"Marianne"

Sandra Quintus · 10-29-2005, 07:44 PM

Well, I've been lurking long enough. I'm bravely submitting this portrait of a good friend, Marianne for your scrutiny. I have cropped the painting, hoping to improve the composition which origianally included her feet on the fainting couch.
I painted this primarily from life, using the photos I took during the sittings at her home as reference to complete the painting. Marianne sat for a total of 25 hours over a period of 3 weeks last winter.
I learned much doing this portrait. Although portraiture has always been my first love, I have painted only a total of 11 portraits.

Thanks in advance for your comments, critiques, and any encouragement...
Sandra

Sandra Quintus · 10-29-2005, 11:36 PM

I decided to wait to post two other works and take it one at a time.
Sorry about the misleading Title.
Sandra

Sandra Quintus · 10-31-2005, 05:06 PM

Perhaps this close up will be helpful.
Thank you in advance for any comments and suggestions..
Sandra

Sandra Quintus · 10-31-2005, 05:07 PM

Sorry,
but this is oil on linen... originally 18"x24" before the crop.
Sandra

Mark Lovett · 10-31-2005, 08:58 PM

Well done. Nice mood. I like the feel of it.

Sandra Quintus · 10-31-2005, 10:24 PM

Thank you for your comment, Mark. Marianne is a good friend and she has an amazing spirit! Tried to capture a bit of that spark!
Sandra

Steven Sweeney · 10-31-2005, 10:36 PM

Hi, Sandra,

You

Sandra Quintus · 10-31-2005, 10:51 PM

Steve,
Wow! This is great! I am amazed at how helpfull all this is to me.

Calla lillies is right.

And I want you to know how much I appreciate your suggestions. I feel this is one of my best portraits to date, but I also realize there are some things that are just plain distracting in it from her face and expression. I am going to read your suggestions with painting in hand and think about what I might do to simplify the areas around her.

I think the nose is accurate. She is German/gypsy descent, whose ancestors migrated north from Morocco across Spain to Germany. Very unusual, exotic beauty.

Thanks again for your comments.
Sandra

Sharon Knettell · 11-01-2005, 07:30 PM

Sandra,

This is very lovely, accomplished portrait of an unusual beauty. I love the relaxed sinuous pose; something that is quite difficult to pull off. You have made it work. Steven has made some excellent and useful comments and I won't touch on those.

I know I am probably going to get a lot of raspberries from your admirers, but the calla lilies are just too distracting: perhaps it is their whiteness or stiffness. It is a very soft and curvy pose that calls for a more rhythmic type of flower or none save the ones in back.

I know it is a maddening problem, what to do with the hands. It is one that afflicts all figurative and portrait artists. Personally I would have preferred a gypsy type of scarf draped from her hands: it would have added another way of adding additional color notes and said (I think) more about her personality. Actually I am not of fan of sticking flowers into the hands of female sitters ( although I must confess to this sin myself): it always looks somehow artificial and forced. I think the portrait artist should always try for something a bit less overused and more telling.