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So how's a gal supposed to meet a deadline with all this bloody sawing going on in my studio?

The pleasure and pain of Emily

Two attempts at the same spread. First didn't have good tonal contrast and definition, but the second one seems a little stiff in comparison. This is not an easy project.

The three elements of a portrait

There are three attributes to a successful portrait:

Good likeness of the sitter
Original and personal interpretation by the artist
And finally and most importantly, the painting has to work as a good painting, irrespective of whether or not the viewer knows the subject.

Tonight we had a model for one long pose. I did a careful drawing and started washing in colour and then it was time for our pause. Sipping a cup of tea, a newspaper clipping of a Modigliani hanging on the wall caught my eye.

The wonderful simplicity inspired me to scrub off the paint and quickly sketch in this painting.

Emily&Carlo

the Dog is the noblest work of Art...
his mistress's rights he doth defend-

She called him her Shaggy Ally.

Return to the Moulin de St.Martin

Last month we were back in the Moulin de St. Martin in Crècy-la-Chapelle. We were there for the Maison&Objets salon in Paris. The old mill is on its own small island in the Grand Morin river and only has two guest rooms. Our hosts, Agnès and Bernard are wonderful. Bernard is very proud of his homemade jams and marmalade.

Only wish we could experience the Moulin in summer.