Emma in Purple
 

This is oil, 16" x 20", on a gessoed board from www.realgesso.com.

Emma's parents are art collectors and I placed her in front of one of their paintings. She is a very creative young lady and I was excited that everybody went along with my idea for the beads around her head.

She it lovely Linda! I love the colors you have used.

This is great Linda! It has a neat fairy/elf thing going on there also.

Linda,

Your beautiful mythic lady looks like she has recently emerged from the deep blue sea. A little mermaid?
Great contrasts.

Allan

Linda,

This is a lovely portrait.

Linda,

Beautiful painting - The colors are wonderful!

Really lovely Linda! --with sort of an other-worldly mystical feel to it. How nice that the clients were open-minded enough to let you do something unique. She's beautiful.

Love the DNA strands!

(Just kiddin' there.)

I just watched Troy last night, and this reminds me of the laurel leaf crowns and togas that the ladies wore.

Very beautiful, and very visionary. Congrats!

How do you like Max's gesso board? I've only used the linen panels, but he's told me I really should try the gesso.

Mary, Kim, Allan, Mike and Jane, thanks so much for making my day!

Cindy, thanks also, and I was hoping somebody would ask me about this panel. It was just incredible to work on. I'm not obsessive/compulsive generally but I really got obsessive with this surface. The gesso is the most touchable surface I've ever worked on and the effects you can get with it are so interesting. One of the reasons I posted this yesterday was to get myself to stop painting on it and move on to other paintings.

I had a lot of trouble initially but I think if I had used softer brushes I would have solved some of my problems.

I don't usually say this after I post something here, but "this painting looks so much better in reality". The surface quality is a big part of its interest.

I would love to see somebody who starts with a grisalle paint on this. I think it would be perfect for them.

Linda,

I know that you experiment with these surfaces all the time. Assume you received an important commission tomorrow, say Bill Murray in that wet suit from "The life Aquatic with Steve Zissou," what surface would you choose?