In looking at the image more closely, I particularly love the warm skin tone refections on the column - your gonna have a blast playing with that. Those reflections could really "make" the painting - it gives some life to the architecture that one can do in oil painting. It'll make the photo reference "eat dust".
PHOTOGRAPHY MODERATOR SOG Member '03 Finalist Taos SOPA '03 HonMen SoCal ASOPA '03 Finalist SoCal ASOPA '04 Finalist Taos SOPA
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Posts: 2,674
How about scanning it at a high res., say 300. Get the best image you can get then send it to me and I'll send it back ready for posting. I presume you have a decent print?
I really liked that first image as posted. Personally I'd try to replicate that! To my eye the clearer version has too much information and chroma.
Good luck!