Ballerina Figure #2

I have never considered myself capable of painting the human figure. Such remarks as, "Painting people is a different ballgame, totally different from still life or a landscape" have been uttered by yours truly. However, I have realized that I was dead wrong. The human figure is like any landscape, with plains and curves. If I can paint a landscape, I can paint a human figure. The difficulty lies within my mind. That is what makes the difference. The week at Alabama Art Colony was a workout for my mind more than anything else; I was forced to look at models as though they were landscapes rather than "people." Below are images of both my painting and  model. Keep in mind that I was trying to capture the gesture rather than likeness.