Sydney's Orange Hat

A few years ago, I began my watercolor painting with portraits. This sweet one is among the first that I tried. I had received a Jan Kunz book on watercolors, and in particular portraits, from my husband for my birthday.  I read that book voraciously and tackled this painting. There is much that I really didn't understand well about light, shadow, skin tones and so on, but I did the best I could with the information I had.
 I still have this painting hanging on my great room wall. It is a great reminder of being brave in "just doing it", even if you don't have all the pieces in place. I kind of feel that way again in something that I am going to do this fall. You might have wondered why I am doing so many portraits. I am practicing. You see, my daughter (who is a FANTASTIC artist -Kim Peters) and I have booked a trip in early September to study with some of the most currently noted master portrait artists in the world. We will be in instructional classes of only 20 people and I want to be ready with my skills as sharply honed as is possible.
 I think of this as the trip of a lifetime, and am excited that it will be with my daughter. We have never done anything like this together before. It will be kind of like our own Amazing Race, as we will be in totally unfamiliar territory - traveling to California on our own, and then renting a car, driving, navigating, locating, and so on... yes, I think it is an adventure. And it is exciting. And it will be here before I know it. So I had better get back to my painting and drawing so that I am "in practice".