I worked today for a while and I'm having moments where I'm really happy with it and then other moments where I don't like it; that happens a lot during the painting process.  I didn't oil out today because it wasn't completely dry from last time, but I have to remember to oil out for next time to ease the painting process.
​  Have a great weekend everyone!

  This painting is going extremely well and I'm so happy that I restarted and am using my own style.  I also set up my palette of colors based on the colors I like using.  I don't like having a very complicated palette with too many colors because it makes painting feel like a chore.  Painting should be fun (most of the time).  Now I need to let this painting dry so I can oil out and paint again.
  Here's my current color palette:
-Silver White
-Naples Yellow
-Cadmium Yellow Light
-Chrome Yellow Deep
-Yellow Ochre
-Vermillion
-Chinese Vermillion
-Alizarin Crimson
-Brun Rouge
-Burnt Sienna
-Emerald Green (Veronese)
-Viridian
-Cobalt Blue
-Ultramarine Blue
-Cobalt Violet
-Raw Umber
-Burnt Umber
-Van Dyke Brown
-Ivory Black

  Just had a sudden realization that I was "counting the strokes" with my recent commission.  I was focusing on technique rather than just trying to paint.  As a result of this, I'm going back to the way I used to paint early on in my career.  My own technique has developed out of just purely wanting to paint; not thinking too much about the "how".
 Below, are two underpaintings that are about 10 years apart.  The one on the left is a self portrait from around 2010 and the one on the right is my new portrait commission that I restarted tonight.  I'm going back to myself and my own way of doing things.

  Really excited to be underway on my first commissioned portrait of 2019.  It's a memorial portrait so I'm doing the best to capture a spirit of life and energy in the portrait.  Really inspired by John Singer Sargent's portrait of Mr. and Mrs. John White Field.  The size is 24" X 20", which is nice because it's not too small; I don't like painting small.  Stay tuned to see it progress!