A young man's progress
Just a few hours more work on Ben- I think I must have a total of eighteen or twenty in now- not much in the great scheme of things. Two notes on that- letting the linen take it's course, that is to say, not painting a background, accounts for a lot of the relative speed, but just knowing the subject- after all- I've watched Ben just about every day of his life- cuts down on how much information I have to glean from purely visual sources. Things to file in the "what I know about painting" box.
Here's another thing. I find that as in other portraits, one does learn a lot about the subject, being a member of my household doesn't seem to change that. In this case, I have found that under all the day to day quirks, and the universal tugs and pulls between parents and adolescents that are part and parcel of this seventeen year old boy's interactions with me, I like him, I really do. Good to be reminded of that.
Hope to finish the piece this week.
Comment on or Share this Article →
