Sink or Swim

I almost stopped working on this yesterday. I felt suddenly unsure of where I am going with this but including the sink seems to bring it back in focus for me. The sink and taps and the counter are a break from all those stripes. It's just another experiment with my faux Colville style. Meanwhile I am continuing with the painting of Lyndia but I don't feel ready to post that image right now. I am feeling anxious to move on to some other work that has been sitting endlessly in my mind, but that is also what this piece is about - bringing an idea I first had five years ago to fruition. I took photos of myself at the bathroom sink with the venetian blind shadows dramatically

across me and that was tricky - left me with several areas I have to "imagine" if you will. Camera was in the way, sink and taps were not properly in the picture, background was less than ideal...

I just saw it suddenly as a striking image and decided I had to try to get it on canvas/paper. The

shadows were changing fairly quickly with the change of the sun so I didn't have time to prepare the shot or set up anything - just had to capture what I could and took several photos with the

changing light. I had a teacher who stressed never using oneself for a model, but sometimes there is no choice! Hazel Dooney has always used herself as a model and it has done well for her. I am currently on the lookout for a few models to use for the new upcoming work but have to figure out if I can afford to pay them. Sometimes in the past I have offered to give them copies of the photos I take and a drawing, plus a photo enlargement of the finished painting, and that usually goes over very well.

Meanwhile, back to this piece - will it sink or swim?