My Mug

No, it's not a self portrait.  It's my favorite coffee mug.  I have a ton of them, but this one usually finds its way into my hands at some point during the day.  It has been around for a long time and I have painted it before.  It is always a challenge, because is is so dark and has a shiny finish that catches light and color.

I set the mug up in my new, primitive light box.  It is just a cardboard moving box with a hole cut out on the side to let the light in from a clamp on desk lamp.  I have to paint the sides black, because there is too much light bouncing around.  It could drive a person nuts trying to figure out where all those reflections are coming from.

This is a soft pastel painting and it is painted on 5 x 7 Wallis Belgium Mist sanded paper.  Painting from life is fun.  There are so many things a camera can't pick up.

Thanks for looking.  Here is number 30.  Wow, a quarter of the way through.

Doug