What a beautiful painting! I especially like the colour and the way you did the background. The painting looks so elegant and the lady has great poise!

Mai

Dear Michael,

This is such an impressive painting. The halation around her hair suggests a spiritual quality to me. I love the pose, the fabric treatment, the hands - it all comes together so elegantly. Every woman would love to be painted so sensitively and well.

For my sake, I hope Bill Whitaker doesn't grade on a curve.

Best regards,
Linda

Enzie, Marta, Mai, and Linda:

Thank you all for your kind words.

Marta: What a kick! I am flattered. I have done that with Bill Whitaker's works for about 6 months now. :)

Linda: I definitely appreciate the compliment, but I wouldn't worry too much - I will be lucky if I can get the eyes in the right place, let alone dance! :)

Michael,

It's mostly redundant to add my praise to that which you have already received about this painting, but here I go anyway: It's beautiful!

A very sensitive work which displays, in my opinion, what fine art portraiture ought to be about. Do you feel that you are entering a "growth phase" where your art is concerned? I ask this, because I believe that your work has shown a substantial leap forward in recent times. I'm a fairly new member here and often feel intimidated at the idea of expressing an opinion (mostly because I know very little about portraiture as an art). But I believe I have a good eye, and can spot a well-crafted work of art when I see one. Above, I see a well-crafted work of art!

Valerie:

Thanks very much for your post. Welcome to the forum, BTW. :)

I had the opportunity to spend three weeks with William Whitaker (www.williamwhitaker.com) this past September. Without a doubt, it was a life changing experience that changed the whole way I paint. I have also been trying to draw from life as much as I can so yea, I think I have taken some strides over the past months.

But WOW do I have a long way to go yet... :)