22 months
 

Hi,
this is the grand daughter of a french general.
24" X 36", oil.

Dear Marina,

Stunning as usual! I like how her pose is confrontational and is asking for the viewers attention.

So engaging! Brava.

F. O. E.
 

F.O.E. says what this painting evokes in me: Fresh Out of the Ether! She looks as if SHE may have been a general before arriving here as a little girl. Maybe she hasn't forgotten yet. What a beautiful and commanding presence you have painted of her. Thanks so much for sharing this. I will remember this painting.

Marina, how absolutely lovely! congratulations.

Marina, you are incredible! This portrait and the girl in it, are quite shockingly real, powerful, beautiful, and demanding of attention. What amazes me is that you can express such power in your statement and render adorably soft, sweet forms so accurately. The juxtapposition only adds to the impact. This will stay in my head for a long time.

Marina!

Another unique way of presenting a child--and you have such a captivating way of doing it. Aside from the obvious technical mastery, the concept holds one

Enzie,Chris, Carol, Grethe, Alex, and Carlos : thank you very much !

I'm glad you find my concept interresting. There is so much to say about the babies and toddlers, they are fascinating persons, when you enter in their world. One thing I realised, is because they can't speak well yet, that they use body language much more than adults, and this is a good thing for a painting.
Having a baby is one of the most common experience in history of humanity, but when it's your turn to have a child, it's a complete miracle. What I'm trying to express in my babies portraits is those 2 facts :
- the allegorical side to express the belonging to humanity ( it could be any baby of any country and any era )
-and the unicity of this particular human, his nature, his own history, his feelings at this particular moment of his life...

That said, I had to laugh, Carlos, when I read about the little gaulish village : next time I will paint the bard behind! ( You know what ? I come from this part of the world so it's certainly a memory...)

This is wonderful, Marina. Really wonderful. I love the details such as the different expressions and positions of the hands (and fingers) and feet (and toes), and the way the flesh presses against flesh. I love the stockiness of her legs and the weight of her pose pressing down on them. I love the reflected light in the shadows, and the musicality and rhythm of the brushmarks in the figure and drapery. And, of course, her face and personality are mesmerising. And your background is splendid too - such good space expressed and so nice to see the brush marks. And, of course again, your colour is brilliant. So very well done!

Dear Marina,

Again, WOW! A General's grand-daughter indeed; she is so commanding in this dramatic masterwork! She is going to get more looks than anyone, in this portrait (and Forum). She means business with her admiring subject-viewers, as do you, Marina!. I love this! ...Everything about it. It is dynamic with this engaging toddler bursting upward compositionally through a sheet draping downward. That's just brilliant! Also placing her intensive gaze in the center, is powerful, by default (and design).

Bravo, and congratulations! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Garth