The Rose
 

Hi all.

Well after numerous floods, record rain (days on end), a health relapse, and a tornado in Madison less than a mile away, I'm finally back and kicking. I actually photographed the formation of the tornado, I certainly didn't think it would actually hit!

Anyway, the sun finally came out, my model came and posed and I'm ready to go. I'm really excited about this one, and plan to paint it. What do you think? I also have many others but this has really inspired me.

Jean

Here are some others from the shoot.

#1 This would be done as a 36x48, I have close ups of everything, plus my model will be available for life work.

#2 Variation of the same pose.

#3 I don't like her hair in this one, but that can be changed.

#4 I thought this might be fun for a figurative piece. I got her picture as she was trying on the shoes, but we decided against them. They made her sit funny in the chair. I would reposition the leaves in her hair.

Jean

My favorites
 

Hi Jean,

I am no expert on the lighting, somebody else will have to comment on that. But, I can give you my impressions of the poses.

I like the first one that you show. There doesn't seem to be many shadows, or maybe it's my monitor, and I would find that challenging. But, as you said, you'll have her to paint from life.

Out of the next batch that you have numbered 1 through 4, I like number 2 best. I like the way the model seems to be waiting for someone or looking for someone. I think that gives that particular pose a lot of interest.

In the others I think the model looks uninterested in the whole process.

I'll bet you're dying to get started after all those delays! I know about rain, we've had weeks of rain here in Houston. Hope this helps.

Joan

Hi Joan, thank you for looking and commenting. This painting will be life size which will give me a lot of room to make her face come to life. Also, her face is quite small in these photos and a lot of the detail of her expressions just doesn't show up on a small screen. Believe me, her face never lacks beauty or expression.

My main concern about these full body photos is that the floor covering reflected a blue up into her feet instead of the rose I had hoped for. I plan to change that in the actual painting.

Jean

Here's this full view of the first shot, before I lightened the image. The comb would be removed and possibly replaced with a fancy brush or a small pink rose. There seems to be more red, and I can reduce that if necessary.

Joan, when we had all our rain I was watching Texas also, you had some major ones too! Madison doesn't get tornadoes in the city because the lakes tend to split major storms north and south. But we got hit in the city with an F-1, massive damage in an older heavily wooded gracious neighborhood, but no injuries! And I got the photo! Dumb, but invigorating.

Jean

Nice job Jean,

I like the first of the second bunch. If it were mine I would play around with making the chair seat a dark solid color. I would give several more inches above her head than you have shown, and, I would be inclined to simplify the floor. I might even crop it just at the bottom of her dress an eliminate the feet. If I did the feet I would not include the flowers. I think there is a big enough story to tell above her hem line.

Beautiful dress and model.

Hi Mike, thank you, I feel that I have been blessed by the photography God. :sunnysmil

I asked my husband for his gut reaction and that's the one he picked also. I think you may be right about the cushion, changing it will be no problem. Eliminating the flowers is easy also, I looked at it cropped higher (at the dress line as you suggested) and it certainly does look more elegant. I will think on the feet, with everything simplified they may still work. I know its not "congruent", old rebellions die hard. I planned on giving it more head room on top, as for cropping I'll have to check on the scale (canvas size) as I'm having a stretcher built for this and I'll have to catch Steve before he builds it if I need a different size!

The first photo has a Billie Holiday feel to it. That's the first thing I caught from it anyway. I'm going to do a small one, 20"x14" or so just for fun. Maybe pastel.

Thank you for looking and commenting, I appreciate it. Wanna see my tornado???

Jean

That sounds like a trick question. But, I'm easily tricked and confused, so let's have it. It would in fact be a portrait of a tornado, right? You could delete it later.

I think with a composition like this you can be very generous in leaving space above, below and beyond the subject.

No, not a trick question. I't's digital zoom, just before it actually touched down. I ran for the house when I realized it really was a tornado, guess the sirens are for real! We went into the area that was hit, and I took some photos there too, Tom and I helped with some of the clean-up. An F-3 hit a few miles up north too, we are officially a disaster area times two now (floods and tornado damage). It sure is good to be kind of back to normal now and able to work.

Jean