Connie, 11" x 14"
 

I thought you might like to see a small study I did of a neighbor of mine who kindly offered to model for my portrait class. She teaches Hawaiian dance and I asked her to come in costume. She even danced for the class, which everyone enjoyed. I didn't have much time to work on this, so I finishd the Lei and dress from a photo at home, but the rest was done as a demo for class.

Wow Alexandra, this is lovely and very finished looking! I love the flowers around the neck, and the great and subtle variations you have in your skintones. :) Can you tell a bit about how long you painted, what it is on, etc?

Exceptionally beautiful. This is really one to come back to, again and again.

David

Yum, Alex! I love the lush color harmony and the design of this painting!

That is a great painting, Alexandra, I can learn so much from it! I wish my paintings were as loose, yet accurate as yours!

Bob

Thank you, Michael, David, Chris and Bob! This just happened to be a tad better than the usual dud.

I really am not sure how much time I actually spent on it. She posed for a total of about 8 hours, so I'm estimating I got about two hours total time to work on this, but as I said that doesn't include the dress and flowers which I roughly blocked in from life and finished later from a photo. Usually my students are so impatient to start painting that they don't want to stand around watching me do a demo.

It's oil on linen, toned with umber, black and white.

This is lovely Alexandra! I especially love the wishful look she has. I'll bet she would have rather been in Hawaii than hold still... LOL

It's lovely, Alex and lively, you even got the Hawaii'n sunset included.

Thanks, Enzie! Connie has such expressive eyes. Sometimes she looks elfin to me.

Ha! Allan, I should have known that, if I posted a portrait sketch from life, you would spot the incidental odd blooper and give it a relevant symbolic meaning! Now I can say it was intentional. :sunnysmil

Remember the kiss?
http://forum.portraitartist.com/showthread.php?t=6825

I do remember. :)
Every artwork should be personally kissed, all of yours certainly are.

I love the fresh lushness of this, Alex - there's an interesting juxaposition with what I read to be the wistful look in her eyes.

I love it, Alex, especially the little cool light from the back, it puts her somewhere into a real space.
Ilaria

What fun, Alex! The skintones, background and flowers all work so well together.

Sorry I didn't see these before--they didn't come p on my e-mails so I never checked the thread. Thank you all, Sharon, Linda, Allan, Ilaria, and Julie.

Then, would that all my efforts could get to look like your duds!

Alex, I

Carlos, thank you! I'm not sure really how much time it took. I'm just estimating. If I said more than two hours I might look like a bad teacher, painting when I should have been circulating around the room attending to my students (who are a great bunch, by the way). It might look more finished because I worked on the lower part later.

Very confident work, Alex. I especially like the flowers around the neck of her blouse. Beautifully done!

There is something in the contrast of those cheerful flowers and the melancholic look on her face that is irresistible to me... I keep having to take another look. It is so lovely!