Slender, young, delicately beautiful Stephanie posed today at the Reno Portrait Society. She is tiny with elfin features that are dwarfed by her mass of dread-locked hair. She presented an interesting juxtaposition of the sweetness of her face with the tangled harshness of the matted hair.
I also spent a day at the easel with my oil paints doing this portrait practice with the intent in mind of capturing expression and something undefinable - perhaps about the character of the subject. This painting was hard work and I kept wanting to scrape it off but decided to go the whole way with it. Its an imposing presence in my studio while it sits drying on the easel. 14x18 oil on linen.
