Your New Baby

This blotchy face was my first time playing with some new brushes. The "widescreen" format was so that it could be folded to fit in a CD case, but I've been wanting to work in these dimensions for a while. I wish I could say that there's a deep artistic reason behind that, but it actually stems from the fact that I have a weird frame I got at a yard sale a long time ago that matches these dimensions and I want to make a painting specifically for the frame.

I took these pictures while the paint was still really wet, so in some spots you can see the texture of the paper show through in a way that it doesn't in the finished painting. I have a few kinds of paper that do that really dramatically, and no matter how many paintings I do on them I always panic when the paper starts to show through. I think that constant state of panic makes me a better painter though, because what I think of as some of my best brushwork is on those kinds of paper.

The Head And The Heart

My daughter's favorite band right now is The Head And The Heart (listen to them here: http://www.myspace.com/theheadandtheheart). She's especially in love with band member Charity Rose so we worked together on this painting of Charity and her kitty. I don't know if Charity actually has a giant kitty or a red tiger dress, but that's not important.

PS The Head And The Heart - if you read this, please consider playing a weekend daytime all-ages show. I know at least one four-year-old that will be in the front row dancing and singing along!