Painting the Merry Men of Mount Rushmore - Update

At my last art class, I spent more time with my Merry Men of Mount Rushmore. Good news: Abraham Lincoln’s eyes are finally fixed. Now it is his mouth giving me trouble. He seems to have developed a smirk I did not intend. The lips just are not cooperating yet, so that is next on the to-do list.

George Washington: More Than Just a Face

George Washington has been keeping me on my toes too. I never realized that his shoulder actually comes in front of Thomas Jefferson or how much of the collar around his neck shows which threw me off at first. Focusing on these subtle details reminds me that there is more to a painting than just the faces.

Thomas Jefferson: Emerging Features

Thomas Jefferson’s face is starting to take shape. I had not paid much attention to him until now, but the eyes have definition, his lips are slowly coming together, and he even has a chin.

This week's progress with the Merrymen of Mount Rushmore.

Theodore Roosevelt: Stubborn as Ever

Theodore Roosevelt’s mouth is also giving me issues; a problem his political opponents probably sympathized with. He refuses to sit quietly on the canvas. Every time I think I’ve got his expression right, it shifts into something else, as if he’s preparing to charge up San Juan Hill all over again.

Patience is Part of the Process

This painting is really testing my patience. I have not added any color yet, and I know it has a long way to go before it is done. If I had not promised to bring it to the art festival, it might have been tossed into the closet weeks ago.

I promise it WILL NOT be completed by the art festival. It has way too much work left on it. But, like a proud parent, I do not want it to embarrass me. So, I continue to dab away one tiny bit of paint at a time trying to make them presentable.

Thanks for reading The 3rd Flamingo — a blog for art lovers, creative wanderers, and anyone who’s ever made a beautiful mess.

Follow the Merrymen of Mount Rushmore painting as faces take shape, the smirks disappear, and maybe even learn a thing or two about patience along the way.