Languor (full figure)

[Janel Maples]

I love this Linda. I went to your website to see the whole thing back when you posted the head in Unveilings. I've gone back to view it often. I really like how relaxed and comfortable the subject looks. I also really like the other seated nude you have on your site.

I am very interested in hearing about those "pitfalls" you mentioned above. Could you explain further what pits you fell into?

Thanks,

[Chris Saper]

Gorgeous!

I am lucky enough to have seen this original, and the color is both lush and subtle, not so easy to co-exist. Can youpost more detaiils?

Thanks for this great contribution to the new section.

[Linda Brandon]

Cynthia, I don't need as much help with this one - it's been done for a while and I can't stand the thought of going back to it - as I do with my next one.

Sharon, your current project sounds intriging but I'll bet you're wrong about the Shirley Temple allusion.

Janel, it seems to me that you have to have a certain amount of either passivity or detachment in the nude's manner in order for he/she to be "presentable". So it seems to me, on one hand, that you have to turn the gaze or the face, or both, away from the viewer. (Look how much trouble Manet got into with "Olympia".) Additionally you have to subdue the painterly line and emphasize the volume (Ingres) or emphasize the painterly line and subdue the volume (give me a minute to think about this one). If you have an energetic line and lush volume you get something that borders on vulgar, or at least something that makes people uncomfortable.

It's okay to make people uncomfortable, or at least it's okay with me for art to make people uncomfortable, but that's not within the scope of "classic nude", and anyway I'm not trying to make people uncomfortable.

That's my first problem. The second problem is that this painting is just too large and demands too much attention.

My third problem is that I started painting nudes to learn anatomy and the most interesting part for me so far has been painting skin, which is different from painting "anatomy".

Jimmie, Allan and Chris, thank you for your kind comments!

[Terri Ficenec]

Just beautiful Linda! The colors, the subtlety of the flesh tones, everything. I especially like how you captured the warm pink, almost translucentness of her fingers. . . and the natural relaxed-ness of her pose.

Was this painted from life?

[Michele Rushworth]

I love this painting, Linda!

[Linda Brandon]

There is a LANGUOR of the Life
More imminent than Pain -
'Tis Pain's successor - when the Soul
Has suffered all it can - A drowsiness diffuses -
A dimness like a Fog
Envelops Consciousness -
As Mists - obliterate a Crag. The Surgeon does not blanch at pain
His habit is severe -
But tell Him that it ceased to feel -
The Creature lying there - And he will tell you - skill is late -
A Mightier than He -
Has ministerd before Him -
There's no Vitality.

Emily Dickinson

[Garth Herrick]

Dear Linda,

This is such a decisive, strong, and poetic painting. The simple harmonious color theme gives clarity to the message of this highly original pose. This lovely figure beckons us to join her and reflect upon those challenges and tribulations we all face in life. I love crisp handling of this painting. It's a worthy, thoughtful, and wholesome addition to this new section of nudes. I'm glad we can see her as a complete and whole person now.

Garth

[Elizabeth Schott]

Linda in the nicest way... you have such a way with women! Beautiful!

[Jean Kelly]

I second Garth here, on this being a worthy addition to the nude section. I'm so glad to see this posted in full, it's a beautiful painting Linda.

Jean

[Linda Brandon]

Originally Posted by Terri Ficenec

Was this painted from life?

Terri, I sketched her face on paper, took some photos, and realized after I took the photos that I was getting some kind of photo distortion no matter how far away I placed my camera or what zoom I used. When I say 'distortion' I mean that she just didn't look the way I saw her with my eye - the photos tended to drain the S-curve energy I saw in the pose. So I sat down and read everything I could find about figure perspective. Basically, what you want to do is establish an eye level and look up at her head and hands and down at her feet. (I went to several museums last year and sketched lots of full-sized figurative works and confirmed for myself that this is what a lot of artists did.) I ended up reshooting the foot with another model and wrapped the shawl over Half Nelson, my stuffed long underwear model (I do this a lot) to get some life practice in with fabric folds. Sorry to be so long-winded.

Many thanks to everyone, including Percy, for the kind remarks - they are much appreciated.