My muse has flown.

After the euphoria which died at the end of my most recent painting Nyarinya, which as I have earlier mentioned, was the largest oil painting I have done, I have sort of lost the will to paint. I am at a loss for subject matter, medium or mode and have been staring at blank canvases for the past week.

One option would be to go back to semi-completed paintings (you know, those ones that at some point we become stuck on and can't proceed) and attempt to make a more detailed finale.

Would have loved to make another huge painting before the Society for Nigerian Artists exhibition in a few weeks time (well, huge by my standards is the 36 inches by 36 inches blank canvas winking at me) but it just isn't happening.

A final option would be to just go back to bed - ID Extra and Crime & Investigation and Candy Crush being my companion. Getting to level 2574 is not 'snuff spit' as my people would say (giving myself a pat on the shoulder till the muse returns).

Nyarinya

This painting I think took a lot of my energy over the past weeks as it's the first time I have painted this large. I had no excuses as my mentor had given me huge canvas frames to encourage me to stretch bigger canvases and paint large.

I observed the model (somewhat covertly) from my car window at a busy street intersection. She was full of joy, holding in her hands two bags - one a plastic black bag usually given at open markets to carry purchased items home and the other a bag of 'pure water' to quench thirst in our hot climes. I admired the flow of her hijab and the joy on her face. Her hijab was not this peach colour but I leaned on artistic licence and prompting from my daughter to change the colour.

John Howard Sanden - Exercise on 'Nigerian Lady'

This is my second exercise following John Howard Sanden's 'Portrait s from Life in 29 Steps'. Today, I am working on the Nigerian Lady, step by step.
I don't have Venetian Red or Cadmium Red Light colours but I'm making do. If nothing else at least this was a learning experience and provided much needed confidence. Guess I'll be making one of myself next.

Finished painting