Portrait for Dedee day four

Here we are, getting close to the finish line. I could call it the finish line if I was just after an impression As an Impressionist, I could just stop and enjoy myself. Most of the needed information about the painting is already here. But this is a portrait of a much loved and beautiful family member and close won't do it. Now begins the real work of making it true to life, as exact as I can get it to "be" Dedee.

80% of the painting is done in 20% of the time, the rest of the painting (20%) with the fine detail will take most of the time say about 70% of the time to completion. I don't consider my art realism, if you look closely ( probably can't see this in the photo) it's all little strokes of color. I am an impressionist at heart. I've spent years studying Monet, Renoir, Cassatt, and a few of the lesser known painters. I've even gone to the Museum in San Francisco to copy paintings, mostly because that looked really cool in my art school days What I found in copying a real masterpiece, taught me a great deal about painting, especially since the unfinished Renoir I chose, all the stages from initial drawing to finished skin tones could be seen. I only did this once, the painting was so beautiful, so masterful, I nearly stopped painting. What does this have to do with Dedee? The whites, the whites!...all from Impressionist works. This painting is mostly in the high tones, nearly all some shade of white including the dog. My understanding of white is from impressionism, especially Cassatt.

So now to the detail. This takes2-3 days of work, especially since her coat is not nice and smooth but a swirly mass of waves and froth. In the photo she had just come in from the rain and all the little curls showed up. The coat will be a portrait unto itself, and I must find a way to keep the round form, the undergrowth of warm brown spots and keep the light in balance, not to mention getting the eyes just right, most crucial area for the likeness and a place that cannot be overworked by one little mark. In this photo most of the head is complete and I've started to finish the coat....there is a big problem in one little area of pillow at the right edge, I had to change the light there and put the area in more shadow, I've tried and tried to get the shape, but the photo has little detail that I can see, and now I 've overworked it to the point where I can scarcely get any more pastel on it...don't know how I'm going to fix it yet. It's not in a place that matters much, but it nags me anyway. It's so important when working with photos to have one with all the detail. In this photo there are mutiple light sources, and the lamp by the pillow just blasted out the camera. I'll have to put in some special prayers to the pillow people to help me out.