Becca and Si on the Couch
 

Here's a portrait I did of my daughter last summer. Details are included.

Alexandra,

I like your painting very much. The colors, values, edges and models are beautiful.

Hope that you will participate a lot in this forum.

Best wishes and welcome, Allan

Alexandra, I love this painting, everything about it. It reminds me of being young and visiting my grandmother on Sunday afternoons. :thumbsup:

Thanks, Allan and Mary
 

I was trying to convey the limp, no-energy feeling of a hot, humid day. My daughter was not pleased that I was painting her with no makeup and her hair messy (not her idea of a portrait) but now she has begun to appreciate it more. Si, our cat, seems to know how to place himself in the middle of the action, so he finds his way into many of my compositions.

Recently I've been trying to concentrate on some portraits of my family and friends just so I have the freedom to try placing the figure in space in different ways, and basically just experimenting. It has really helped my commissioned work. So thanks for the encouragement!


Alex

Hi Alex,

This painting has a wonderful, warm lazy feel to it. The warm reds, the sleeping cat, the way the girl's curled up on the couch -- and really nice color harmony, too. :thumbsup:

Terri,

Thanks! I definitely prefer warm colors, so they find their way into many of my paintings.

Since posting this I've been tweaking the painting a little, as a result of a critique that Nelson Shanks gave me. I had heard he could be really hard on people, but he was very positive. It was just like one of my artist friends coming over and pointing out little things that could be impoved upon. That always happens just when I think I've finished. So when I get the images I will post the "new and improved" version!

Alex

This is a marvelous, original, and inviting composition Alex. I love the light quality too. What is the size, by the way?

Garth

Alexandra,

The diagonal composition is very effective as well as the lovely feeling of afternoon light.

Thank you, Garth and Sharon! The dimensions are 40" x 30".

Alex

Alexandra, I just spotted this and I think it's terrific! I love the perspective and the zig-zag composition of the limbs, it's very effective. You have a soft, painterly style that I like very much. Congratulations on a beautiful painting!

Linda,

Thank you so much for your compliments. I've worked so hard on loosening up over the years that it's wonderful to hear my style described as "soft" and "painterly." I always feel that I have a long way to go and so much to accomplish, and that I've hardly done anything yet! I'm sure that feeling of frustration is shared by many artists. Your work is very fine and I appreciate your kind words.

Alex

Revised version
 

Several months ago, I made some minor changes to the background, and I'm finally getting around to posting them. The wall behind my daughter with the pictures on it is actually angled away from the picture plane, and the pictures are hanging out from the wall, creating an odd visual effect that I thought was hard to read. So I straightened the wall with respect to the picture plane. I'm hoping it makes more sense visually. I'm including an extreme closeup of the face.

Another excellent piece, love the atmosphere. You can feel the outside.

Breathtaking! That's all I can say.

Alexandra, I absolutely love the way you paint faces. Amazing.
Beautiful painting. Again!

Why, thank you, Jimmie, Lacey and Brenda! I never expected to get any more reactions to this piece, I just was posting the revisions. Some other minor changes included putting more light on the velvet pillow under her arm, adding reflection in the glass of the framed picture in the upper right corner, straightening the couch arm, and enlarging the left hand.

It is such a nice surprise to see your comments! Thanks!

You have a distinctive style that I think I'd recognize now even if I didnt know it was one of yours - very very appealing.

Why thank you, Kim. Your style is also very distinctive. I really appreciate that!

I almost hate to bring this old thread up again, but recently this painting was accepted into the annual juried show at the Woodmere Art Museum in Philadelphia. The show has been getting better every year, and I was actually proud to be hanging near some exceptional figurative art, including Garth's Lesser Apotheoun and a portrait by Rachel Constantine. Forum member Nancy Bea Miller had a still life in the show. Many well-known area landscape painters had work in the show, too. Altogether an interesting crowd and a festive event.

Here I am beside my painting (photo by Nancy Bea):

Congratulations Alex! (Such a nice sense of depth in that piece. . . it looks like they're right there with you)

Hey Alex!

It was so wonderful to see you and Nancy Bea last night. I am so glad she had the foresight to capture a great picture of you before your stunning portrait. Woodmere Art Museum does a superb job of supporting artists in our locality. It is so special to hang here in this venerable institution.

The show consists of about 75 works of painting, printmaking, drawing, and sculpure juried out of an apparent 390 entries! So just getting into this exhibition required more than 5:1 odds. What the juror selected is the very cream of the crop. It's a great show. (Note: that's everything besides my own entry). Another included artist of note in recent years that Cynthia Daniels represents is John Ennis, congratulations to him too.

Alex, you are sometimes (most all times) too humble. Rebecca and Si is a stunning and deserving portrait! Congratulations!

Garth

Wow! This is even more impressive when seen in the context of the real world. I am glad to see this pic, and glad that you and the work are receiving attention!

Thanks, Garth and Terri! I feel badly that I forgot to mention John Ennis. In fact, as I was posting this morning I had a disturbing feeling that I was leaving out someone.

When my husband and I went back there today (he hadn't seen the show yet) I realized how many wonderful figurative/portrait artists there are in this area whom I don't know, or only met last night.

Alex,
Thank you for posting this beautiful painting. The composition and lighting are extremely well done. I particularly like the fact that the cat's eyes are closed. It adds so much to the comfort of the moment.

I agree with Lacey also, thanks for posting the picture of you and the painting, most impressive.

Congratulations! Don't know how I managed to miss seeing this painting when it was first posted. I really enjoy the Sargent-like composition and posing.

Thank you, Peter and Michele!

This was, I think, the first painting I posted on the Forum (aside from the two that I included in my introductions page). It's been hanging around the house for a while, was in that "Joining Forces" show in September, and when the Woodmere show came up I thought I'd use it one more time. All my new ones exceeded the height limit! I'm just glad I had something to enter that I wasn't ashamed of (is anyone like me in that they start cringing when looking at their older work?), and luckily it was accepted.

Looking at ANY of my old work is a cringe-a-thon!

I'm still cringing!

Alex, this is really nice, but then I'm a sucker for all animals. Oh, and the painting is lovely also. ;)

Jean

Congratulations Alex!

I know what you mean, Michele.

Kim and Jean, thanks!

Soon the cringing will set in. I already have trouble looking at it for any length of time.

Alex,

What a wonderful painting and congratulations on the show! This is a captivating painting. I feel as though I've just walked into that room. Thanks for the close up. I love the way you handled her face. I think I have the tendency to over blend so it is refreshing to see those lovely brush strokes. Although I don't post often, I just wanted to say how much I appreciate all your work and all the great advice you so generously give to others.

Cynthia

Cynthia, thank you so much.

Excellent work of art. I love that it's more than just a portrait - it's compostion - I especially love the curved back of the sofa - really make it an engaging peice to look at. I can see this being enjoyable to stare at over a cup of coffee years.

Congratulations!
Linda

Can you use "casual elegance" to describe a painting? OK, I just did. Your "voice" rings true in this one, Alexandra.

Obviously, this piece resonates with many people, hence your acceptance into such a prestigious show. Well-deserved! Big applause and congratulations! :thumbsup:

Thank you both!

Linda, when you say it is "more than just a portrait," it reminds me of your Brother and Sister that was resurrected in Unveilings, and the somewhat hazy line between portraiture and figurative work, or landscape. It's fun to do a little more than a "regular" portrait whenever possible.

Rob, I like that "casual elegance." You have made my day!