A weeks worth of painting

With my main painting objective in mind - the portrait contest- all I have to do now is get (3) paintings done and entered by March 4th! Hopefully better than my last (3) entered!

But, I have a serious business conflict running parallel to all this. I have two April gallery shows and each require fresh work........which gets the priority? If I'm smart, neither....here's where painting subjects in rotation comes in handy. My portrait project is research and development and the other business - as in galleries which are in place with needs to be serviced.  

My experience as a designer tells me I have to run these in parallel...."discipline" is the key word here..."divide and conquer" also comes to mind...Yesterday I didn't paint....should have but I didn't! I did do something equally as important tho, I spent time "stretching canvas" because over the next few months I have to paint 30 to 40 new works!!.....Ominous when you look at the total....possible when you break it down to days.........1.5 days per painting...most will be smaller works with a few larger paintings to be used as anchors.

Here's what I've done so far - the paintings are in sequence so you can see how I'm rotating my subjects....

 #767 Jenni - study 1 - 14x11 oil on linen (1-19-13)

Jenni will be my model for my full figure project - painted from photo 1.5 hours

 #768 Koi & Lotus 18x30 oil on linen (1-19-13)

Gallery painting

#769 Merging - study 16x16 oil on linen (1-20-13)

 Quick 1-hour study for major gallery painting

  #770 Self-portrait (1st ever) 20x16 oil on linen (1-20-13) - few hours from 3-year old photo

#771 Flamingos 1 of 3 20x20 oil on linen (1-21-13)

Gallery painting - hang as matched set of (3)

#771 Flamingos 2 of 3 20x20 oil on linen (1-22-13)

Gallery painting  - hang as matched set of (3)

#773 Flamingos 3 of 3 20x20 oil on  linen (1-23-13)

Gallery painting  - hang as matched set of (3)

 #774 Jenni - Mug Shot 20x16 oil on linen (1-24-13) 2-hour study from photo

   #775 Jenni - 3-quarter study 24x20 oil on linen (1-25-13) 3 or 4 hour study from photo

Some progress for my projects 1st week - as you can see at this stage I'm working from photos with each effort going a bit further than the last...if you will, getting to know the subject in paint. It's a different palette from my norm and where likeness will eventually be key to it's success or failure.  

Likeness won't be an issue for the contest, but it will for the Series "People You Know", which is the future use of these paintings and the larger reason for the project. The fun part of this project; it has no boundaries.

Yesterday I took more Jenni photos - today I'll do the same with plans of doing a few more random studies - I'm not ready to tackle anything serious yet....

PERHAPS THE 1ST PAINTING AND INSPIRATION FOR THE SERIES 

"PEOPLE YOU KNOW"

#406 Betty in the Roses 14x11 oil on linen (11-18-10) private collection

Later....