Brushes like an old pair of blue jeans

Getting close to finishing this home portrait, which has taken me longer than expected. It's funny how things surprise me sometimes when they shouldn't. Like many of my fellow artists, I get awfully attached to my ways (and tools) when painting. For example, if I don't use the antique stackable cups that were my Grandma McLean's, I feel like something's "off."

As I struggled to complete this painting, I tried to figure out why? What was it? I was excited about the subject and enthused to paint it. I had plenty of other reference photos that showed more detail and I took them myself, so I could enlarge them on my iPad. Finally I realized the brushes I was using were just shot! But I was loathe to change them. Why? Familiar brushes are like blue jeans, best when they're broken in a little bit and fit comfortably.

When I got 7 new brushes and started using them on this painting, I realized what bad shape my old ones were in. But the new ones took some time to "break in." I think I'm getting close enough to finished now to show this to the people who commissioned it. I put it in the frame so they can see how it will look but in such a way that I can easily take it out and keep working on it if there are things we want to change.

This was the pencil sketch I did before painting. I almost always sketch a home from the right side, the left side, and head-on. In this case, we decided to view the house from the left but not as far to the side as in this sketch. Looking outside today, the daffodils and hyacinths are blooming but the trees are still awfully bare. That's great for me when I photograph a house because I can see it better without a lot of foliage in the way. But not so pleasing in a painting.

How nice it doesn't have to look just like the photograph! Working on this today makes me excited for the coming spring.