Gabriella
 

This is a commissioned portrait I recently completed.
Gabriella, 34" x 54", oil on linen

Alex,
What a fresh and direct portrait of the little girl. It's interesting how you let her pose in her own way on a "Sargent" background.

Oh Alex, I do like this strong brushwork very much! It really reinforces the sassiness of this painting - and what a wonderful slump on that foot.

Allan and Linda,

Thanks for your comments! The "Sargent" background was for the client, her grandmother. I've already done portraits of her other five grandchildren over a period of 10 or so years, and she wanted the portraits to all go together. It just seemed natural for this one. I think it needed the simplicity.

Linda, glad you like the brushwork, and that you see the "sassiness." This little girl is quite a personality. While I was taking pictures she entertained me and everyone there with funny stories, hand gestures, comical faces, the works. Her parents weren't sure this pose would really express her personality. I thought it might give just a hint of it, without being too posed or theatrical. At least that was what I hoped.

Love the feeling of atmosphere and air around her!

Best--TE

Thanks, Tom--glad you see atmosphere and air around her, because I've just been blabbing about those things on the forum and actions speak louder than words :exclamati

More details
 

Here are some details of other parts of the portrait:

Sweet!
 

Great edges!

Bonfim, thanks--I really appreciate your comment!

Great painting! I never would've thought to paint a girl in such an outfit, but it adds so much to the personality of the painting. It's just one of the many things that make your paintings unique, and thus they win awards!

:thumbsup:

Thank you, Lacey! It's nice to know you think it turned out well.

Neither would I! :o But this is how she arrived at her grandmother's house, which is a considerable distance from her own home, and this all took place on the West Coast, 3.000 miles from my home. So I had one chance to take photos and no say in her clothing choice. Neither did her grandmother, who was none too pleased with the dress and was totally against the shoes she was wearing. What's an artist to do? I ended up thinking that I could make the dress into an advantage. I began to like the interplay between the dress and the Oriental rug--so many similar colors, yet the patterns were so different. The shoes are a vastly simplified version of the ones she was wearing. I kept the background simple because I didn't want to introduce any more complicated patterns and/or compositional elements. I ended up, by some miracle, pleasing both the grandmother and the parents!

Hello Alexandra

Your portrait is lovely and strong. Such nice, simple, big brushmarks, and an energetic pose. I think the dress is a very good design element - the green at the bottom adds to the dynamism of the painting. I like the harmony of the verisimilitude and the abstract quality of the areas of paint (which, obviously makes up the good design). Confident. Perfect.

Thomasin
www.thomasindewhurst.artspan.com

Thank you, Thomasin! Your comments are so very encouraging and I really appreciate them.

My favorite part is the turned foot -- very little-girlish!

Alex,

You've always had a very appealing, very recognizable and unique way of painting. Since I've been on the Forum I've noticed also that you seem to achieving more and more depth and gravity in your work - I think your insight into, and concentrated attention to painting atmosphere, is really paying off. Big Time!

David