My niece is visiting me and the Daily Press’ challenge for this week is “Carefree.” This is a picture that I painted of Annie and my daughter several years ago. What could be more carefree than a childhood summer day at the beach, running through the waves with your favorite cousin and playing in the sand?
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Hi Aunt Rew!! I love that painting. Elizabeth is indeed my favorite. (But don’t tell the other cousins!!)
It often looks like the current interpretation of keeping a secret means that one can post it on a public forum like this? I guess we’ll find out which of your cousins read my blog!
Annie always makes me feel like a favorite. 🙂 She’s delightful! Also I know she makes my daughters feel like her favorites too! AND Mom your painting makes me feel famous!!!
So heartwarming! I love this one! 🙂
I appreciate your kind and encouraging comment.
What a beautiful painting! Thanks for sharing it.
And thank you for creating this post! I often wonder what other readers think when I post a watercolor painting on a photo challenge, but the comments I receive are encouraging.
Gorgeous painting and really representative of carefree.
Praying that your day today may be carefree, too!
Lovely painting!
It reminds me of carefree summer holidays, when school was finished and we had nothing to do but play. Days long gone!
It was fun as an adult, being there with the girls and watching them play together. My sister and I had a carefree day, too!
Great depiction of carefree.
Thanks, YS! Isn’t that what summer is for?
This is an incredible painting, Ruth. You chose to tackle so many “hard” things — figures and waves in particular. Here are some of the things I love about it: you did a great job of capturing the swinging fabric of the blue bathing suit; your shadows and sun spots on the figures add depth and dimensionality; great foreshortening on the legs of the girls; the posture of both girls is so believable; their hands are so realistic; your water is GREAT (waves — who would have thought painting them green when the rest of the water is blue?? but it so works!! And the negative space that creates the foam — incredible. And I LOVE the water running up on the beach with the sand showing through and the reflections of the girls); the sky is so compelling — it ties in the yellow/green theme and it’s so warm and interesting. I really could say so much more — everywhere I look on the painting I see little things that pop out.
Question: How much of this did you paint on site and how much did you paint back in your studio? (from a photo?)
And what color did you use for the skin tones?
I really love this painting. Great job.
David, I painted all of this back in the studio from a photo. My niece wants to see the original photo, so I am searching for it, and will post all the iterations of this painting when I find it. (photo – drawing – first painting which is at my mom’s house, this painting which my sister has)
I don’t remember what I used for the skin tones, but my guess is cadmium red and yellow ochre with a touch of cerulean in the shadows.
Would love to see the photo! And thanks for the color info.
Ruth Bailey, artist 
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