A wonderful piece, Linda, just perfect.
I think the outfit gives autonomy to the painting, so it is a picture as well as a portrait!
All the best
Ilaria

This painting continues to grow on me, it looks different each time I view it. Thank you for posting it.

Jean

Really lovely and creative, Linda! I particularly like the very warm rim of light coming into the shadow side of her face on the right. I'm thinking a lot about lighting these days. How did you create that effect?

I also like the idea of posing the subject in front of one of her family's other paintings. I might steal that idea for something I'm doing in the fall.

And I love the color scheme, and the hair wreath. Bravo!

Dear Linda,

Beautiful piece, of course! Apologies for wighing in so late - I love the color harmony and the gaze.

Congratulations!

I had to really think about this question. (I use Maroger which tends to make the surface shiny whatever ground I use.) The difference is a bit like the difference between good fake pearls and real pearls. They look the same but there is a very subtle difference in touch. When I put my hand on an ABS panel there is a subtle tactile difference, in temperature and ....hmm... can I say "responsiveness"? The gessoed board feels like a refridgerated hardboiled egg. The ABS feels like my computer mouse. I preferred the feel of the gessoed surface, but now that I think of it, I also really like hardboiled eggs.

Okay, you ask, does this make any difference? Well, one of the things I brood about when I paint (other than the usual "Why is there pain and suffering in the world?" and "Will an asteroid hit our planet?") is "To what extent does the process affect the final product?" One of my theories is that if you make the creative process better you make your product better. In other words, whatever helps you to immerse yourself in the creative process will keep you working more and will (hopefully) result in better technique and a better painting.

I think it's also a good idea to try out a new surface on a painting that's not an "important commission". I don't always follow this advice myself, though.

The rim lighting was an accident. The photo shoot setup was a high-placed artifical cool "north light" bulb and there was incidental incandescent coming in from the right. I decided to pump up the warmth in the shadow side to offset all the coolness in the background and the cool lit side.

I stole this idea of putting the subject in front of another painting from somebody else, of course, so go right ahead! :) I can't remember who, though. Sargent painted Isabella Stuart Gardner in front of that tapestry but it wasn't a huge success, was it. (And didn't Isabella's husband say of it, "It looks like hell, but it looks like you." ?)

Dear Linda,

This is beautiful. You have really nice color and compositional harmonies happening. I keep coming back for another look. Emma doesn't seem to mind me staring back at her!

Garth

What an interesting comment, Linda. Makes me want to run out and buy new brushes, at the very least!

Linda,

I missed this when first introduced. Beautiful. I recently took pictures of a girl wearing purple. I was a bit nervous about it, but I told her to wear whatever she wanted. You proved it works. BTW, if you had said this was you at 17, I'd believe it.

I have to second Jim's opinion there, Linda. She sure looks a lot like you! (at least based on your little avatar)