64 hour update

It's a good day painting when you look up at the clock and it's 5pm when it seemed like a minute ago you looked at it and it was 1pm.  I worked on the smocking today and the skintones.  Tomorrow I hope to finish that Azalea and sign it.

There are all kinds of Artists and I enjoy seeing how others work.  I work from life or photos as I have little imagination.  As a child I was bad at spelling for the same reason, I couldn't even picture the words in my head.  I really admire folks that paint abstract, usually from mental pictures.  I'm beginning to think the way I work may be hereditary.  My Grandmother painted flowers on China and though she came up with the designs, she used life and got ideas from a set of books she had about fairies by Cicely Mary Barker.  It also gave me something to read at her house. 

My Grandson loves to draw.  I've noticed he likes to do the same thing as his Great Great Grandmother and his Nana (me).  Here he is getting an idea from a book.  He draws sea creatures, Calvin & Hobbs, and here he is using some ideas from Simon's Cat.  

People are always asking me for advice about being an Artist.  I think it's important to recognize how you like to work and what your gifts are and go from there.  I also don't say my way is the only way to make art as some Artists do.  While my way of painting is considered copying and wasn't encouraged when we were in school much.  I would like to think it is more than that as I try and capture the soul of the person on canvas.