Coffee With A Friend

I took some time off this morning to meet an artist friend at a coffee shop in town. I hadn't seen her for several months, since she's been out of the state, and it was really good to be able to talk with another woman artist about all things painting. But then it was time to get back to work.

This one is another that I've resuscitated from the painting graveyard where it's been languishing for a while. I like the contrast between the grubbily dressed guy and the mannequin in the store window who seems distressed at the guy's attire. It needs a lot of street reflections on the far right side, but I made some progress this afternoon.

Fashion Forward, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Now, this next one, though— I just cannot get a handle on it. The reference photo is blurry (well, it is a scene in a bar) but I liked that about it, originally, and thought I could do something energetic-looking, in a looser style. That's always been my downfall. So I am struggling with it and who knows whether it'll eventually work.

Bartending, Baltimore, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)