For a long period, I was focused on my animation career and family life, leaving little time or energy for painting. Except for a few quick studies, I had not made any serious personal paintings for about 18 years! Then, in 2010, I decided to end my dormant period and get back to the easel! The plan was to begin in a small and simple manner in order to bring my skills up to speed; therefore, I started with this piece, which I entitled Gypsy Dancer.

The painting is based on a five-minute sketch I made at a gypsy-themed life drawing session. My original sketch was a bit rough, but I liked the pose, so I only needed to make a few refinements for the painting. Being out of practice and using the newly developed, slow-drying OPEN acrylic paints, I found it necessary to familiarize myself with the distinct properties of these new materials.

Using a small 11 x 14 canvas panel, I rendered a basic background of silhouetted trees against a moody dusk sky. I then painted the figure using warm colors to make the gypsy girl stand out, utilizing an orange-blue complementary color scheme, which is usually a great combination. As this was not a major production, I only used my initials to sign it. Overall, I was pleased with the final result, and it gave me the inspiration to continue painting!