Tiny Dancers

       I am not a dancer. Well, I took Ballet at age 6, however if one can "fail" at dance I did.  But, I digress. One subject I love to paint is Dancers, I  am inspired by the colors of their costumes, the movements,  and their tall and lithe stature.  In working with this subject, I am inspired by images I see on posters, photographs, and my imagination.  Sometimes I can articulate the image in my head onto canvas.  Sometimes I cannot. 

      An example of this is a Flamenco dancer. I loved the idea of a flowing ruffled red dress, the raven black hair,  and the suggestive movement of the dance. However, after several attempts I gave up and moved on. (Nothing to see here.)  My final product is sometimes delicate, sometimes open to interpretation, and sometimes more primitive in nature.

      My Dancers are very popular, so I must be doing something right to interest folks.  I have yet to do a "large" dancer (IE on paper or canvas larger than 5x8.)  That is my next challenge.  One can hide many flaws on a small surface, on a larger one, not so much. But, as I often say, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." If I fail on canvas, I just paint and gesso over, no one is the wiser. A piece on paper can be turned over and used to blend colors.  One would be amazed at the number of canvases I have with multiple layers of failed work under the final image.

       So I have Ballerinas, Exotic Dancers, and a Couples Jive Dancing.  Like most of my ideas, this is a work in progress. Stay tuned!