Complicity
 

Just finished. This is 24x30", Oil on Canvas

It's beautifully painted, Terri...

--T

Hey, it's great, Terri! To think we were both working on husband-wife teams at the same time. With pink and blue clothing, too. Hmm, I wonder if there was some extrasensory stuff going on between us? Their expressions are so wonderful. I can really feel their personalities. Can you tell us any background? I'd love to see some more closeups, too!

Meet the folks. . .
 

Hi Tom -- Thanks! :sunnysmil

Thanks Alex! These are my parents. . . Mom's been after me to paint them for a few years now, but I kept holding her off, fearing that whatever I did wouldn't quite please her. :bewildere . . . didn't want to portray them stiff and formal, they've got such dynamics between them. Came up with this interactive, casual set up as a way to highlight their relationship and make the portrait more interactive. Thought it was just so funny when you posted yours last week and there was that same gathered round the table, wife with direct gaze/husband not, sense of longstanding familiarity and affinity to it-- and yes even with the blue and the pink!

Hi Terri-
I loved this when I saw it on the onlineartists forum. Beautiful finish! I love the sense of their personalities and relationship. Especially like your mom's gaze towards the viewer.

Very nice Terri!
There's so many love and complicity in the eyes. In the begining I kept looking at the woman, having a strange feeling, hard to describe, something very intimate...
Now I know it's your mother, I understand. She was looking at YOU, the painter and her daughter.
It's not a portrait of a couple, It's a portrait of parents with the presence of their daughter.
There's a depth of feelings here, a sort of " mise en ab

Dear Terri,

This is just super, and a favorite of mine. You know, we can tell who they are talking about,.... YOU! They've got to be proud.

Garth

Hi Terri,
I see so much going on here :) . Both their expressions are priceless.
The skin tones and lighting are superb.
Gorgeous work!
Jerome

Julie-- Thanks so much! That 'look' is so characteristic of Mom, I had to have it in there. :sunnysmil

Marina-- Thanks so much for all the nice comments! This one especially struck me. . . Thought I was painting how I saw them and their relationship, but you're right, I think, that the interaction with me is part of it too. Hadn't thought of it that way before.

Thanks Garth! (Though as I recall, Mom was teasing Dad about something and thought she was being rather funny. . .)

Garth (Jerome) Thanks!

Terri,

I've enjoyed starring at this. What a nice gift to yourself.

I'm with Tom: beautifully painted.

This is beautiful, Terri.
Painted for you and for them: a perfect motivation to achieve those high standards.
Congratulations
Ilaria

Dear Terri,

You have done such a lovely job with this portrait - especially the soft transitions in color and value - thanks for posting the hand detail!

Mike, Michele, Ilaria & Chris -- Thank you all! :sunnysmil

Beautiful work, Terri.

I just went to your site and discovered your in-progress photos of several paintings. Thanks for that.

Terri, this is a wonderful portrait - executed with your inimitable style! I can't imagine your mother would have any nitpicks! ;)

Terri,

I saw this late last night but didn't have time to write. Now that I have the time and have read the other posts I have so little to add except to ditto others and proclaim it as beautiful.

Your family must be so proud and moved. You must too.

Terri, I always look forward to seeing your work. Thank you.

Hi Jeff :-) Thank you! I find most people really enjoy watching their painting progress. A word of caution about the wips on my site. . . I had someone ask me once if I alternated warm and cool glazes because they felt there was a pattern of cool, then warm in whatever wip series they were looking at. Truth is, I'm usually taking those photos on the fly and sometimes forget to set the white balance on the camera (especially early on in a painting when am thinking big shapes and not subtleties of color :bewildere ) Any overall shifts in temperature = just the camera ;)

Thanks Cindy and John!

Teri, this is so nicely done - husband/wife portraits are among the toughest to do, in my opinion, and this one is very successful. I like this composition and the way the subjects connect and overlap. Congratulations!

Linda--thanks so much! :)

Terri,

As usual, a beautiful work of art! I love your paintings....

Thanks Enzie! :sunnysmil