Getting there...

Only one more class left with this model. I like how this has come along - this is the closest I've come to actually finishing a painting in years. It's funny how I see it with completely new eyes the day after class. I knew that there was pink color on the front of her cheek, but I had no idea until today that it looked like a long pink streak. I'll have to soften that up.

Next week I'll try to finish up the hair and the background, and some touching up on her face and body. It will be the last class, so time to finish up.

It took so much effort to motivate myself to go to class last night! My head was hurting from staring at a computer all day, I felt tired and really just wanted to go for a long walk outside. Then the rationalization on why it would be okay to miss class starts. "You're not going to do anything with the painting even if you finish it." And even more negative thoughts about my talent and artistic fate that won't get the privilege of making it to this forum.

The Emory Lifelong Learning catalog just came in the mail yesterday - there's a class in there that makes me laugh called "What to say when you talk to yourself," but based on the negative thinking that nearly kept me from going to class last night, I can see that there's a point there.

I'm proud of myself for overcoming that inertia last night. I'm learning how to keep an open mind about my own artistic "destiny" or whatever it is. Instead of thinking about what I'm going to do with the end result of the painting process, I'm just focusing on enjoying the process with no preconceptions of where it will lead or that it should lead anywhere other than a healthy, happy mind. Like running. I have no plans to be an Olympic champion, I just enjoy the running.

Atlanta is still in bloom. I love that spring continues for weeks and weeks here. The weather is warming up but the nights are still cool and the humidity is low. It seems like all of the rose bushes in Atlanta have been on some kind of kudzu-steroid treatment - I don't know if I just haven't noticed them as much in the past, but now I see them taking over the city, wandering up the sides of houses, winding in and out of iron fences along the sidewalks. Really gorgeous.