Linda,

Thank you so much for your compliments. I've worked so hard on loosening up over the years that it's wonderful to hear my style described as "soft" and "painterly." I always feel that I have a long way to go and so much to accomplish, and that I've hardly done anything yet! I'm sure that feeling of frustration is shared by many artists. Your work is very fine and I appreciate your kind words.

Alex

Revised version
 

Several months ago, I made some minor changes to the background, and I'm finally getting around to posting them. The wall behind my daughter with the pictures on it is actually angled away from the picture plane, and the pictures are hanging out from the wall, creating an odd visual effect that I thought was hard to read. So I straightened the wall with respect to the picture plane. I'm hoping it makes more sense visually. I'm including an extreme closeup of the face.

Another excellent piece, love the atmosphere. You can feel the outside.

Breathtaking! That's all I can say.

Alexandra, I absolutely love the way you paint faces. Amazing.
Beautiful painting. Again!

Why, thank you, Jimmie, Lacey and Brenda! I never expected to get any more reactions to this piece, I just was posting the revisions. Some other minor changes included putting more light on the velvet pillow under her arm, adding reflection in the glass of the framed picture in the upper right corner, straightening the couch arm, and enlarging the left hand.

It is such a nice surprise to see your comments! Thanks!

You have a distinctive style that I think I'd recognize now even if I didnt know it was one of yours - very very appealing.

Why thank you, Kim. Your style is also very distinctive. I really appreciate that!

I almost hate to bring this old thread up again, but recently this painting was accepted into the annual juried show at the Woodmere Art Museum in Philadelphia. The show has been getting better every year, and I was actually proud to be hanging near some exceptional figurative art, including Garth's Lesser Apotheoun and a portrait by Rachel Constantine. Forum member Nancy Bea Miller had a still life in the show. Many well-known area landscape painters had work in the show, too. Altogether an interesting crowd and a festive event.

Here I am beside my painting (photo by Nancy Bea):

Congratulations Alex! (Such a nice sense of depth in that piece. . . it looks like they're right there with you)