The First Bursh Stroke is the Hardest

Work in progress: I finally started this piece about a week ago. The first touch of the brush to the surface is the hardest. I made a bunch of studies first because I'm working with ink on paper now and there's officially no going back to rework anything once it's been put down. I absolutely love the medium though. There's something romantic about the way paint soaks into paper. It demands a delicate application but still wants to be covered just the same.

The piece is about St Teresa, called Lust for Life. This is one of my first sketches, a self portrait as Teresa.

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These are the most recent photos. The painting is so big it's working it's way into the next room!