A Connecticut Girl: Laura at Thirteen
 

Hi All,

Laura is quickly growing into a delightful and charming young woman; although to be fair, she had always been delightful and charming. This represents the second attempt at her portrait during these past four months. She had changed so much during the ensuing months, that the first version of this portrait begun in May needed to be scrapped for a fresh new start last month. The challenge has been to travel on location, get the right pictures, come home and paint the portrait, and trust that it somehow captures that singular moment within a lifetime.

Having seen the first version and with the mutual decision that too many things needed big changes, Laura took the task of posing once again quite seriously. Today I've applied a few finishing adjustments and plan for delivery tomorrow (so again, I should be out for a few days).

Let me know your thoughts, if any, thanks!

Garth

Wow Garth-- what a visual treat! And thanks for posting the close-ups!
Just scrumptious!

It's hard to get all the colors to look right in Photoshop, so the actual painting seems a little less pasty and a little more punchy, I think. Probably everyone else's works do as well when posted.

Geez Garth.......do you sleep?

I've said it before and I will say it again.........you are sooooooo good!

Thanks so much Terri and Janel,

Your kind words mean a lot. I have re-tweaked an reposted the images just a tad darker and richer, to better reflect the painting.

Janel, I do sleep sometimes..... occasionally.

Thanks again,

Garth

Garth,

How I would like to see the first version, just to compare.

I sense a sort of Hammersh

Garth, I really have to give you an 'online handshake' to congratulate you on another great piece. I am thoroughly impressed by your solid technique in the handling of colours and edge control. Technically, I love the realism and smoothness. As a portrait piece, the image is casual and beautiful without being pretentious. What I find very interesting is how the background is incorporated so well with the different light sources and composition. This piece really shows me that (with proper planning and preparation) a casual scene can look classical and 'masterful'. I have to ask...do you purposely refine focal areas such as the figure (head, hands, skin) and leave other areas, such as clothing, background etc. more loose with visible brushstrokes? Furthermore, do you try and keep sharp edges to a minimum?

Great work. :thumbsup:

David

Breathtaking! I am in awe and love the close-ups!!! Your skintones are beautiful.

This was my quote from the other painting of Jane and her dog. You've outdone yourself. I love the balance of classic and modern, formal and informal. That balance has me more impressed than the wonderful technique. I'm very jealous.

Don't know if it's been asked of you before, but do you have a website where I can conveniently envy your work in one sitting?

Garth,

This painting is quite wonderful. It has a "Sargent" look to it, particularly the overall color scheme and background. Looks like a photo from a distance while maintaining it's painterly quality up-close.

Superb!

Ditto that, Garth; I thought at first you had posted a photo for us to pick apart. This is another incredible painting and I love this girl's mood.

Will you kindly either stop painting so well, or else show us, step by step, how exactly you pull this off? I know you have been generous with information about your technique; maybe we just need to pull it all together in a single thread.

Hi Everyone! This Forum is amazing. I had no idea one could log on remotely, when out of town. Great!

Dear Allan, David, Patricia, Jimmie, Mike, and Linda,

Thank you so much for all your kind enthusiasm and compliments. I never know if I have a good painting until I am told I do. Your input means a lot! I am still nervous, being less than an hour before I unveil this. Wish me luck!

Allan: I doubt I be sharing the first version, because it is quite tentative and unfinished (and I no longer like it). Although the pose was the same, she was slightly slouched and the dress was perhaps too casual, with an over sized tee shirt.

You know I am a big fan of Hammershoi's portraits and paintings as well. I saw a very moving show of his works in D.C. in 1983, and I think I've been influenced ever since.

I think the colors echo and compliment each other much better in this second version of Laura.

David: I appreciate your on-line handshake! It is nice that you say this portrait does not appear too pretentious, since Laura's family are completely unpretentious folks. I am glad this comes through.

I don't know how to explain my reasoning for refining areas of the painting, except that I just keep painting until it looks right. The more I keep working the painting, then automatically, the more refined it gets. Sometimes this goes too far, and I see where I want to try to unrefine things again (which is hard to do). Initially every passage in this painting began as a vigorous alla-prima approach. With refinements, some of that original vigor gets lost, sadly. If I could figure out how to paint everything in one shot and be happy with it, that would be great. But alas, if I fix and improve one thing, then the next thing needs improvements also. With Jane and Iona I managed to maintain an alla-prima whirlwind going in the last 24 hours, as I repainted literally everything.

As for how sharp to keep the edges, I just keep adjusting them until the feel right, and usually what feels right is not all that sharp.

Patricia: Thanks! I was trying to keep the skin tones within a soft understated range that I observed in some Paxton portraits, while up in Boston last April for the SOG Dinner (lets all gather in D.C. this next year!).

I feel close by you today. I'm in Jamestown, PA, just exactly east a short distance from Cleveland. I would love to get out to your town again and see that great museum of art you have!

Jimmie: Thanks, I think I just missed you as you were writing your quote just as I was posting this. I am jealous also of your amazing drawing ability.

You are right; I need to think about getting a website. This forum is as close as it gets right now.

Mike: Thanks! I would love to learn a little insight into the process Sargent used to paint his masterpieces. Were they alla-prima, or done in stages and layers? I like to maintain some painterly brushwork when possible. The faceted surface can add so much interest. The more I refine things, the more photographic the effect, but a slightly broken painterly color effect should be preferable, I think.

Linda: You are too much! Thanks, I will try a little harder to not paint well. I am still learning and evolving in my techniques, and have been much influenced by everyone else's high caliber work in this Forum (including your's). If you or anyone have any good suggestions on how to pull this learning process all together, then let's do it!

Hey, what do you know, it's after four o'clock and I have to unveil the painting now!

'Till later, all the best,

Garth

Thumbs Up!
 

OK, I am admitting it. The clients really liked the portrait. My subject seemed to be all smiles! Whew; I am much relieved, and on my way back home.

Garth

Garth, Garth, Garth,

I have to join sentiments with our friend Jimmie and say that you just keep outdoing yourself, man. I had just taken a look at the other one, and was duly shaken again by your technique and vision. :o

I just have to tell you that as far as the type of realism that honestly makes me glad to be alive to art....your style touches me just as much as any fine artist's work I've ever seen.....anywhere. The way it has the photo realism without looking totally static.... just soothes my soul!

I would just LOVE to come out to your home town someday and just spend whatever time we could together over coffee and viewing your work.

Blessings to You,
Geary

Aw, Thanks Geary!

You are really profound. I don't know anyone else anywhere who seems more moved by what he loves in art than you. I know others do too but you really can express it.

Coffee would be great. There are some museums to see in Philly, and its satelites, N.Y., and D.C. We forum members should team up with coordinated museum visits more often than just PSOA events. I would love to see Seattle and the Northwest coast firsthand some time too.

Thanks again, I can already smell the coffee,

Garth

:thumbsup: Coffee's on me. :thumbsup:

Geary.....in the home of Starbucks :sunnysmil

Photorealism without a static look is tricky to pull off, I think, but a virtue if one can. I prefer a more painterly look, and a variety of descriptive surface, texture, transparency, and inventive spontaneity. If not careful, all of this becomes very elusive, and buried underneath photo real (political) correctness.

Garth

And yet another lovely Garth, you are inspiring and as always so pleasing to the eye!

If there is room for any more compliments here, I will gladly add mine. The command you have over those little blobs of color is astounding. You obviously have two keen eyes and a large sponge between your ears. I wish I could fast forward and see what your paintings look like 20 years from now since I can't even imagine how they could get any better. Like the rest of us, however, you probably notice flaws in your own work that only you can see.

Good Grief! I'm speechless, I opened it up and thought I was looking at a reference photo until my eyes focused.Truly amazing!

What a dear, tender little face.

Dear Elizabeth, Heidi, Mary, and Sharon,

Thank you so much for your kind words and compliments!

Heidi: You are right. There will always be more things to improve and rework in my paintings. This one had a deadline, so it had an end to all the endless adjustments.

Garth

Garth, this is gorgeous. One of your masterpieces!

Thanks Josef,

You have made my day!

Garth

Garth,

I particularly like your choice of clothing with an almost classic pose, this portrait is both timeless and contemporary!

Jean

Garth, I'd like to add my compliments to the queue. You have definitely captured the essence of a 13 year old.

Your painting makes me want to see if I can coax a smile out of her. (But I know I can't - because it's not "cool" to seem too happy...)

Wonderful job. :thumbsup:

Thanks Jean, and Cindy!

Jean: Clothes were definitely an issue with this portrait. I was half completed on a first version of this portrait when I realized that I would have to abandon it, mostly due to Laura's outfit! She had on a baggy oversize dark green tee shirt, and bleached and well worn jeans. Her grandparents were evidently displeased with the ultra casual look, and insisted on dressy slacks and elegant top (like they had sent for Christmas). For this second version, Laura was already wearing a sharp looking pair of new jeans, which I liked better. I was not sure about this olive knit top presented on the hanger, but when she put it on I said WOW, that's it! Everyone was happy in the end, with this combo. I have to admit this current version of dress is much better, and flattering than the first version.

Cindy: Thanks! Your insight means a lot to me. Laura smiled quite a lot at her unveiling, though.

Garth

Garth,

I loved the painting of Iona and her dog and now this one following is just as soft and beautifully painted.

I'm not sure what I admire most when I start trying to figure out why your paintings appeal so much to me (and it looks like the whole world of painters here too!). Is it the perfect way you handle values? Is it the way the colors meld together and separate just at the right point? Or is it your talented drawing skills and the talent you have for capturing the person inside?

It is so inspiring to look at your work - but I need to see it in person sometime too. I hope these people hang this portrait somewhere in their home where everyone will see it as they enter the house.



ps - I think your photos of your paintings are pretty good! :)

Sincerely,

Denise

WOW Denise,

You have given me high praise indeed! What a nice reply to wake up to.

Getting the values to make visual sense is something I tend to work hard at. I don't know if my drawing ability is anything special, but the nice thing about painting is that it is always possible to make corrections and revisions throughout the process. Painting is a balancing act. I may repaint and rework all the relationships several times before everything appears to click together.

I'm still in the trial and error stage of getting the right representative reproductions to post of my paintings in the Forum. Often, as in this portrait's case, I need to rework my posted images a little in Photoshop (to adjust levels and saturation), and then repost them.

With appreciation,

Garth

Hi Garth,

Denise told me that I just HAD to look at your new masterpiece.... My jaw is still on the floor! :thumbsup: Do you sleep at all!?

The skin tones are flawless. I most admire your ability to paint detail without getting too tight or looking overworked. I am in awe of those fingernails! You've managed to acheive realism with fresh, loose, textured brushstrokes. Bravo!

I agree that you should have a website.... Cynthia?

take care,

Renee

Dear Renee (and Denise),

Thanks so much for your terrific reply!

I bit the bullet and finally bought a domain name last night! Now I need to take the next step and figure out how to get a website going. I agree that Cynthia's creations at A Stroke of Genius are among the very best to be seen anywhere.

With appreciation,

Garth

Garth,

Amazing!! When I grow up, I want to be you.. ;-)

Carlos