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Terri, congratulations on a very successful switch in media - I love the way you're approaching this! It's just beautiful, and the softness of the oils enhances your natural expressiveness. Your painterly style comes through with flying colors.
On to the picture at hand - there's something about the painting that makes the child look a little older and doesn't quite capture all of the sweetness and shyness that comes out in the photo. I opened up both your latest version of the painting and the reference photo side by side and can look at them simultaneously. (Didn't know I could do that!) It makes comparisons a lot easier. I think the main difference is in her left (our right) eyebrow; you have it a bit too pronounced and also coming downward a bit too much toward her nose, which gives her a more sophisticated look. Also her lower lip should be slightly fuller and should come out closer to the dip between cheek and chin on her right (our left). Her teeth are also less even in the photo and her front right tooth (our left) is larger and more prominent in real life. And lastly her left (our right) eye seems to be a bit more wide open - that is, higher in the vertical dimension - than you have it. These are very picky but one of the things I struggle with at times is the accurate depiction of age in children; it's so easy to get it slightly off and have a four year old look six or seven, and so I really focus in on this aspect of a painting.
Can't wait to see more!
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