John,
The things that stand out for me are the wonderful softness of the light and shadows, and the way you have controlled color and value to produce this effect. The colors themselves--the soft greens, muted rose, the skin tones, the gold hair highlights and the white of the dress--are remarkable. There's a fairy-tale quality about the entire scene, reminiscent of the best 19th century book illustration. (I always get nervous comparing fine art to illustration, in case anyone is offended, but I do consider illustration a fine art and was shocked and outraged when, as a child, I was told that illustration was not a fine art.) Altogether a beautiful portrait and work of art.
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