From Comfort Zone to Twilight Zone: Challenge Day 2

"The After Hours" 8x10 oil on panel
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Happy Labor Day everyone! Before I talk about today’s challenge painting, I wanted to announce that I’ll be teaching a fun and exciting November painting workshop in the Denver area.  I'm super excited about the workshop (it's one of my favorite subject themes!). As soon as I have more details I’ll share them here.

In the meantime, for today’s Challenge Day 2 I wanted to paint a subject a little out of my let's say out of my nature subject "comfort zone." My first thought was a figure which used to paint frequently but rarely now. Then I remembered a photo reference I took earlier in the year...

One of my “guilty pleasure” classic TV shows that I sometimes catch late at night is the original black and white Twilight Zone. And one of my favorite TZ episodes is The After Hours. 

This is the episode where a young woman name Marsha, who’s shopping  in a creepy department store for a last minute gift, slowly comes to realize (spoiler alert) that she’s really a mannequin.

Edgar Degas--The Millinery Shop (Art Institute of Chicago)

I was reminded of this episode when I saw this “party ready” mannequin in a closed boutique late night in my neighborhood. The color palette also reminded me a little of one of my favorite paintings, Degas’ The Millinery Shop—also a “boutique” painting.  Hmm..Coincidence?

Happy Challenge Painting everyone and thanks for stopping by!