Paul Cézanne, "House of Père Lacroix", finished

Today was day 3 on this painting, and I decided to bring it to a close. I guess I could have come back next week and worked on it some more, but I felt that I had gotten what I could out of it. I was aware that I was rushing. Cézanne's brush strokes are all clear and definite, and mine look mushy. Oh well.

click the picture for a larger view

Here's a photo a visitor took of me today (and she asked permission first!) I asked her to email it to me, and she did. This proves that I was there!

A couple of cute/funny things happened today - a class of kids from a Montessori school stopped and asked me some questions. About 45 minutes later, they passed through again, and one of the girls said to me, "It's really coming together!" I was pretty impressed with this comment, and told her so.

And at the very end of the day, as I was cleaning up, quite a crowd gathered around me. I had their full attention as I wiped the paint from my pallet and poured Turpenoid into a cup to swish my brushes in before putting them away. As I was wiping a brush, I looked up to see at least three people filming me with their cell phones! I said, "I had no idea that cleaning brushes was so fascinating!" I think museum visitors get kind of silly at the end of the day!

So, I finished this copy in three days. I've put in my requests for my next copy - we have to list three paintings, in case the one we want is not available. My copying day is going to change from Thursday to every other Friday, because I am going from part-time to full-time in my job at the library (switching libraries, too, to one very close to home!) The National Gallery is very nice to let me come every other Friday, which will be my only weekday off (there is no copying on the weekend.) If I can, I'll start my next copy (whatever it is) next Thursday. Then I won't be back until Friday, July 29.