Flying Girl in Bohemia, or La Gitana

Flying Girl in Bohemia, or La Gitana 10/16/08
Golden Fluid Acrylic

I'd been wanting to paint a gypsy flying girl for a while, a kind of reference to a painting I did a long time ago, but I could never find a way in. Then I followed a link somewhere and ended up at a wikipedia reference of bohemian. And there was the way in. Aside from the description of a bohemian being kind of embarrassingly like my lifestyle, the Renoir painting of The Bohemian let me into the picture.The striped skirt and white peasant blouse, the long coils of hair. In the end, I am not completely satisfied. I think the more realistic background does not mix very well with the more conceptual figure, and the colors don't harmonize quite well. And maybe I would like to try the black hair, although I chose the brown to echo the stripes. Maybe she belongs in a different setting. I might try a gypsy again. Maybe this is the wrong project for the gypsy, maybe she belongs in a different series.

I don't know. I'm looking at painting in a different light now, though. I don't know if it's the month long Flying Girl project (which, I think I've actually achieved if I count up the days), or if it's my growth as a person where I have learned that valuable ideas don't go away but keep returning, but each painting is a part of a process. Even if the individual painting is a not quite success, what we learn from them might be more valuable. Sometimes the failure painting is important for the step to the next project.

It is hard to know where these little steps are going. Maybe that's the connection to the Gitana gypsy girl and the tarot card in her hand. The small hint of guidance, a little bit of an oracle to give us guidance on the next step in our journey.I'm Tired Hand, 10/16/08
The Big Draw #16
Prismacolor Watercolor Pencil

Self explanatory, I would like to say, but if this post is a bit disjointed or confusing, let's just say that the sleep schedule, in fact my whole daily schedule got out of whack today. I decided to switch up my naptime creativity and worked on my novel outline for an hour and a half right after putting the kids down. Great idea, I managed three pages and reviewed some old work BUT the boy rejected a nap, and stayed playing in his room, and then woke up the girl and now they are both up and I am trying to write this while they watch Beauty and the Beast. The girl, in particular is cranky and crying and I'm sure the boy will pass out early, which means my plans for my Halloween Party evening will go right out the window.

A routine is all well and good, but I think we have to remember that life is not always routine and sometimes things go off in their own direction. I'm going to just take it as it comes, and if I'm too exhausted to carve pumpkins tonight, or the boy needs an early bedtime, well, so be it. It's okay.