Finally - my first Painting a Day painting

But you won't see it till tomorrow... I hope tomorrow. Last Saturday I gessoed 25 pieces of masonite; Sunday I cleaned my palette; Monday I bought a 4'x15' canvas painter's tarp, and cut it into three pieces: one long one to put on my couch and a 4' square piece to cover the dining room table, to protect the couch & table when I'm setting down gessoed masonite pieces to dry, and a piece about 3'x4' to cover my drafting table.

This afternoon, late, I spent about 1 1/2 hours painting a calf scratching her head, from a photo I took of some heifers I've hung out with. An hour and a half is about how long I plan to spend, usually, and I've refined my plan: the first 15 minutes is kind of a speed painting, roughing in the painting, and the remaining hour and a quarter is filling in and refining. I didn't get as much done as I wanted, and maybe sometimes I'll take longer, with a more detailed subject (like this heifer - or are they all "more detailed"? I guess I'll find out), but I don't want to take too much more time than that. The last 15 minutes was kind of a sprint to the finish line. I still like it, quite a lot. The colors and the feel of it make me happy inside.

Tomorrow I'll try out photographing it, hoping to figure out a lighting angle that minimizes the shine of wet paint (I've noticed quite a few other artists commenting on the lack of fidelity of their photos, caused by that shine). If all goes well, and I have the time, I'll try uploading the photo and exploring other capabilities of the blog.

Here's the title, I think: Head-scratching Heifer. Hope it's not too cute. I welcome any other ideas... I love titling my paintings. Even so, sometimes they're just straightforward, factual, kind of boring. But sometimes they sing.

I hope you, my new audience - whoever you are - friends, strangers, friends of friends, clients, friends of clients, fellow singers, and all - enjoy this as much as I think I will.

Welcome, paintings!
Welcome, viewers!