The Faces of Sara

Yellow Dress

One model, many styles 

 I am starting to understand better why artists have muses. There are some models from whom I always feel that I get a "good" painting (some models I cannot get a likeness or struggle with features). Sara is one of my muses as I typically like my painting results with her.

Sparkle

The yellow dress is her gown from Pakistan and it was gorgeous with grey edging and diamond-like sparkle. And, wonderfully, she had the large drop rhinestone earrings to match. This day I loved the calm that she projected from the modeling chair. I was happy with the results as I can tell where the light is coming from (left) and I like the bright dress and facial features. Next time I would move the head further down from the top of the canvas, it is a tad too close.

Standing Sparkle

I painted the Sparkle Portrait (right) with my art group. I love the sparkle and shine at the top of the dress and reflected in the earrings. I remember the light was odd, coming from bottom right (creating that under chin shadow). Initially I enjoyed this painting and thought it very successful. Yet when I keep looking at it, the shadow bothers me and I someday will repaint her I think. There are some artists who would rework/fix this piece, but I sometimes do not have success reworking a painting. I am not willing to risk losing this one, I would start with a new canvas.

First Topaz Painting

The standing pose is one that I painted at home, the photo  is from the same session (different View) as the portrait. We all agreed that all women should have clothes like these - just beautiful. Love the coral dress color, the sparkle, even the grey accent. And, I really worked hard to accurately reflect facial features. This face probably looks the most like our Sara model.

I love complementary colors in paintings. The first Topaz portrait (right) is from a session with the art group. I was happy with the head and the diagonal of the scarf. Keep in mind that art sessions lasts perhaps 2.5 hours so it is little time to record a lot of information. I was going to enter this into a show but decided I needed something with more interest (but I had already submitted the Title of the painting)! 

So, I reviewed my art session photos and chose another view to paint. 

The portrait on the left is taken from the right of the model as she faces left into the light. I liked the strong diagonals - hair, scarf, line of eyes, tip of nose and mouth. I intentionally tried to make this work loose and with visible brushwork. I love the background on this as I was reading about Robert Henri and noticing his background brushstrokes. The strokes aren't as strong as I would like,  background is baseline orange topped with big strokes of pink and blues. The three-quarter view of the face is hard to capture as there is a harder edge to the background side of the face (at least that is how it seems to me). I believe that the eyes and ear are successful. If I were to redo this I would work a little more on mouth and tip of nose. 

Eduring Grace

Lastly is my most recent Sara painting, by now you know that I love color! Wow! Loved this outfit of bright so very much! The flowers and background were easy to get in, the figure proportions and dress took more time. Again, I wanted to have loose brushwork. I completed everything but the hands and teacup at the art session. I have found that I often need to study the hands at home. Someday, I want to easily gesture in hands. Ah someday. This painting I am hoping to get juried into the Detroit Society of Women Painters and Sculptors May Show. In the last few months I've come to believe that my loose and less "finished"works may (just might) have more appeal than those which I overwork...