Hanna
 

This is Hanna, oil on canvas, 16 x 12 inches.

A detail of the face. I spent a lot of time on the hands but I think an equal time on this small delicate mouth.

Detail of hands...

Mike,
Beautiful. Excellent work on the hands. :thumbsup:

And the hits just keep on coming!

Mike, you should be so proud! This is just lovely!

Lovely Mike!

I like the simple, original composition and the direct and intelligent expression.

Sincerely,

HI
 

Congrats on a beautiful portrait. I love the hands too especially (that little finger in the air). What did the little girl think of the painting?

Linda

Thank you all for the nice comments.

Linda,

I have held it back for now. I am working on a portrait of her sister, Abigail. Abigail got so worked up when I posed Hanna with the beret ( which left her without a beret) that I thought seeing her sister's portrait without one of her own might just send her off to do some capital crime.

Here is Abigail's composition. As you can see she had developed a bit of an attitude, which I like.

Mike, you are a lucky guy. Two wonderful models to work from. I love Hanna's cute little face and can't wait until you finish her sister.

Gosh, Mike, you are a painting machine. I love little Hanna. It seems to me that you really excel at painting women - of all ages.

Best regards,
Linda

I was going to come out of retirement for this one case, though I'd rather you just did the portrait.

However, Hanna's "look" is, perhaps, enigmatic. Abby still looks a little irritated, perhaps fallout from the beret thing. There's no telling how these incidents can play out.

The bail guys are in the book. Call if you need an attorney present during, you know, sentencing.

HI Mike
 

What a great look Abigale has too! Those eyes! With that beret on she looks like a small Fay Dunaway as Bonnie Clyde. They'll make a great pair of portraits.

Congrats!
Linda

Linda B.,

I do feel like a machine, a '58 Buick with 180m miles.

Regarding the women, I only deal with beautiful talented women, that's why I return to this forum on a daily basis. (how's that for a suck up?)

Linda N.,

I can see the Fay D. look. My favorite was China Town.

What I fear with Abigale is the hair, it's going to be all about the hair. But it's always that way with you gals. I'm going to be punished for having such an easy time with her sister's hair.

Steven,

As I am about to snap the above shot of Hanna, Abigale comes over and rips the beret off her sister's head and runs down the hall. She never lost that mood.

Nice work, Mike! Did you paint this one in your public studio?

Mari,

Yes I did, I'm loving my new spot, its a very pleasant place to work. The light is a little different than I'm used to but I'm adjusting. I think I'm going to be more productive working away from home with all the distractions. Now if I can get them to replace some of that Liberace with a little Led Zeppelin!

MP3 player + headphones. Very interested parties tap you on the shoulder to engage you in conversation. Otherwise, the Zeppelin drowns out the driftwood.

"First Thought, Best Thought"
 

Not my quote, but it works for me.

If that photo talks to you, then DO IT, if it does not then don't!

Sincerely,

Mike,

What a wonderful painting! I am amazed by your beautiful reference photos. It seems to me that if you must work from photos (and most often we must), then those photos had better be the best possible. I don't believe you could have done any better. They are so well lit and composed so sensitively, I smiled immediately upon seeing them. By employing such skill and forethought in your photo compositions, you've eliminated so many pitfalls in the finished paintings.

Now about Abigail's hair: There's no way it will usurp that wonderful, petulant expression. Linda is so right in comparing this little girl to Fay Dunaway. The look is priceless. Generations of future relatives will be talking about the portrait which results from this photo.

So don't be afraid to show the wonderful light that shines through this diva's hair.

Hanna
 

Beautiful Mike. She's a real sweetheart.

I agree with Valerie about Abigail's hair, her expression is so riveting that her hair and hat will be secondary.

Your work is always so much fun!

Jean