Painting the Blues – “Moody Blues” that is

The model for my “work in progress” has a delightful personality and more moods than “Carter has pills.” (Boy does that date me!) I’ve used her before, and hope that her mother, and grandmother, will allow me to paint this wonderful child again.

When I saw this photo of her, I knew I wanted to capture her moody countenance on canvas. Cool colors like blue, purple, and gray may capture this mood. And contrasting warm colors, especially complementary colors, will heighten tension and interest.

In this blog are the original photo, the drawing, the first layer of paint on the figure, and some complementary background colors. I will share the completed painting next week after details are finished.

                 (Drawing in blue)

As we all know, if you wait until you’re in the mood to start something, you probably won’t. If your performance depends on mood alone, then your skill and preparation mean nothing.

Discipline requires an artist or any professional to keep going regardless of how you feel.

Performance requires self-confidence and faith in yourself. If you make yourself “go through the motions,” even when you don’t feel like it, your “e-motions” will soon catch up. It’s hard to maintain a negative mood when your body is moving, and your blood is flowing.

(First layer of paint)

When life gets rough (and it usually does), I simply put one foot in front of the other and keep going until the chaos, the trauma, the problem or mood passes. The familiarity of the brush, the sweep of colorful paint on canvas pulls me from my slump and into the world of imagination.

(Warm colors in background)

(Awaiting final layers/details)

Trust in yourself and in your God or higher power. Trust builds strength. Strength overcomes weakness. The present weight that darkens your spirit will fade like clouds on a summer day. The sunshine in your soul will shine again.