“They are not long, the days of wine and roses. Out of a misty dream, our path emerges for a while, then closes, within a dream.” – Ernest Dowson, The Poems and Prose of Ernest Dowson.

This post from September 2015 is published once more, five years later. Some people wait until they are ready to begin going public with whatever they are creating or changing in their lives. Not me.

Had I waited to begin publishing my work until I was satisfied with my paintings, I would still be waiting for that day. After all, it is so easy to be critical of our own work.

The quotation reminds us that the path is visible only for a brief time. Life is too short to back away and find excuses not to pursue that path.

Who knows what lies beyond, hidden by the mist?

Wine and Dreams

This lady in purple has no name for now….

Her sketched face popped out of the page, yes, she just kind of appeared like a dream. Once the eyes were done, I was amazed because she looked like a student I had once taught long ago. Her eyes were that beautiful and a similar colour to the eyes you see in the sketch.

So now I had the face outlined and the eyes were coloured in, and I had to decide how to shade this person. Since I am experimenting, and since wine was nearby, I thought why not purple just like that wine. Uh huh, I blame it on the wine!

Her face was completed and I left this portrait without hair for a few days while I considered various ways of finishing her.

Would I have grapes in her hair?

What colour should I paint her hair?

It is that time of year when the grapes on the vine must be almost ready to be picked so purple seemed like a natural choice.

My next inclination was to add pearls around her temples and running into her hair; however, did I mention wine was nearby? I actually might have had a glass or two while looking at her face and thinking in a very fanciful way, she looked to me like an Ice Queen. Very aloof, unapproachable.

What kind of wine would an ice Queen drink? ah ha! Ice wine! And from that moment, I decided a crown of ice crystals framing her face would be most appropriate.

I really do love these surprises inspired by wine!

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