Michele, I'm so glad the thread was moved to "unveilings" so more people could see it, because this is really significant.

By the way, I love the photo of you in the article. The photographer was smart to look up at you, use that dramatic lighting, and place your head at the convergence of three paintings. The whole color scheme and background of your work (I am assuming) is perfect. Great for publicity! Wow, the whole thing is really wonderful!

Your admiring fan,

Alex

Dear Michele,

As you must realize by now by all the aclaimed response, this portrait is beyond belief good! Good for the Governor, good for you and good for us as we study your masterpiece! Kudos.

Garth

OH MICHELLE!!! It is fabulous. Congratulations!

Michele, it's really a fantastic portrait, you have somehow managed, despite the official pose, to remove all the stiffness and make this man come across as a real person. I also love the interaction of the face with it's background.
Many many congratulation also for handling PR so well !
Ilaria

Here's an idea of what this looked like in progress.

Michele, big congrats to you! This is outstanding and I'm amazed at how you've handled the press.

Jean

Michele,

What a fascinating insight into your working method: having to resolve a detail in its specific finish and turning of color even before covering up the white of the canvas!

It's fascinating to me, because I am strugging with the opposite approach of quickly and broadly obliterating any trace of the blank canvas, the first day and session (and of course it looks awful at this stage for me, like an extreme of jpeg compression with the worst bunch of artifacts).

Beginning a portrait is always a paradox of paths to take; no matter which approach, there is frustration until the last pieces of the puzzle fall into place and we can finally see what degree of masterpiece we have painted!

Thanks for sharing this glimpse into your successful technique.

Garth

I learned this method from Tony Ryder, as he learned it from Ted Seth Jacobs (who is affilliated with Nelson Shanks' Incaminati school). It's based on the process used by Ingres and David, apparently. Very different from how most of us were taught to paint, I know!

Michele, I meant to respond to this days ago, but must have been distracted before hitting the 'submit reply' button. . .

The painting itself is truly stunning, so beautifully done. Beautiful color, expression and warmth and the embossed chair, too. Wow! I'm amazed to see the in process shot of it... is there essentially a single coat of paint on most of the painting then? The painted part of what you're showing there sure looks as if it could be finished. . . ?

Kudos on all the well-deserved press you're getting too! Great shot of you and several of your paintings in the newspaper article. Masterful painting, masterful marketing. . . Michele, you're going places!

Yes, in many places there is just one coat of paint. Of course, once a section is "done" there are always corrections, so some areas have two or three layers on them.