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Jennie Again

"Jennie Again" and "Jennie" - watercolor and acrylic on paper, each 15 x 11.  Available here and at Artfinder.

Bridget's beach photos were a ticket to trouble, I tell you.

​With little to do but paint and thumb twiddle, I decided to pull out our own family photos (well, I asked my husband to do it, truthfully - we have at least forty pounds of photos).  Hidden in the stacks of birthday and holiday pictures  were some real gems from waaaaaay back in the day.   Photos of family, pets and even a few of my own self.

My mentor, Caroline C. Brown, used to push us to tackle portrait challenges head-on - beginning with ourselves.  So I channeled my inner brave seababy and started with a photo of me.  I'm experimenting with a new painting set-up to accommodate my neck, working more vertically instead of flat or slightly tilted.  It helps me to paint a little longer before becoming tired, and the large, flat easel surface allows paper to be taped right on it to keep it from buckling.   Two birds, one stone.
The easel nearly holds a full sheet of watercolor paper (though I am not strong enough to work that size just yet).    The surface board is thin enough to use binder clips or clamps on the edges to hold up photos or even the substrate.  I'm pretty tickled with this thing.

I have a lot (and I mean A LOT) of time on my hands these days, so I decided to take a couple of passes at this painting. Normally, I cringe at painting anything more than once, but in this case I quite enjoyed it.  Who knows?  Maybe there will be a third.
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There is wisdom tucked inside each of our inner children.  Spending the week with mini-me in the studio revealed a few interesting and unexpected pearls...I wonder what other treasures she holds within?
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Jennie

8 Comments
Dotty Seiter - 8 years ago
Sweet mini-Jennie!!!

Hats (hairbands?) off to you for channeling your innver brave seababy, Jen. And for creating an easel that works for you under current circumstances. I'm still slack-jawed that you're painting at all right now.

There IS wisdom tucked inside each of our inner children, and I love knowing that there is also MALARKEY tucked inside YOUR inner child, quiet and innocent though she may appear : )
jen - 8 years ago
Hairbands! Considering the bulk of my childhood was spent making mud pies and climbing trees, I am surprised there was even one photo where I wasn't filthy!

So much malarkey...thank GOODNESS!!! xoxo
Carl Stoveland - 8 years ago
Wonderful. My mom painted my brother, me and our dog sam when I was a kid. I always loved that. I have become more interested in painting figures lately not neccesarily portraits and absolutely not myself, but who knows maybe you have inspired me. The paintings are wonderful.
jen - 8 years ago
Carl! I double dog dare you to paint a selfie! In the swamp. With a camera. Because you CAN! xo
Patti Bryan - 8 years ago
That same, sweet, brave, beautiful child is alive and loving inside you, even today. I love how tenderly you are caring for her, my sister.
jen - 8 years ago
Thank you sweet Patti! We must hold our inner kiddos near to our hearts...
Carol Edan - 8 years ago
Such sensitive portraits! Your inner child shines through today!
Glad you found a way to paint more easily, seems that your recovery has a strong relationship to your painting.
jen - 8 years ago
Yay! Thank you, Carol! I am tweaking my set-up every day...trying to get it just right. In the meantime, let's PLAY!!!

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Lola Jovan

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