The Ford (George "Frolic" Weymouth)

[Chris Saper]

Congratulations - what an honor! I very much enjoyed hearing you describe your research, and your approach to executing this piece!

[Alexandra Tyng]

Ilaria, Linda, Tom, Thomasin, Marina and Chris--thank you! I really appreciate your kind words and your support.

Thomasin, I am interested to know you think I've described the weather. That is an unexpected factor, since I was concentrating on the colors and textures of the winter landscape. It was pure pleasure (in spite of the mud) painting the Pennsylvania woods in winter. I have been wanting to paint those colors and see if I could describe the structures of the trees and branches at different levels of distance.

It just so happened that the dog walked into a photo session and sat just like that, as if she were posing! I immediately realized her brindle coloring would work perfectly against the dead leaves in the setting, and that she provided a secondary focal point towards the right in the portrait. Fortuitous!

Just in case anyone is interested, I used a combination of sources: landscape painted on-site; head study from life, outside, in the same light; charcoal drawings of Mr. Weymouth from different directions; and digital photos of him and the setting.

[SB Wang]

Nice design, may better than another Georgr W:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...e_Delaware.png

[Carlos Ygoa]

Great work, Alex! The way you

[Alexandra Tyng]

SB, I've heard that the 17th century George Weymouth wasn't known for being nice. Fortunately the man I painted is just the opposite.

Carlos, thank you! I enjoy putting all the references together. Often my paintings develop that way. It would be great if you could get to the PSA conference some year--I know there are a lot of forum members from all over, including myself, who would like to meet you.

[SB Wang]

Alex:
A good example of symbolism.
If the dog weren't there, what would you have done for the design?

[Nancy Bea Miller]

Alex, this is wonderful! I love how you captured the subtle colors of the woods in the dormant season. The setting is so completely appropriate for a portrait of someone as closely aligned with the Brandywine school of painting as is Mr. Weymouth. The brindle greyhound is an especially charming touch!

[Enzie Shahmiri]

Alex, what a beautiful painting! I wish I could have attended the conference and met you all in person, seen the beautiful work on hand and listened to the presentations.

[Alexandra Tyng]

SB, I believe the dog was meant to be there! (So I can't contemplate what I would have done if it weren't there.)

NB, thank you so much! It's nice to see you on the forum once in a while. Glad you like the painting. You can come over and see it in person while it's still here. We can have a cup of tea, too.

Enzie, thanks very much, and I do hope you will get to the conference one of these years.

[Patricia Joyce]

Alex,
What an interesting and arresting piece. i love the composition and the color balance between the scarf and the sky. I wish I could have heard your presentation, too. I also enjoy seeing your brushwork, it looks effortless...so lovely