Week 58

The late afternoon light streams softly through the dense trees following a morning of dark rain. My niece, a little cherub in "time-out", looks directly at me. Her presence is stunning - fierce and soft, willful and pouty, defiant and yet peaceful. We captured the moment on camera, afraid it would vanish as soon as it appeared. Since it was an unplanned shoot, we wanted to change it some. Instead of the stick that was loosely laying in her hand forgotten, we imagined a flute. Instead of rugged little corduroys, we fashioned a dress, apron and tights to go with her Mary Janes. We sketched these elements in after the photo was taken, trying to imagine how our fabric should fall or how the light should play on an apron that wasn't really there.

This was an exercise entirely new to the series. I sketched out what I thought it should be like until I was happy, using graphite, white and colored pencil on my new grey sketching paper. When I showed it to Laert, he took the drawing I'd painstakingly sketched and started drawing and erasing right on top. It took everything in me not to let the horror I felt snarl out. Remembering this is a project about two people and not getting too attached to what you think is the right way. It is a challenging practice.

Taping our paper guide of the path ahead to the top of our easel, we began without hesitation. The colors emerge in her cheeks as the sun alights on her hair and clothing. Mystery and quiet unfolds. I love this moment deeply, every change, every doubt, every defiant, willful, wonderful stroke.

"Spring Song"

36x24 | Oil on Panel