Did I ever mention that I love reading? 

As far as painting goes, I like the up close and personal and the challenge of painting the face, the hands and the skin color and when I compose the scene I am leaning toward props and before I know it I have her seated at a table and handing her a book. I continue to pursue this theme over and over again. This was a painting that lived through a few transformations. I initially had in mind to have it be very graphic with lots of bright color glazing with very simple shapes almost like a turn of the century poster but it sat in my studio as a nag to me that I didn't like it and one day I just tackled it and clearly came back to my usual impressionistic style, losing edges, finding edges. losing the pose, finding the pose and I limited my palette. I noticed that her body was off in the original painting, so already having it down in oil and dried was a great way to harmonize and soften the edges as I reapplied paint to work out the contours.

I just spent the last 10 minutes going through my files to post the original but I must have clicked save as over the older one..what a dope.

I've been reading since my memory begins. I started with the Sunday funnies and pretty much figured it out from there. I had to endure the insult to the intelligence having to plod through the Sally and Dick and Jane books but at this late date in my life, it sure would be fun to own one. The reading

took me places that I never dreamed, with people who shared thoughts and feelings that I had and I got to know those with whom I had nothing in common. I identified with so many of them and aspired and anticipated the adventures and relationships and escapades that were surely ahead of me. 

It is certainly not a surprise that I combined the two into a vocation for my life. I read books and I now listen to them while I paint with the dramatic renditions from audible. Ah life is good. Sometimes I even feel I am running out of books!

I've said it before and I will mention it here that it gives me great pleasure to think that a painting of someone reading and perhaps someone reading to a child will find its way into the visual memory of someone who grows up remembering "the painting on the wall."       

This one is Large measuring 36 x 48 and probably would show larger than it appears in the photo below. To see more about it, the price and how you could own it, I have provided the link to my website.

MY AFTERNOON