22 x 17”
Watercolor on Saunders Waterford 140# Rough
One of the great joys of being a portrait artist is to paint the people whom I love especially for myself. Robin started out like so many paintings had been, with initial excitement that faded gradually to finishin something that "just looked like all my other portraits”. But Robin was special; I couldn't just do the same old thing, not with her. So I climbed the stairs to my studio, resolved to change things up. I grabbed my paint brush, slapped in hot reds and pinks that felt like her, then painted in the dark background just as forcefully, all right over the top of the unremarkable realistic background. Then I worked with her wonderful halo of hair until it fit just right.
It took a good friend to pull me out of my quagmire of predictability, but, boy, did she really do it! She was awarded the $1200 Purchase Award (Best of Show) at the 2016 Tennessee Watercolor Society Biennial Juried Exhibition, my second-ever Best of Show!
SW triad w/cadmium red, quinacridone rose. Strong T composition, Vertical format. Permission to paint & post on internet obtained.
