He had an animated smile on his face in the photo taken a few years back at a restaurant we visited - I took the animation down a notch.  When we are together we have so many good laughs.  He is one of the kindest and most thoughtful people I know.