Alex,
this is great! For me this portrait is about joy : the quiet joy of this couple working together, the joy of those beautiful colors, and the delight you seemed to have painting this!
All this ,sustained by a subtle (but strong) composition.
It's very nice to see that such a serious subject can finally look so simple and joyful!

Thank you, Patti! Thank you, Marina! Your comments mean a lot to me.

Alex, this a beautiful painting. I really like how you meticulously composed the two to give them equal importance, just wonderful.

casey

Thank you, Casey! As I said, I was contemplating the theme of "complexity and contradiction" when I saw them as different but equal.

Another thing I forgot to mention was that I arranged them so they are slightly overlapping. I wanted to show their connection but express their strong individuality at the same time. Another way in which the theme comes into play.

Bravo, dear Alex!

Well for the architecture and exquisite urban design of a great canvas, you're the best! As others have said, this is a chromatic and spacial tour-de-force. You really captured the Venturi-Scott-Brown's to a real sense of their gentle and yet intensively creative nature.

I can say this because I "met" them at that last annual juried show opening at Woodmere (Art Museum, where they are engaged to design the new wing expansion). I saw them there in the crowd, and actually said hi, in passing. I "knew" them through your portrait in progress at the time. How's that! Then I immediately hunted you down at the opening so excited to tell you that your acclaimed subjects were in the house (Alex gets into all the good art shows)! Like any other celebrities, you can "know" them while they have no clue who you are.

Again, Bravo. You captured them perfectly, based on my momentary encounter.

Garth

Garth, thank you for the over-the-top compliments! It's really nice to know I captured their likenesses well enough that you recognized them at the Woodmere opening. (By the way, speaking of art shows, I seem to recall that you get into them, too!) That was a fun evening at the Woodmere, and I was so surprised to see the Venturi-Scott Browns there after just seeing them in a totally different context.

Dear Alex,

What a beautiful painting! It makes me feel like I have been able to tip toe into a room lit by sun light , sharing the quietness and harmony that exists between two people, who have known each other for ages.

Thanks so much, Enzie. The idea of just happening on people in the midst of their work or play or whatever they are doing is something I've always been interested in portraying. I see this as one way portraits border on figurative work.