Waiting for Varnish

Waiting for Varnish

I have completed another three portraits in the last couple of days. 

I have taken them upstairs for them to dry sufficiently to varnish them. I am using Exhibition Varnish. They can have their permanent coat of varnish after six months on top of the exhibition varnish.

The photo shows the portraits upside down, because I painted the bottoms last and the paint may come off on the shelf. I know that is obvious, but when I was studying at University I was told that if you don’t write the obvious things you lose marks. 

When it is safe to put them in my scanner I will take quality scans of them. 

Meanwhile I have two more portraits that are very nearly finished. In fact I meant to finish the lady in sunglasses today but I was working on her rather late last night and when I saw what I had done, I scraped it off! I had given her a dirty face. 

I am not going to make the mistake of working on any faces tonight but I think it will be safe for me to paint some sky backgrounds. 

Lady in Sunglasses 2

Lady in Sunglasses 2

The Lady in Sunglasses is beginning to show her lovely friendly character. 

You may be thinking that I have indicated her eyes, but I can’t see her eyes at all in the reference photograph. I can only see myself and my camera reflected on the lenses and I am not going to paint that.

No, she hasn’t got a big earlobe. That will become her earring. 

I am still working on 10 portraits at once. I paint a bit more on three or four paintings a day. I have to rest my hand on the canvas because my arm and hand are weak due to polio. That is why I paint from the top left to the bottom right so I don’t smear the oil paint - except when I do it on purpose of course. If I need to go back over a higher part of the painting, I have to leave it to dry for a day or two. 

Meanwhile, I am ready to set up my next 10 portraits. There is a portrait of a deerhound calling to me ...