Underpainting

Art Post
This is the painting I'm working on now - just the underpainting so far. The woman's neck looks very big, and in reality she has a strong neck. She's also got more of a waddle under her chin than you can see in this underpainting. But great face, hair and skin tone. She's also a very good model - able to hold a pose. I wish I had taken a picture of the sketch I started with, it was quite good. It was tough to begin applying paint over it, but teach said it was a sacrifice for the greater good. And really, what would I have done with it anyway? What will I do with this painting? For me, art is an experience, not really an end-result. I'm working on trying to envision end-results, to see a destination for these doodles and paintings, but so far nothing has materialized.

I decided that I am going to try to finish this painting and if I do, maybe I'll give it to the model, I don't know. I like doing figure and portraits, but that's not what I like to hang in my home. And I don't like to paint or draw the kinds of things that I like to hang. So don't expect to see any of my work hanging if you ever come to visit.

Running Post
Since doing the Nashville Half last weekend, I haven't run a step. No races scheduled until the Peachtree in July. I should have a good placement in the 1A group. MOB should too, but he's not sure if his check would have cleared before he closed his old account. We'll have to wait until the race numbers are mailed to find out I guess.

The Nashville half was fun. I gotta say - there isn't a heckuva lot to do in Nashville if you aren't into country music or cheap beer. We tried going over to the Van Vechten gallery at Fisk University, but found it closed for renovations. So, we went to the Parthenon which was somewhat interesting - more from the outside than within. Later that night during an after-dinner stroll with MOB's friend, we came across the Frist Center for the Visual Arts which had a terrific exhibit from the Baltimore Museum, including Cezanne, Matisse, Picasso, and more.

I wish Atlanta would bring in exhibits like this. The Louvre exhibit is a joke and the hub-bub about Ghiberti's doors - if you look at the fine print, they're just bringing over three panels from the doors, not the doors themselves. Yes, it will be kind of interesting, but it's not exactly something you can spend a portion of your afternoon enjoying. It's amazing that I live in a city that's got to be at least twice the size of Nashville, and yet they have a more interesting art exhibition than we've had in a while. Okay, I am looking forward to the Annie Liebovitz exhibition, I must admit that.

I just realized that my running post has evolved into an art post.

As for the race itself, I was happy with it. No knee pain, that's the real victory. I did come very close to vomiting after I crossed the finish line. That's happened to me more than once. I think it has something to do with my forcing myself into a sprint in the final yards of the race combined with the heat. It never happens during a race thank god, but there are more people up close and personal at the finish line - including little children. I would be mortified if I actually threw up inches away from their feet. I think I need to give up the sprint.

Come to think of it, maybe I should have stuck with just the art post!