"The Blue Boy" by Sir Thomas Gainsborough

I believe in copying from the masters. When I teach my students about copying from the masters I always get inspired to chose my own. This time around I found "The Blue boy" by Sir Thomas Gainsborough. and couldn't resist painting the duo, Pinkie and Blue Boy. You already know them, because some smart art marketer flooded the market with prints of them, sold as a set. My mom had a set, my grandmas had a set, and my mother-in-law had a set. So did yours! I will have a difficult time parting with this one, but I can always do it again---right? Probably won't though because there are so many other masters I want to learn from.

When I got married in 1982 and began setting up my own home, I made the decision to only buy art from artists I knew personally. There is too much out there that is beautiful, and my home was tiny. I've stuck to this decision, and have made many many artist friends. Now my goal is to trade with, or purchase an original painting or artwork from the many friends I've made. Birthdays and Christmas gifts are always about trading original work. And my home now looks like an Art Gallery. Especially with my 'Copy a Master' collection that spans the over 20 years I've taught drawing and painting.

It may be time to accept commissions that involve copying a master!