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You know how some mornings you just wake up ready to blow that day out of the water? I've had one of those mornings. I show up at the studio every day waiting for the muse (as Steven Pressfield says), but the days that she actually decides to grace me with her presence are worth all the slogging through!
Thank you to the passerby who took this picture of me starting on a new commission out doors, and a very happy weekend to you all!
Posted by nicole at 10:23 AM Labels: artist working outdoors, happy weekend, plein air painting

 Hello. I'm an artist working in Washington, DC. You can see some examples of my work at www.nicolebourgea.com. Recently, I have been busy painting ten very large oil portraits of strangers for my Urban Portrait Project, AS IS. The project asks the question "Do we really see each other?" by bringing fine art onto the streets of Washington, D.C. On October 1, 2012, I installed all of the portraits in the public spots around the city where I met each of my subjects. Next to every portrait I posted a sign which read, "If this is you, this painting is yours to take." To date, nine out of ten subjects have found their portraits. As I move forward with work in new directions, it is my hope that AS IS has brightened a few days, and that, in some small way, it has ignited conversation about the gift of notice. Have you found your portrait or spotted one in the city and care to share? Send me a note at email@example.com or post your thoughts in the comments section! I'd love to hear from you.
