They say the eyes are the window to the soul. I have been painting faces non stop and I think there is a lot of truth in that. I am now interested in painting more regular faces. Nothing is more regular than my own in the middle here. If you have a face you think I might enjoy painting ...please send it to FB messenger. I am interested in keeping this series going for a bit more. There is such an infinite variety in the human face and my eyes do not tire of trying to capture the likeness. 

This video is just for fun but on a serious note. I am offering Friday morning group session in my home studio . I am charging 45 dollars for each session. These sessions are running from Aug.-Nov.  People have contacted me thinking I am charging 45 dollars for all those sessions....Um no. 
I find that amazing but as much as I am willing to work for 0.003 cents on Youtube...I am not willing to do that in the "real world". In the real world a woman needs to know her worth. Rant over! 

I have been painting my favorite BBC actors and actresses for portrait practice and I have been watching a program from the UK on Youtube called The Best Portrait Painter of the Year. It really helped me with my painting but today they took them all down and made them private. This makes me very sad. I plan to still paint on with my choices but am sad that the inspiration was taken away. Meanwhile you can see endless images of "Forky ". 

But it is hardly the same. They also took down the companion program about landscape painting so I missed out on seeing that altogether. I am a bit broken hearted but not broken. I will keep painting on and I hope you do too. 

This week I am painting BBC actresses who have appeared on the Best Portrait Painter of the Year program now airing on Youtube. I have watched the last four seasons and that is a lot of painting. Now I want to try my own version in my studio. I am painting people who have appeared so far. 
This fits in with my goal this summer of simplifying heads. This is being done for my own learning and enjoyment. British actresses have much more character than our American ones do. To watch the progress please subscribe by hitting the subscribe button at the end of this video. 

This is why I love watercolor so much. It creates harmony when you put colors next to each other. The water bonds in friendship and I become a delivery system but not the boss. Watercolor teaches me so many life lessons about patience, perseverance, love and growth. It teaches me without words or judgement. I hope it does that for you too. 

Finding the angle of a head when it tips up and down and from side to side is the hard part of this new learning curve. I am hoping that a proportional tool ( ordered for 12 dollars) will help me with accurate placement . I must admit, my brain does not want to see in three dimensions.  At least I know I am in good company with this problem. 
What I have learned so far : 
If it was easy to simplify a head there would not be countless videos and books about how to do it.. 

When what you love to do becomes an economic concern things can shift. I only skirt around the issue here today. I think it is worthy of an in depth look later. I would love to hear what you think about the conflict of the love for painting with the need to make an income from it. There is some drama in there. 
What I have learned so far; 
It is always OK to ask the questions. That is the only way you begin to formulate your own answers. 

We are having another free giveaway. The winner will be announced on Tuesday July 2nd. You can win a set of these Always Present brand watercolor markers. To sign up for the giveaway you must be a subscriber to my newsletter. If you are reading this you already have done that so good luck. I hope you win and stay tuned for the big announcement. 

I like to share things as I learn them. I took an online class with Peggi Kroll Roberts and this is a review of what I have learned so far. There is so much more to learn and practice. There are the individual differences to consider and the tilting of the head both from side to side and up and down. This will keep me busy for a very long time.                                       
Today the first peony of the season bloomed in my yard. It is raining hard and heavy. I have two blooms inside. I waited a whole year for this moment. It is sweet.