Ballerina girl
 

This is Sam - she looks angelic, but don't you believe it for a second.

I took inspiration for this from our dear Sharon Knettel (with her permission), so thanks, Sharon!

Better photos will have to wait until I can take this outside. It's snowing today.

I'm retiring
 

Oh Cindy, this is so overwhelmingly gorgeous I can't even type fast enough and truthfully, I don't even know what to say to be fair to your beautiful painting. Your subject is stunningly adorable. I love the way you handled the tu-tu. The face...oh it's just perfect. Those lips are fantastic. The whole painting is fabulous! I am retiring.

Cindy,

She is soft and lovely and you have done a wonderful job of showing her off with simple shapes. I love the handeling of the tutu. Years from now her parents can remember her as the angel she appears to be.

Vianna Szabo

Thank you LIsa and Vianna, for your generous compliments. It's funny you mentioned the tutu - I repainted that no less than 4 times - it gave me fits!

I forgot to mention that this is 24" x 36" Oil on canvas.

Cindy, this is so beautifully painted! Such nice edges and skin tones. I love the winsome pose as well. This painting has great charm without being cloying or too-precious, which is always the danger in my opinion with painting lovely little girls. You really have captured something very special here, well done!

Thanks, Linda. Actually, I thought it was cloying, but I will happily defer to you.

And, I thought of you and your comments about caricature when I was painting her lips. I believe I succumbed to the temptation to caricature them just a wee bit...

Just gorgeous Cindy! Lovely fleshtones, and the tutu turned out beautifully!

I'm just glad that it's "flattered", and not "furious". LOL.

Thanks Sharon & Terri.

Hey Cindy,

I am glad this is posted on several fora, it's just stunning! I confess I first associated Sharon Knettel with this image as well; I am glad she is flattered. This being my third response in as many fora, you know you can count me in as a fan of yours too! Along with the total execution, I love the paint quality of the portrait. Such a soft descriptive light. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Garth

I'm starting to think you're STALKING me, Garth. LOL. (KIDDING, I'm kidding!)

Thanks - and I'm a fan of yours, too.

What a beautifully painted face! And the rest of the painting as well. The highlight that is on the left of the forehead and which runs down to her cheek is so perfectly done. That, and the eyes and the nose and the mouth...a VERY BIG CONGRATULATIONS!

Thank you, Carlos.

Cindy, this is really an elegant and graceful painting, and not only for the subject.
There is elegance in the choice of colours, in the clarity of the light , in the balance of the composition, there is grace in the choice of the pose,in the handling of the clothes, in the economy of tones.
Great job
Ilaria

Thank you so much, Ilaria.

My thoughts exactly! She's just sitting naturally, a regular little girl with the charm of her individual personality in her expression. There's no feeling of "little girl in ballerina outfit" cliche. I love the way you have used blue in the shadows and repeated the pink and blue. Impressive and totally engaging!

Cindy this is certainly a Four Forums Thumbs Up! Bravo!

Side note to a moderator... this should be moved to the pro section.

Thanks Alex and Beth, for your kind words.

As sweet and perfect as she looks, this painting is so full of life! I feel that as soon as I looked away, her feet started swinging and her torso started twisting on the stool. And of course, I want to echo everything else already said. Lovely painting. Janet

Cindy, this is truly an exceptional portrait. As has already been said, you've managed to paint this little girl in a way that transcends all of the lesser qualities, the cliche's that are so often associated with this particular subject matter; ie., an overly cute or sentimental portrayal. My first reaction to this piece is not: "Oh, isn't she sweet and lovely" (though she certainly is), but rather, "what an incredible painting!!" I think when an artist can detach from - or at least subordinate - the easy emotions, the sentimentality that the subject (this subject in particular) prompts in all of us, and instead focuses first and foremost on mastering the requirements of the painting itself - as a painting - that's the beginning of greatness. Then, ironically, the subject matter - even a smiling child in a tutu - will have greater depth, gravity, emotion.

And this is a great painting.

Your best yet!

David, thank you for saying that. I have always wished for the ability to paint in a more artistic fashion, rather than just be a human mimeograph. Too often, (okay, always) I feel as though I have an ability to draw, but not much artistic talent.

So, this makes me feel as though I've made at least a little progress towards my goal. Thank you.

Thanks, too, Michele and Janet.

Cindy, I have looked at this several times before commenting. It is stunning. She looks like an angel, but the more i look at it, I see you also captured a look in her eyes that hints at the imp inside. I'm a fan!

This is absolutely adorable. Excellent portrait. Congratulations.

Cindy, I remember your first struggles with the little ballerina, this is such a leap from where you were a few years ago! She is just delightful and beautifully painted.

Jean

Thanks so much, Richard, Janel, and Jean.

Cindy,
Let me add my wow to everyone else's

W O W ! ! ! ! ! :exclamati

What size is this portrait. Gosh, I really, really enjoy looking at this.

Thanks, Pat. It's 24" x 36". It's amazing how much paint you need to cover that sized canvas...

Sharon, this isn't a commission. I hired Sam (well, sort of - I gave her a stuffed bear as a thank-you) to sit for me, in order to have a full-figure sample piece.

Now I'm planning my shameless self-promotion. Here's what I've come up with so far:

The gallery that represents me has the painting hanging in their front window. I will go in and paint live in the gallery (something I've done a couple of times) for two weekends at the end of March.

I'm gearing all my ads and flyers towards Mother's day and graduation - sort of a "better hurry and get yours now while there's still time."

The hook to get people in and get them interested: I'm raffling a custom pet portrait - tickets are $10 each, and the proceeds all go to my local animal shelter. Consequently, the local paper will also run a feature story on the event (in addition to my paid ads.)

Ironically, the parents are desperate to buy the painting now, but they'll have to wait. I've been invited to exhibit it in a local show in May.

So, I have the ballerina, and I have THIS ONE that I will borrow from the owner to display. The question is - what sort of portrait should I paint as a demo in the gallery?

A teenage boy? A grown woman? A girl in a graduation gown? Anyone have any suggestions?

Cindy, what about a boy? He could be a teenager or a little boy. You already have two girls, so someone is predictably going to ask whether you paint males also!

The main thing is figuring out who you are targeting and what kind of portraits they are most likely to commission. My intuition tells me you shouldn't try to hit too many markets at once. If you paint a man, it shows your versatility, but most (?) portraits of men seem to be job-related. So you would be hitting another market. Not that you can't do it, but people like to focus on one thing at once and you are trying to put ideas in their heads.

Two thirds of the portrait market is kids under 10. I would paint a little boy, wearing a white polo shirt. If you can pose him outdoors, so much the better.

Thanks Alex and Michele. A boy it is. I happen to have one handy - but, he HATES shirts with collars, so I'll have to pay him handsomely to wear one.

I appreciate the input.

When my kids were younger the currency of choice for "posing for mom" was ice cream.

Hi Cindy,

Both portraits are lovely, good luck with the boy.

Cindy, where have you been hiding?! Now strike that iron while its hot and make some green. Wish you the very best!

Sincerely,
mischa

Thanks Bonfim & Mischa!

Very sweet painting! You did an excellent job with the tutu. Give yourself several pats on the back for this! :thumbsup:

Renee

Thanks, Renee.

Thanks to everyone who commented - and, I want you all to pretend that my responses were gracious Alex Tyng-type responses, since I'm so very bad at that (and, of course, since I agree with everything she says.)

:cool: