Joanne
 

Hey guys! I know it's been a while. I'm sorry about that. :D I have been busy though. Here is one of the recent portraits I finished. It was starting to sink in a bit when I took the picture...but you get the idea. Ok enough excuses hehe.

Such strong visual impact this painting has...it has the power to hold the viewer

if you squint and stare at this painting it looks like your looking thru a keyhole
just thought that was interesting
an absolutely beautiful painting

Dear Jonathan,

I love this painting! It has elegance and power and restraint all wrapped up in one.

Would you mind posting some close -ups and extreme close-ups? What can you tell us about the painting of this woman -not just technically, but how you came to create this work?

Jonathan,
powerful and elegant, that's exactly the words which came to me when I watched your portrait.
Those 3 blue circles are fascinating!

I am always delightfully surprised when I show other artists my work. All of you are so perceptive. This is actually a painting of my mother-in-law. I wanted to wait to see what everyone thought before I posted that information. I am actually using this to build my portrait portfolio. We actually get along can you believe it?! She is actually full blood italian and was raised in New Jersey. She married a British man who grew up in South Africa. So she is a mingling of the fiery jersey girl and the proper british side. I actually told her when I finished the portrait, "To me you are like a wild mustang that has every appearance of a thoroughbred horse". We have a good relationship so I am able to make animal references without suffering for it heheh. There's also a joke about her around the house that she is the "queen". So all those ideas were wrapped up in this portrait. I am extremely happy that all of those things were conveyed. Thanks again for all your comments they are so encouraging.

This is 18 x 24 in oils of course

Here are the requested closeups:

Here's the last one as well:

Strong and arresting. I love the bold constrasts. One really gets a feel for this lady's personality. Wonderful brushwork too. So - when are you entering it into a contest?

Jonathon, all the attributes you have given to her are apparent in this piece. I like it a lot as well and find it a captivating portrait.

I also love the blouse she is wearing and how that material gives an added dimension, without distracting from her face. It is interesting to see that when you squint the garment and background merge into total darkness, making the portrait into a bust! Genius!

Adding my standing applause for this painting. It is wonderful and will make a very strong addition to your portfolio!

This is such a terrific painting. You wrote that you created this to build your portfolio. You're going to make a huge splash in the portrait market!

Hi Jonathan,

I'm so glad that you post some new work!
Powerful.
Thank you for being yourself when you paint. This painting is great and strong because you don't forget who you are when you paint. Keep being yourself, be confident, and have fun :)

Oh, I have a question for you... It looks evident to me that you have been nurturing the desire of painting your model for a certain time before starting to actually paint her. Is it the case?

Have you had the occasion of painting someone that you don't know in a short delay (i.e. without having a lot of time to impregnate yourself of the future painting)?

I am asking this because I came to realize that I personnally need a LOT more time to nurture the image I have of someone and the will of painting him/her inside of me than for actually painting the portrait.

So I wondered if you felt the same?

Anyway, thank you again for sharing this inspiring piece!

Sincerely,

Karine

Beautiful job Jonathan.

The transparency of the blouse is beautifully handled. The face is elegant but riveting.

Jonathan, this is a terrific painting, intense and striking. I love your paint handling here and we get such a strong impression of your subject's personality. Thanks for the closeups, what a treat!

Jonathan -- this painting has such impact! Really impressive how strongly you've conveyed her strength of character -- a terrific addition to your portfolio!

Of course you won't believe this after the fact, but my first thought was that she was someone you knew well, but not your mother, so perhaps your mother-in-law. I love the impact of her face. It's so strong and beautifully painted.

A very nice hearty but subtle painting. Very good work.

Thanks for the great response everyone! I really appreciate all the kind words. I am definitely new to the portrait arena so it's good to hear positive feedback from professionals like all of you. I love painting portraits and I have learned a ton from just searching through this website. I know I will need more guidance with the business side of portrait commissions, but I definitely feel confident with the strong foundation of professional artists gathering here.

I wanted to answer some of the questions as well:

I have painted some individuals I didn't know or didn't like very much. It's much more difficult for me to connect to the individual and that is transferred to the canvas. Viewers don't know why they are bored with the portrait...but they are certainly bored with it. After creating a couple paintings like that I now spend a lot of time with individuals before I start painting them. When people come into my studio (even if I have painted them before) I spend about 20-30 minutes just talking with them and getting to know them better. Even if they aren't the nicest of individuals I can still find the good qualities in them and portray those. Even nasty individuals have qualities you can respect like ambition, confidence, etc...

When I was training models were sort of like cattle herded in every day so that we could have something "real" and "anatomical". We knew about their lives a little but there was no interplay between artist and model. I suppose training cannot be any other way, but I was happy when I finally had my own studio.

:) ....I don't know do you think it would have a chance of winning something? I see some pretty amazing portrait/figure paintings entered in contests. If you have any contest suggestions though perhaps I can enter it and see what happens. Thanks for the vote of confidence!


Thanks again everyone for the encouragement. I read each and every comment.

This is just fabulous...

Go for it!
 

Jonathan,

Why not give the competitions a try? This is a great piece and I think you will be pleased with the results if you enter. Maybe one regional portrait society, one national....

I wouldn't bother with general art society competitions unless the juror shows a prejudice towards realistic art and portraits specifically. Portraits have made a good showing lately in general exhibitions, but if you want good feedback for a portrait, enter a portrait competition. Better yet, enter several!

Wow those eyes just drive you in! Such dimension. Lovely painting.

Dianne

I agree with everyone's comments, a real prizewinner.
I can see her shining at competitions, she would dominate the room!
Very dramatic.