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Janel,
If you SAW my first attempts you would be doing cartwheels over what you have done. I struggled along CLUELESS through acres of canvas and truthfully some god-awful paintings. I am not making this up, they were dreadful.
Everyone thinks the ability to paint from life springs to your brush overnight. It is tough and challenging work. It can be horribly frightening, especially if your are a recognized artist in another field, as I was in illustration.
It really is like taking off the training wheels; the confidence and knowledge you have gained is yours to keep.
Right now I am doing a commission, a lovely 15 year old girl from Boston. It started out with the clients usual expectations of me taking a photograph and then sending the finished results to Boston, however I insisted on sittings. I dutifully took the pictures, but I found them lacking in conveying the color and freshness of the girl. I am only using the photograph for pose consistency ( it is full length) and painting her from life. The head photo is useful for likeness and the wind-blown hair effect. The parents have become used to dropping her off on Sundays and picking her up. They are watching the painting progress and are learning about the process and the work that goes into it. I have pointed out to the parents, the difference in the color of skin and hair of their child from the photo and from life. I has been enlightening for both of us.
It is a bit nerve-racking because my initial block-in never look like those suave painting demos.
I know just how much my decision to leave the photos behind as much as possible has made my work, if not easier, much more engaging and satisfying.
I am SO HAPPY you took the plunge. It was worth being a nasty old auntie.
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