Taking a painting class as well as life drawing. Because of a class schedule mix-up, the class is oil PORTRAIT PAINTING – a bit more advanced than I am and I use acrylic paint which is a bit trickier for portraits. Luckily the assignments are using photographs which are already reduced to 2 dimensions, making it a bit easier.
The teacher, mercifully, explained that paintings go through ugly stages and with each layer of paint the image gets a bit more refined.
It occurred to me that in life we go through ugly stages before we become more refined. Like paintings we all have layers and layers of “stuff” beneath the surface of what others see. Here’s a Peek at mine (painting that is, not life):
He’s not quite finished . . . like life, the closer I look the more I find that needs changing, tweaking . . . and like my hair . . . re-coloring . . .
judy
CURIOUS to the MAX 
Judy, you have a wise teacher. I really find the progression of this painting fascinating. My favorite iteration is the next to last one. It leaves something for the viewer to discover while still revealing the spirit of a sweet and thoughtful little boy. Hope we get to see the totally finished portrait.
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Shari,
You and I will never see the totally finished portrait cuz I got bored and moved on!
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Maybe that’s a good thing – maybe it IS finished. I always told my students that they had to learn to recognize when a painting was complete, not easy when you’re a young artist.
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That’s me . . . a young artist
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That’s all the same dude? That ugly stage is gone. Looks like you are progressing very well in the class.
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Wendy,
Yup, the same dude. As you know, things get ugly before they get better and then they get ugly again before they get better and then they get ugly before they get better. . . humans, unlike paintings, are never finished.
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