Family Portraits

This year I completed two family (or at least partial family) portraits.  In the first case I know the dad took part as the photographer.  In the second, I have my suspicions.  Thus, it’s thanks to them that the paintings exist.

“Joy” began with a Christmas visit with a former Pastor of Petersburg Lutheran Church and my suggestion that I’d sure like to use his beautiful daughters as painting subjects.  It took about one day for his wife, Ying, to send me photos from their family vacation in China.  I chose my favorite, taken indoors in what, by clever sleuthing, I figure was some kind of place to connect with wifi.  At the risk of divulging by secrets, the key clue was a sign behind them that said..WiFi — in English no less with Mandarin lettering above it..  For the background I decided to go with an outdoor theme so I chased Mike and one of his daughters from another photos and used that setting as a reference.

                                Joy   18 x 24 inches   Alkyd on Canvas

In case you’re curious about the title, Karen pointed out that their names are Ying (the mom) and daughters Olivia and Joy, the first letters of which can be arranged to spell…

“The Cheat” arrived as an email request from one of Karen’s cousins.  “Would I be willing to paint her daughter-in-law, granddaughter and their dog perhaps as an 8 x 10 inch painting”  Oh my, I’d need a magnifying glass to paint it that small.  “How about an 18 x 24 inch canvas?”  

The girls were playing the game “Sleeping Queens” with their golden retriever and it was obvious the dog was cheating.  If you see the painting up close the card stuck in the dog’s collar proves it.  In case you think I’m being overly untrusting, follow the pooch’s gaze.  See.  Now, I’m not sure I’m done with Leah, the granddaughter.  I’d love to paint a large portrait of her.  

Delight

Once again, I must confess, I painted two more portraits based on photographs from friend’s Facebook posts.  Unprincipled!  Unscrupulous!  Lacking respect!  Alas, I’m guilty as charged.  My only defense — how could any sane person resist the obvious delight of the “models”— Jilly and Brooke.  

I based Jilly on a photo by Grace Wolf, beginning it last summer.  I soon reached what I thought was the conclusion — except for the background.  I “high fived" myself for a job almost well done.  But wait!, what to do with the background seemed as elusive as an Ivory-billed woodpecker in Arkansas.

So, I photographed her and, with the aid of Adobe’s Photoshop Elements, created several picture packages — you know, the kind your 3rd-grade teacher gave you to take home for approval when your class pictures were passed out.  I hand colored each image with different background colors and themes.  Bingo!  My chief advisor, Karen, gave her approval for one concept.

Enter, fear!  What if…?  So I set Jilly up in my studio while I contemplated Karen's suggested background.  Months passed.  Finally, feeling unusually brave one day I dove in to finish the project.  YIKES!  I rubbed it out.  More time.  Finally, D day arrived and in two bold sessions, Jilly emerged.  Now, my number one and two critics, Karen and John McCabe said “NO, Jilly’s chin needs more work.”  Sigh!  More sessions, and as is my norm, once I modified one area, I ended up reworking her entire face.  “No!”  More sessions.  Karen suggested it might be my developing cataracts.  And then Karen proclaimed “Stop. Jilly is done.”

                                         Jilly    12x12 inches   Alkyd on Canvas  Private Collection

I didn’t have that kind of time for Brooke.  I had a deadline.  Her grandparents are moving out of Petersburg and handing it to them to deal with is so much easier than mailing art — the anxiety of wondering what creative way the postal service might find to convince me it was lost until, surprise, they delivered it. 

                                       Delight   12x12 inches   Alkyd on Canvas   Private Collection

Now, I’m delighted to say “Jilly" and “Delight” are out of my studio and, hopefully have found good homes.