[Linda Fried]

Linda,

Well, you did a wonderful job on your husband's portrait. So relaxed and really gives us (the viewers) insight into his personality. Very good!

I tend to admire realism in portraits because when done well they are so amazing they take my breath away.

Yet I find myself drawn more to doing- and being attracted to- a more painterly quality in likenesses. I love the looser more gestured paintings because for me they often (again when done well) seem more "alive".

You've seemed to accomplish the best of both worlds here.

You're right about my having way too much to do to think about sanding plastic right now. This impending move is exhausting me. But it gives me something to look forward to. The saddest day of packing so far is when I had to pack all my art supplies, save a small sketchbook. I am really missing the smell and the pushing around of paint! Ah, soon (not soon enough) it will be over, and the first thing I'll unpack is my paints!!

Thanks for the info. Hope to see more of you when I'm back "home".

Linda