Sienna Cardi and Painting

I've been working like a fiend on the Sienna Cardi. I've finished the back and the two front panels. I tacked them together last night to test the fit and the length seems fine. I can't tell yet about the circumference, but I'm sure once it's sewn together, and the button and button hole panels are knitted, it will be great. I'm thinking about going on a flea market treasure hunt for some appropriate antique buttons.



Here is a close up of the lace cable. It will look a lot better once it's blocked and the button and button hole panels are knitted. You can see the yarn is kind of fuzzy. I think that is the llama. This yarn sheds like crazy and is pretty loosely spun.



And it's Tuesday! That means studio time. I've been working on the same painting as before. It's shaping up. The colors are still pretty raw and there is not enough transition between colors and dark/lights. Also that leg on the right is super chunky. Here's a view in progress:



Here I've fixed the foot a little and cleaned up the background:



This one is tuned up a little more:



But here's what I'm really excited about. I've been unhappy with how tightly I've been painting and wanted to work from a mark oriented point of view. I've been thinking a lot about the painter Joan Mitchell (not the singer, who is a pretty good visual artist, but the Abstract Expressionist). She's never really been an artist I was interested in. I respected her, but wasn't really moved by her work. Wow! What a difference time makes! I've been looking at her paintings and am in complete awe. Anyway, after I had done all I could on the boy, I decided to use up the paint on my palette and be very direct. No outlines, no filling in. Here's the result. I know, it may look a mess, and it's obviously not finished, but it's really satisfying to me.