Moving on with this piece....I am not entirely happy with it at all really. My technique seems a bit sophomoric and unresolved....so I decided either way I am finishing it and chalking this up to practice...considering it has been over 8 years since I seriously painted...I am getting more confident with my "getting back on the bike" feeling,meaning in you never forget how...its just the ability and concrete material that one comes up with....I have herd of other artists using Photoshop to come up with layouts of ideas as opposed to drawing, and sketching which is the typical standby of formulating an idea....I know that developing my own technique and other processes that come with truly producing work that is of a serious nature...I really have to meditate on what I find fascinating or what moves me when I look at other peoples work and of the world around me...find out what creatively makes me tick on a deep level...that comes with time, and again practice I am sure...to bad I dont have to much of an academic, environment/intellectual environment to grow on like I did when I was in art school. Yet I am hoping that will change by this time next year...

So still working on the first of several portrait paintings...these will take some time...although...in person the painting looks good but on film its another thing...why is that? I dont know if I am happy with it just yet...but I will venture on in hopes that what I hope for develops as I go....the detail in the shirt will take some time and then onto the background...I at least have to block that in before I add detail to the hair...*MEH*...I am anticipating as time goes on and as I do more of these that my skills will come back and make these more into what I envision...one can hope eh? As I have said before...there is so much more that is going to go into this...so bare with me as I slowly but painstakingly add detail and time to the work...any comments and feedback would be helpful...I like some good creative criticism...it makes me work harder and meditate more on how I should proceed on this process....

Started the new work I intend to do for my portfolio....here is the beginning of the first painting...I purposely made the eyes HUGE...and there is much work to be done to this...

So....finished framed and going to deliver the first piece for the client this week. Was going to do that today, but the appointment was canceled due to her schedule....cant wait for her to see the final product. I am quite happy with my framer...very good and very fast work...nice to get a piece back and framed in less than 4 days! I did finish the second piece yesterday...I am not as happy with this piece as I am with the first..but I strictly kept to what my client wanted....just the guitar player...and then she wanted me to put my own touches on it...I wanted to add more figures from the painter she likes, Ernie Barnes but she was pretty steadfast on what she wanted..and the customer is always right eh? I hope she commissions a third piece...that would be great. She would be help paying for my oldest Pug Puka's surgery, but eh...we shall see how things work out. Maybe down the road she will order more....she will have paid almost ....well...probably not polite to mention the price...anywho...I also have been starting some more work. I have decided I will be going to apply to Grad school here locally to get my Masters in Art. I do believe I can get in, but due to the fact I dont have a proper portfolio due to my fire and losing all of my work, save for one small portfolio and that is all photography, that is work that is 15 years old, I cant simply use that work anyway. Therefore, I am on a mission to make a large body of work within the next 4-6 months so that I can submit that for my work to get into grad school. I got inspired this weekend by watching a great documentary about a lot of artists in NYC, and some of the collectors...I am trying to utilize my new found ability for drawing and add it to my painting passion. That will now be the focus of my work. I want a solid body of paintings to submit along with some of my drawings. Perhaps I shall finish the art doll I am working on and submit that as well. I am not to entirely sure. Don't know how that would add to the body of work overall, unless I did several art dolls. Or perhaps give a new dimension to my work/abilities? For now...I shall focus on the paintings and post as I work on those....as for now...here is the second commission piece I finished...I will be taking it today to get the estimate on the framing....hope you like it better than I do...