Shadow study

[Enzie Shahmiri]

Margaret, I love it! So rich looking and such a great expression!

[Margaret Ferguson]

Thank you Enzie, it was very kind of you to reply.
I thought I'd try another with a darker background

[Debra Norton]

Margaret, this is beautiful. I love softness of the shadowed side, and you've really made her look three dimensional. Very nice.

[Thomasin Dewhurst]

Margaret - I especially like the second one because with that one you have again moved forward with your seven-league boot strides! You controlled everything so well - this time looking at the model and the drawing with more intellectual detachment but without losing your energy and passion. Wonderful.

If you feel you can't give up this drawing to a gallery just start another one and you'll soon find your affections with attach themselves to the new work, and then you can take this one (and others) to the gallery. I definitely think you should approach a gallery with your work!

[Margaret Ferguson]

Thank you so much, particularly Thomasin. for your helpful comments.
It's a greater leap than I'd expected, going from hobbyist to selling work, lots of emotions attached (I'm just lucky it's not my main source of income!)
I'm going to the Pastel Society in London in 2 weeks, can't wait; I'll be meeting so many other pastelists and hope to learn greatly from the experience.
Thank you again, I feel very much encouraged
Margaret

[Alexandra Tyng]

Margaret,

I especially like the second one because of the way you controlled the planes of the face and the transition of forehead into her hair. Also, the eyes are extraordinary. I admire the lighting in your recent pieces; the light strikes the eyes at a certain angle, enters the iris, and reflects back on the opposite side with incredible luminosity. I think your portraits would sell very well in a gallery because they speak to the viewer so powerfully. You don't have to know these people to connect with them.

[Allan Rahbek]

Margaret,
I like the drawing in the frontal head, especially the lost and soft edges. Both paintings are strong emotional portraits with lovely color.
You should go ahead with the gallery thought.