Hi Wendy,
This piece has a very nice soft feel to it -- I think you did succeed in conveying a sense of contemplation. I think you've got some very lovely soft transitions from light to shade in the modeling of her face.
The brightness of her forehead at the top left brings that area forward when you want it to recede. Perhaps the shape of that forehead also extends too far up and out to the left?) There may also be a bit of a drawing issue in that the line of her eyes is flatly horizontal across, whereas there is a sense of tipping down towards the left to her jaw so that taken together they seem very slightly off...
I suspect that the area beneath her ear, behind her jaw, but in front of her hair should be a bit darker?
You might also want to take a look at the brightness of her flesh as it extends toward her shoulder (similar pulling forward effect) and her torso positioning? Her body reads as essentially squared to the viewer which is somewhat unlikely given the position of her head? I cannot physically turn my head at that angle -- but then again, I'm old and your subject is young and probably more flexible. . .
Please know that my comments above are intended only to be constructive -- these are subtle things that get harder to see the longer I look at the painting and get acclimated to it... Overall this is very nice work with some lovely passages... I especially like the very delicate modeling of her facial features and the transition from light to shade along her cheek and jaw is very sensitively done. The subdued palette you've used adds to the gentle presence of this piece.
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