Franny

[Terri Ficenec]

So delicately handled. Just beautiful all around! Just love how you handled the very subtle color of her dress, the reflections of the balusters (sp?). . . and the floor reads perfectly.

Oh and don't let me forget to mention those perfect little hands and feet!

[Marina Dieul]

Lovely !
Very subtle tones. There's a feeling of the old sepia photos...
very nice to see on the close up how you simplified the ears, the light in the hair...

[Tom Edgerton]

Thanks everyone, for these encouraging comments...I don't mean to sound so tentative. There were the usual painting joys, like the unexpected splat of bluish highlights on the shadow side, from a window up the stairs. Nice to discover this while working.

Alex--Glad you see a shift, and I think it's progress.

Garth--Thanks as always. The skin tones are deeper than some I paint; this was summer and she was a brown little thing. At least a value darker than me. Somewhat hard to find cool tones as a result.

Enzie--There's very little actual detail in the hands and feet; I'm finding it's usually not necessary.

Allan--Most of "my children" look a little older than they are in my paintings (Franny is five), I think because I get on their level if possible.

Ilaria--Shy, and a little quizzical too, which I tried to keep in the expression.

David and Marina--Best to you both...I appreciate it!

Terri--The reflections are very thin; I wiped back to the ground rather than painting them opaquely.

Thanks again, all-TE

[Michele Rushworth]

Beautiful, Tom. Your best yet, I think.

Ironically this seems more precisely real despite your goal of eliminating detail -- or maybe because of it.

I love the vertical composition too.

Can you post details of the wood reflections, hands and feet? I'd also love to learn more about your process. Do you work in sections or everything all over, etc.

[Julie Deane]

Hi Tom -

I was about to ask you to post the feet and the wood flooring too,

Very nice painting - and I understand what you are saying about the color.
Well put!

[Tom Edgerton]

As requested...

Not much detail in the feet, no half-moon nails or such--just some broad, quick neutral strokes. As you can see, the floor is pretty broad-brush stuff also, no detail. It just seems more solid from a distance.

The hands don't have any more detail than the feet, really. I thought about completing the thumb, but decided not to improve on the accident of the moment.

Michele--I guess it's a global working up, rather than going from section to section. I draw the heads on the canvas in great detail in a schematic, analytical fashion instead of as an "art drawing"--a friend told me these drawings look like dissections--to teach myself the structure that creates the likeness. I seal that, and stain the heads and hands to a medium value very quickly--the drawing still shows through. I paint the overall composition to the point that I get values and atmosphere and light in some basic way. The middle period is finishing the head, pushing it out a ways and following with all the other things, pushing out and following, until the head is finished and the other stuff works to support it. Then work through the whole painting again to pull it all together. Not anything radical.

[John Reidy]

Tom,

If you are inching along I feel that you are in Paris inching up the steps at the Louvre while I'm still trying to inch down I-40 in Kernersville.

I love all of your work and am happy at your recent development.

In particular your handling of the floor and wall in relation to Frannie is very Sargentesque. And what a job on the girl. Such subtlety.

I applaud you.

[Chris Saper]

Oh,those little feet - I might just cry.

I so appreciate that you are such an accomplished professional painter and that you are so impassioned to never, ever stop learning.

[Tom Edgerton]

John--You've heard the saying, "From your mouth to God's ear!"
I can only see the ocean between me and Paris. But thanks so much as always.

Chris--One thing I figured out is that a LOT of how feet relate to the surface they're on is accurately getting the width and shape of the shadow under them.

And I have to work hard. The Forumites have set the bar pretty high!

Thanks to all--T

[Michele Rushworth]

Thanks, Tom. ....and talk about setting the bar high. This just might be the best little-girl-in-a-white-dress portrait that I've ever seen.