A week ago I thought I finished my most recent portrait commission in an attempt to tie up a commitment with my work before I went on a short medical hiatus. It's up there in the studio, and it's telling me it's not technically done; there's still a tweak or two left in it. It's usually the case that when I leave a painting for a few days - even one I believe is finished - coming back with a fresh eye gives me a different perspective and a desire to push it just a bit further. Often that last push administers the touch it needs to feel just right, and ready to go. I have to trust that gut feeling on this one -- she's almost but not quite ready. The portrait is of a beautiful black cat who was mostly blind when she passed away last year. Her portrait shows her from a partial side angle with a hint of the eye condition revealed, as her owners wanted. Her pose looks like she is gazing (sightless) at some point beyond our view, restful and at peace. She's right, there's an element of ethereal I still need to add to this one to make her complete.....
Willow's portrait is part of multi-tasking duo that I've been working on for a couple of weeks. Multi-tasking my paintings is one way I can hit the refresh mode, switching from one to another over the course of the day. I've been working on Willow (the little blind black cat) and a small still life in conjunction with each other. It feels a bit like a brain challenge or puzzle to work on these two pieces since they represent two very different genres, a kind of right brain multiplex. I'm missing my work, the studio - the peace I feel there.
For now, though, the paintings are on hold for a short holiday. A week ago today I had a total knee replacement and am currently keeping myself from undoing the good work of orthopedic surgeon. Lots of PT is involved and more icing than I thought possible. But just a week out and the icing and dogged exercises have done their magic so far. My focus has been on pain management, ingesting fiber (important!) and getting the knee back on track before I think about fixing the other one. Later this week, the stairs and my studio beckon. It will be more than a month before I'm walking normally and pain-free, but at this early stage, it looks really good. I look forward to the day when I can climb the stairs without looking like I'm 90 years old.