Work in Progress - 'The Parade People'

'The Parade People' .... I just love this cutie pie !!

just getting started ...

I just wanted to give you an idea of the 'how and why' of The Parade People'. In Schwaebisch Gmuend there are five 'birthday' parades each year. They start on the second Saturday of June, and then continue each Saturday for the next four weeks. The first parade is for all those who turned or who will turn 40 in that same year, and then for the 50s and so on. Well, hard for me to believe, but I turned 50 this year - specifically on February 14th ... for those of you not 'in the know', that's Valentine's Day ... ahhh ... romance ...

So, as a birthday gift for me, my lovely friends from Schwaebisch Gmuend invited me to walk in the parade this year ... and I did !! It was fabulous !! I wore a conductor's tuxedo from CE Roth (11th and Turner Sts.), a pretty pink shirt that I purchased in Schwaebisch Gmuend and a long black skirt. Attention women of Schwaebisch Gmuend, if you would like to borrow my tuxedo jacket for when YOU walk in the parade, just let me know. My friend Michael will be able to help locate me.

If you're unfamiliar with the parade, there are marching bands, fanfare, singing, flowers, pull carts, tuxedos, top hats, dirndls ... a real celebration for sure !!

So after the festivities of the parade were over, I thought ... what to do, what to do, what to do with the weeks that I will spend here in beautiful Schwaebisch Gmuend. Years ago - eight years ago to be precise - I wrote a little book of my travels, experiences and observations of Schwaebisch Gmuend ... so, I didn't want to repeat myself in that sense ... and then I thought ... why not do a series of paintings of 'The Parade People'. Supposedly, it's not been done which I find so very hard to believe !! I still had nine stretchers from my 'Red Violin and other Compositions' exhibition at the Musikschule, and I had packed a roll of canvas in my suitcase ... so, I began 'The Parade People' series. It's been more than fun !

As always though ... sometimes a painting goes smoothly, and sometimes it doesn't. I've had hardships with color, with placement, with 'likeness' ... and then I've hit it spot on (or so I think). So, without future adieu, here is the newest painting of 'The Parade People'. Keep in mind that I just started it and it's most definitely a work in progress.

Now, I've only worked on this a few hours so it's just the beginning. I can see differences from the original photograph and tomorrow I will head back to the petite atelier to adjust the painting. Sometimes it takes another medium like photography to see the 'errors' ... but this series isn't about laboring over a replica portrait, it's about capturing the spirit of the day ...

What I need to change ... well, the eyes could be a little wider and a slight bit lower, the nose a little shorter and the mouth a little higher on the left ... and that's just for starters ... but I'm pretty much ok with my first attempt. Tomorrow I will view it with 'fresh eyes'. Portraits are not the easiest thing to paint ... it's not like a landscape or still life where subtle differences from the object to the painting are not crucial ... but, in a portrait, even if one feature is off just a centimeter, the portrait will not be correct. It's that exacting. ...

but, like I said ... just to capture the spirit of the day ...