Day 12 of 30

Getting to know your subject matter is one thing, but trying to understand the ins and outs of a fish is something else altogether.
This little beauty belongs to my friend Susan, and after trying to paint her today, I've decided that I need to study her in real life. Susan hand feeds her koi (yes, they take it right from her hand; and yes, they do sort of "kiss" at her fingers). She once offered to let me try it, but I have to be honest and admit that the thought of a big fish sucking my fingertips was terrifying to me.

This is my first painting of koi, and to tell the truth I'm pretty sure that I've only begun to scratch the surface, so to speak. There are many tricky painting challenges here, so I've decided to look at today's painting as the beginning, not the end of this experience.

Who knew that fish lips were so interesting? Until I looked with the intention of understanding, I had no idea. 

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