Thank you both!
Ramesh,
The texture, which always looks much different from scan to post, might be my fault. I wanted to get good prints of all of these, so I strip out the white in my editing program and try to balance the colors and textures to look like the original. I may have tweaked it a bit contrasty before I cut out the white, so it does have a more crisp edge. The paper was different on all of them. The last for were a small sketchbook watercolor and the first two were 180# Arches scraps. The sketchbook is excellent for my dog portraits but it does break down quickly with smoother flesh tones. Hence maybe more interesting texture but a little crisp.

My signature is
JO
N
ES
in a box.

I have had a feeling, right or wrong, that my work on its own was suffering from being "pretty good for a girl". When I was doing more western and wildlife subjects, for some reason, done by a man, they were strong a noble, but done by a woman they were cute. VERY odd, and maybe all in my mind, but with a name like Jones, it is very hard to stand out in a crowd. I just was playing around with a logo and came up with it. Now, not only is it non-gender specific, it is ethnically confusing. SO whatever the first impression of the work is, it stands on its own.

Alexandra,
The issue is resolved. THE BOARD talked with the people who were volunteering new board members and this is indeed the final portrait. I am happy. I have given two already as sales and two more promised and it will be a good reward for my efforts. My bio is going on to the site and printed material with a small self-portrait and my hitch-hike marketing is more than I could ever afford on my budget, so all is well!

Still doing the hit or miss marketing. It will improve both of our "street cred" in any case!

These are lovely Debra! So glad to hear it worked out well with drawing the line with the board... and it's a credit to your work that the 'volunteer' board members are in fact willing to pay for them now that you are not offering them gratis! :)

That is fantastic news, Debra!

Well, I found out yesterday it was up on the site. Tomorrow one of the subjects gets another painting. Maybe two if he is in the right place at the right time.

Here is the board online:
http://www.azartalliance.com/about.html#board
Never bad to have people read my name!
dj*
(I just noticed I missed posting one of them:)

Did you miss the secretary too or am I mistaken? Glad that your effort worked out :-)

WELL! I'll be!
I did two complete pictures of her that were a little off the mark, but she just bought this one today! Thanks, for pointing that out! I guess she is so visible in my mind's eye, I forgot to look!
dj*

vibrant work Debra!

These are most awesome!

Thanks so much for your comments. As you all can see now, they added a board member. I will have a picture on Friday for a new portrait, hopefully before Monday. Well I held the line on the support people, but they did have an open board seat!
ONE more to come..
dj*

Make that two!
One will replace the photo as of June 19, and the other is the webmaster. BOTH purchases.... yippee!