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Thursday, February 23, 2012

The Beauty Shop


AT MY ACRYLIC STATION, BEAUTY SHOP WAS THE SMALL PAINTING OF THE DAY.
Before I sat down to paint it, I did some more organizing to make room for oils. Watercolors can still be done at the bar in the other room when my knee acts up. They don't do damage.

Beauty Shop was painted from a reference photograph I took at the beauty shop while under the dryer heating my streaks to a glorious blond. I took the photo thinking the beauty shop is a major institution in American women's lives. No matter what the economy, no woman would give up going for the right cut, the right color. It's a Rockwell subject I know, but he didn't know. So the subject became mine for another quick, little figurative painting. This one is 16 x 20"--a bit larger than Honey's Nose.

I'M MOVING TO PORTLAND!

I want to go to this event. Indeed, I want to move to Portland. For months now Honey and I have been talking about relocating. From what I've seen around Blogsville, Portland looks like my kind of city. We never have events like this in our town. If you love art, wine and mingling with others of your kind, you'll be jealous as hell. Take a look, you'll want to move too.

19 comments:

  1. Have u heard of Ashland? that's in the Portland area... Ashland is known for their outdoor theatre! you would love it.. Oregon takes some getting use to... They're a few steps slower than the city... Last time I was there they took forever to bring us our food- and the place was empty...

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  2. Wow, Linda, first and foremost, love your blond streaks, beautiful. You are one talented lady, what a great painting. Capturing a moment at the beauty shop. Outstanding work.

    Best of luck with your move to Portland, sounds wonderful.

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  3. I like this painting!! (Then again, I'm partial to Rockwell-type people-focused subjects. I also like the shot of you painting - neat to see the yellow outline - who'd of thought it? It'd be fun to see some process shots one day.

    Tough to see beyond your glorious blond streaks though.

    Portland. If it weren't for the rain and the snow and the cold, I'd be so jealous. I look at Celeste Bergin's blog and drool. It is definitely the artist's city.

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  4. Nice painting, Linda. Looks like they serve tiny desserts in Portland.

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  5. cool painting of the "Beauty Shop"...the patron looks like my Mom (who had lovely hair all of her life--I got bad hair!) You look good there at your easel. Yes! Move to Portland! Lots of events, scenery scenery scenery and scads of artists! You'd love it!

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  6. Okay, so I'm Green with envy. Looks such a great place, all that painting...ahhhh. I actually do follow a Portland artist Vinita Pappas and from her paintings Portland looks such a lovely place.

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  7. No, I don't know very much about Portland other than some very fine painters live around that area that I'd love to meet for coffee and a workshop. --Poor service can be had at any restaurant Chris. I would think that Portland would have a few of those places. it was unfortunate that you just happened to stumble into one of them. Glad to see you back.

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  8. Well Joan,the magazines were old and I was just sitting there thinking that woman's all white hair was thick and gorgeous. You can't get a white like that with bleach. You can't have thick hair like that unless it's in your genes. In her eighties, she had good genes. Fun picture to paint,but a novelty for me.

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  9. I'm not really moving to Portland Dan--there is a bit too much gray and gloom in that area. I like the sun a few days more than four. But I sure envy their art community. Here you have to join an association to mingle with your kind and it's a good-ole-gal situation for joining as well as being accepted in their juried show competitions. --Sort of like the girls locker room in high school where all the short popular girls said nasty things to the tall beautiful gals guys were afraid to approach.

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  10. I thought so too. Everybody must be on a diet in Portland--or real desserts would have cut into their budget too much and hurt their profit--more likely. I'm a patron member of our museum. One of my perks for being a patron member is I get to go to the special exhibits for free. I think the museum should charge me the same as the people off the street. I don't know why I thought of that.

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  11. It is a beauty shop for old people Celeste. It's in the old neighborhood. My operator is my age and has been doing my color(s) for years. He always gets it right.When I tried to go to a younger, more hip salon around my house, none of the four operators I tried knew what brown without red is and my hair came out the color of Carrot top's! They also wanted a couple of hundred for their poor work. I went back to my experienced Sam. That ladies hair is an act of great genes. I think she's in her eighties.

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  12. Robert, you're a man of few words. Thank you.

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  13. @L: I was told by another Oregon transplant (to Cali) that it is common for restaurants to take their time... Granted they have a slower pace but you can't beat the greenery there or the deer we came upon.. gorgeous.. too slow paced for me, if I had my choice it would be the Bay area. Lots of artsy places there.

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  14. What a lovely scene at the beauty parlor, you caught excellently the intense look on the hairdressers face wondering...'could I do this better '?
    I know nothing about Portland but the video is very convivial , looks great! So best of luck!

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  15. Jane moving to Portland is just a thought. That even did look like great fun--we even went as far as seeing what it costs to fly to Portland and stay at the Inn where the event is taking place. Alas, it was too much--but Delta said fares were going down? A pipe dream as they say.

    The reference photograph was a cropped rendition of the original shot. The original photograph is the art. This painting is a novelty for me, just another opportunity to familiarize myself with figure painting. The beauty operator does look like the beauty operator though. Maybe I should give it to her?

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  16. My son has a house for sale in Portland. A craftsman home beautiful with lots of cool dark wood builtins...you'd love it I bet.
    If interested email me: lynnc66@comcast.net

    Portland, OR is a wonderful city for artists! So much culture. Beautiful mountains. Great people. Very laid back.

    Thanks for your comment on my lady with the purple hair today on TMC. Fun you did a salon painting yourself just recently. I love yours!

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  17. And now I read some others comments and see you were just kidding. Oh well. If you hear of anyone really moving to Portland let me know! I know a cute house for sale!!! ;-)

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  18. It's too bad that house isn't in Seattle. I have a son looking for a home there. He loves Portland--vacations there-- but works in Redmond at Microsoft, so the commute would be tough. He sold his place and is now renting with his stuff in storage. He's anxious.

    Meanwhile, I looked into flying to Portland to go to the Trilogy Arts and Wine Affair. Delta wanted 700 a ticket--but says there's going to be a discount soon. There's a disadvantage too. There's only one non-stop flt. and it leaves at eight in the evening. I thought it would be fun to pop in, but not at those prices. The Allison Inn and spa looks like a swell spot too to spend a couple of days. I've never been to Portland, but from what I've seen on blogs, it's the place for artists. Although I"ve never been to Tao NM and that's supposed to have quite an art community.

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