Chiara
 

This little oil study was done from a less-than-ideally lit antique shop in Florence, Italy. Somehow, I couldn't imagine painting my dear friend anywhere else. From this pose, she could take breaks to answer the phone, greet the occassional customer, then slip right back into position as fresh as the first time. Her right eye really does dip down - a fact I would minimiize in a formal portrait. Total time 2 hours. Oil on canvasboard. 12" x 9".