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Alene N.'s avatar

One more thing…I never heard of a mahl stick until you mentioned it!

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Beth L. Gainer's avatar

When I was taking an oil painting class, one of the students created his own mahl stick, and that's the first time I got to see it in action. I don't know if I would be able to use it as effectively. For now, I'm good with my shaky hands and using either the canvas or my other arm to use as a crutch for my painting hand.

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Alene N.'s avatar

Beth, I love the final version of the boats! Yes, the ropes should be frayed. And I love the Oliver painting. Viridian green is a beautiful shade. Keep on painting! It does take a village. Allowing yourself to be vulnerable enough to share a painting in progress is the best way to improve!

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Beth L. Gainer's avatar

Thank you so much Alene. I enjoy sharing my drafts in progress; it turned out to be the right thing to do. And the Viridian Green is to die for!!

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Nancy Stordahl's avatar

Hi Beth,

I've always wondered how an artist knows when a painting is finished. I love the thin white rope lines. They do indeed add a lot. And that green is a gorgeous color - so deep and rich. Looking forward to seeing the finished painting of Oliver. He's a beauty!

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Beth L. Gainer's avatar

Thank you, Nancy. Oliver has gotten quite an ego! Seriously, I think beginning writers often feel they don't know when a piece of writing is done, whereas more experienced writers have a better idea. Same holds true for painting, I think. Thanks for your kind words about the paintings. So far, so good!

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Gerard Wozek's avatar

Beth truly one of my favorite paintings of yours. You really captured something magical about spending a day at the shoreline in Portugal. Thank you for always sharing your process so warmly and openly.

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Beth L. Gainer's avatar

Wow, Gerry. Thank you for that high compliment. I'm very glad to have painted these boats. It was a fun experience!

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