SOG Site Brings Governor's Commission

Michele Rushworth · 01-18-2005, 12:53 AM

Thanks for all your help, Garth!

Geary Wootten · 01-18-2005, 01:17 AM

YAY!!!

A big Congrats to you Michele. Wow, another FAMOUS neighbor across the pond! Bill Gates, now YOU! My goodness, this is so very exciting and most well deserved commission. Is this as "cloud nine" as Edgar? Probably more so I would imagine. Way to go!

~Geary

Ngaire Winwood · 01-23-2005, 07:55 AM

Congratulations Michelle, Wow, have you come down from the clouds yet? You should be very proud of yourself. What an experience and journey you are having, 2005 is certainly going to be a defining painting experience for you.

Now that you have all this new experience, don't forget to share it with us, your highs and lows and all the in between bits we could all learn from. The contract it self looks as though you could start your own volume with.

When you paint it, they will come....... or is it ... if you build it they will come..... either way ... you are where you are supposed to be. Well Done, I also would love to be a fly on the wall at your place.

Michele Rushworth · 02-11-2005, 01:26 AM

A few members had asked me to post a status update on this project.

The photos came out fine and I sent a few composites to "The Gov" for him to review. He chose one (the one I happened to like the most, too, as it turned out) and a few days ago I started painting.

I'm currently doing a head-and-shoulders study to show him. He has very clear ideas about the particular painterly look he wants for the portrait and I also want to get his approval on the color. Once the study is done and approved I'll paint the three quarter pose for the final portrait.

In the pose he selected he is standing, with his hands resting on the back of a chair which has the official seal of the State of Washington embossed into the leather. There is a high contrast ratio overall with most of the light coming from a tall window to the right, and a small amount of accent light from a window far across the room behind him to the left. The background will be fairly dark, with a deep red curtain hanging down along the right side of the image.

I'm having a good time with the brushwork and it's nice to paint a more rugged, manly face after painting so many sweet-faced little kids!