I Started Instagramming!

As of this week, I've joined the Instagram community. It's rather strange to post relatively unedited images for all to see, but I'm getting over it. The immediacy of snapping and uploading is kind of satisfying, in its own way. I still have to decide what I post where, but I think Instagram will be devoted to more everyday process stuff. I'm going to try to post at least one picture a day, so I will be forced to do something creative before bed. If you want to stalk me, look me, Samantha Long, up.

I'm trying another new thing this semester. The goal is to get up at 5 am. Yep, 5. It's definitely not easy. I don't like it very much. It is nice to get in the studio before anyone else is there yet, but that's about the only benefit. I wonder how long this will last. I imagine it will be short-lived, but at least I can say that I tried it.

On a different note I'm starting a 2' x 3' oil painting. I'm so excited! I took some reference photos on Friday, and here are a couple I'm probably going to use. I'm definitely going to change the color of her dress to a more burgundy-like color, but I love the colors in my still life objects. I can't wait to get started!

This semester I'm doing a self-directed project of a series of still lives in various lighting situations from life in order to study the effects of different kinds of light. My first one is a study of natural light. I don't think I've ever painted something lit by the actual sun, so this is a surprisingly singular experience for me. It is difficult working with the constraints of daylight, but this light is kind of nice. It's so soft and luscious that I can't believe I've never tried it before. I'm a little worried that I won't be able to finish before my fruits wither and change color, but I'm going to try my best. Here's the one I started this weekend. 

Here's my setup. It took about 30 min of nudging and rearranging before I was satisfied.

This is my underpainting. It took about 2 hours to get this far.

Here's two more hours of  work. Slow but steady!

I'm taking Figure Drawing again this semester. Yes, I know this is the fifth time I've taken this particular class, but there's always more to learn. The techniques/skills/information gleaned in life drawing are transferrable to so many other activities that I consider this class essential to success. 

Wow, I sure sound like the figure drawing poster child! I guess I'll embrace that. Here are my 3 min gestures from the first class of the semester. They're kind of rusty, but they have a certain conviction to them that I like.

So, once upon a time I promised to upload my painting of Tabitha. Here it is. The more I look at it, the more I'm convinced that it's not really done. I'll post what I have nonetheless. If I work on it more, I'll post an update. 

There, I do keep my promises—eventually!