"Her Name Was Forgotten"

Who was she, before she left for the woods?  Before her chicken-legged-hut was full-grown, and before the stories were heard in whispers through the village at night?

(Portrait of Baba Yaga as a Maiden)

Watercolor and Colored Pencil on paper

14.5” x 7.5”

Available!  Either framed or unframed.  Drop me a message if interested.  

This one was a lot of fun to put together and paint.  It does look a wee bit like a self-portrait, but it wasn't intended to be one.  I needed a reference photo, and I was the only person in the room!  I think my chin and forehead came through the most.  

Details:

Bundled Up

As I'm sure you're aware, Chicago's got a case of th' Weathers at the moment. 

Nevertheless!

Late last week, as what became known as #chiberia began, I managed to get all the snow off the car and then drove (very slowly) to Platform for figure drawing.  A couple hours of hot coffee and good company later, I felt I had a good start to 2014:

Friday I stayed in, and kept busy with a couple sticks of charcoal and an 18"x24" pad of newsprint.

I've come back to this image of Jaime a few times now.  The original photograph is actually an Instagram selfie she posted a long while back.  I'm still not sure what my final take will be on it.  I think one more go, maybe with gouache.

The cold crept in over the weekend and, for the most part, I spent my time nested up at home.  Max got an interesting new stylus recently (Sensū), and I hijacked it to try digital painting for the first time.  

The first attempt was a sort of merpy made-up face, just trying to get the feel for the colors and brushstrokes and all that.

After that, I got down to trying an actual portrait with the thing:

The likeness started to get away from me - but I'm happy with the overall experiment.  It's addictive as real painting - except it's easier to do on the couch bundled in blankets.  

As fun as sketching digitally is, I think I'll stick with the real oils.  Must be something about the smelly messiness.  I'm hoping to get those out and moving around in a week or so - still roughing out the 2014 goals and work.

Shifting focus, or maybe just sharpening focus.  

xo

Another Monday Midnight

Late late nights, washing in layers and layers.
Started the hair a bit last night (this morning?) and very happy with all of that. I like painting hair. So, yay.

while the iron's hot

Lana joins the list of ladies-in-progress.

...something like this sketch I did last weekend

but with fishes and things.

These larger watercolors take a bit longer and I seem to let them stew longer. Having a few going at a time keeps me working while some are simmering in my brain.




Things to finish in September.

Sketchbook Weekend

I started doodling in my sketchbook on Friday evening, sitting alone at the Beetle Bar, with a hard-week's-earned Revolution Wit.











I stopped doodling in my sketchbook at 3am this morning, sitting with two other sketchbook-doodlers on a couch, and sipping a delicous bloody mary.

It's a living.
or
"School Nights" are for sissies.

xoxox

Stay up too late

painting pictures

Go Thursday!

Finished!

Interested in a portrait? I'm taking commissions!
Email - melissasueart@yahoo.com
Etsy - MelissaSueFineArt







....and now back to this.

HI

Tomorrow is email day! If you think you should get an email from me, you will, and you will get it tomorrow. Ha!

Because, I have been out and about. Last week I worked far too much, slept far far too little, and then flew to Ohio and stayed in a haunted manor in the middle of the woods that were in the middle of nowhere.

I'm not sure if my life continues to be pleasantly odd, of if that's just the sleep deprivation.

I can't show you in-process photos for the big stitched-up thing I'm making for this July (yet), but I can show you the delicious lunch I had with Lana (btw check out her classy new website!) while out searching for materials for it.

Mmmm.
The rest of the weekend was working on drawings and running errands and driving and everything besides catching up on sleep.
With the brief interruption of an amazing sunday night dinner.

Every time we go to FishBar, I leave very happy.

I'm not sure if I can show you in-progress photos (yet) of the portrait commissions that I have going. So in the meantime, keep looking at this other painting I'm doing.


And now I am going to sleep and I will talk to you tomorrow.

done

The Cold Black Water
watercolor and pencil on paper, 21 x 31 cm

Detail





You can see the whole process for this one, start to finish, by clicking
RIGHT HERE.

Naomi, just before painting.

James

Pretty much the entirety of St Patrick's Day was spent hiding from the drunk madness of Belmont Ave. The street was already filled with mobs of green-clad wobbling bar-hoppers at 9:30 am. I stayed indoors painting until 10:30pm, which was when we finally put down the brushes and headed out to find a Murphy's on tap.
Although to be festive, I did eat green M&M's and drink a wee bit of whiskey while I worked.

All day Sunday was the same, but without the whiskey or beer.

Anyway, James is done now:

7" x 10" watercolor and pencil on 140lb cold press

done

"The Braid Undone"
Watercolor and color pencil on paper