Oil Painting

I've always enjoyed oil paint. It's so luscious and the colors are clear. It's lots of fun to push it around a canvas, and if you have the time you can rework it infinitely. Although it takes insanely long to dry, I much prefer it to acrylic which is more practical but just plain less beautiful. I had considered working in various mediums this week but in the end I didn't really want to switch to anything else. 

This is my last week with faces. I have drawn over 100 of them during the month. I found it such a wonderful exercise for myself to have a discrete focus. The human face is endlessly fascinating. At the same time, when you spend so many hours looking at just one thing, you do begin to get a sense for its structure. My two hours of drawing a day pass very quickly, and those moments have become practically my favorite time of the day. Next week I will begin with another subject and cycle through several media again.

I didn't do quite as many oil painting faces each day. They take a bit longer to accomplish. Here is a sampling. If you'd like to see the whole set, you can find them here.

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We have been spending quite a lot of time in Paris these last few weeks. We left home again on Friday to pass the weekend helping out and to celebrate Quinn's birthday. He turned 3 on Friday. When we left the house the sky was robin's egg blue and the day was warm like early spring. Passing through the forest of Montmirail, I had to stop and take a few photos of the sun filtering through the bare trees. It was one of those days that makes you want to sing.

By the end of the weekend it seemed that winter had finally descended on our corner of the world. The thermometer has taken a plunge downwards, well below freezing.

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Quinn had several birthday events. We participated in his pancake birthday breakfast party with his friend Lizzie.

 

We've spent the weekend putting together a new bed for Quinn, rearranging furniture, folding baby clothes, making bumpers for the cradle and recovering a couple of chairs. Never a dull moment!