Painting Evolution of Heart Girl

'She Wears Her Heart on Her Sleeve' began when this large 30" x 30" canvas was given to me by my BF and AB (best friend and art buddy) Sandra after my dog died as she knows how important art as therapy can be.

I began with my regular layers then when it came to stamping I just used the one stamp - a heart made out of kitchen sponge - to stamp all over in a pattern onto the canvas.

Then I sketched out one of the large faces I had been learning at Tam's Fabulous Faces at Willowing.  This is the first large face I have ever painted  - much easier than some of the small faces I've painted - and I think I've done ok, though still lots to learn and lots of practice.  I just want to mention that Tam uses watersoluble crayons and white acrylic paint to paint her faces on paper and this is all acrylic paint on canvas so there was some guess work as to how to make it look right.  One of the hardest things is blending in the paint on the face, I did use retarder to slow the drying process but when you come back the next day to add  it's hard not to over paint it too much and muck it up.

The hair - yes, I wanted large hair and would love to do another portrait, front facing, with curly blonde hair and stars in the background....hmmm Marilyn Monroe comes to mind.  I painted the hair by blocking in the darkest colour first, then gradually adding lighter colours and then some highlights with some bling colours - dark umber, burnt sienna, red ochre, copper and gold.

I feel that there is too much space to the right of her face and when I can think of what to paint there then I will, maybe flowers....

 

Different cropped versions of her...

I will upload her to redbubble where prints and cards of her will be available.