nature walks and nudes

     Yesterday was a pretty darn good day.  It was pleasantly cool so, we went for a nice long walk in the woods.  The trees were showing off their colours and seemed to bend slightly over the path as if purposely forming a canopy for us.  When I came home, I was of, course, compelled to paint and I must say, I was very pleased with the result.  I call her "After Her Shower".  I just love the contrast of the darker figure on the light background, the splash of yellow in her hair and that mysterious, mischievous look in her eyes.  You're not really sure what she's thinking, but you're pretty sure she knows you're watching her, and she's not bothered in the least by it.

​       Those who follow my work know I enjoy painting nudes, and have painted several in my career.  I enjoy them.  First, they're a challenge.  The human body is an incredibly difficult subject to get right, the shape, the contours, the proportions, the shading; they all have to come together in just the right way.   Then, once you get that down, somehow you have to convey some sort of mood or feeling.  It's also quite a challenge to not cross that line between tastefully artistic and just screaming "Boobies!"; its not in the nudity itself, its in how the nudity is portrayed.  When it all comes together, the result can be magical.  This, for me is one of those moments.  In fact, I like her so much, I think I'll keep her.

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