Three new portraits

Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco · 06-02-2005, 05:28 PM

Allan, Mike, Chris, Julie, thank you so much for your comments.

This is the third time recently that I struggle with these set of three children, same but different. Maybe this is the time when I handled it better, and it was the time when I really ignored the concern and just went for the portraits ( you can judge for yourselves,http://forum.portraitartist.com/showthread.php?t=4367 and http://forum.portraitartist.com/showthread.php?t=5620).

These works are a bit of a turning point for me. I have been followed by a tutor in the past months, and she helped me improve very much as well as practically putting me out of business: she pushed me so much to work live that I found myself sometimes unable to work from photographs anymore!

In fact I have really enjoyed establishing a relationships with these young people, it was really fun, and I was surprised by how well they have handled sitting for me. Starting from photographs was actually useful, as I didn't have worries about the placement of features, and they did not need to sit perfectly still.

I made the decision to try to work live as much as I can so that the painting will show the relationship between me and the model, maybe soon I'll just leave my safety device (camera) at home.
Also for the first time I was satisfied enough as to challenge the mother's unsatisfaction on the girl's painting and somehow managed to talk her into liking it.

As, I think, all of us, I have ups and downs on my art; this is an up and I will enjoy it as long as it lasts!
Thank you again very much for viewing and making your comments

Ilaria

Sharon Knettell · 06-02-2005, 07:00 PM

Ilaria,

You have done a wonderful job with these. They are painted boldly with a fresh approach to children's portraiture. I love the hands as well.

Beautifully done and fun to look at.

Garth Herrick · 06-02-2005, 08:05 PM

Dear Ilaria,

I am speechless with wonder at these sparkilng portraits! I followed your links and realized how wonderfully you have evolved in your very personal style and vision over the past year. I cannot imagine a better trio of portraits. I had this same thought last year, and look what happened! Bravo!

Garth

Jan Keeling · 06-03-2005, 02:31 AM

All three are splendid, Ilaria. I can't imagine what the mother would have objected to on the girl's portrait. I am curious: how did you talk her into liking it? A useful skill, although it must not have been TOO difficult since the portrait is so beautiful.

Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco · 06-03-2005, 04:09 AM

I am moved by all this praise, your appreciation matters so much to me. Sharon, I am honoured you like them, Garth your words filled me with joy, I now feel the responsability to work more and more and raise my standards in every work.

Jan thank you very much as well for your comments. That's the story of the girl: on the first day she was really tough, I hate this, I hate that, don't touch my hair and so on. The second time all of a sudden she changed and was tame: we started talking, I told her stories, we became friends. What happened is that the mother did not find that challenging look the girl puts up in THEIR relationship and she was puzzled. I decided, instead of doing the usual coward thing I did before, which is trying to change the portrait and please the client, to take a firm stand. I said that to me the girl was really sweet, that maybe the sweetness she sometimes hid, this time she wanted to show, and that I could not paint an attitude that was not there. In brief, I posed as the-great-artist-who-does-you-the-favour-of-painting and it worked.
This was a lesson for me: to stand strongly behind your work, if you show doubt these control freak mums (this category includes me) will just eat you up. Also is good quoting the appreciation of other people who saw the portrait in the studio ( great experts);I said that I liked so much the painting that I was not sure I wanted to give it away, thus reinforcing the point that the painting is MINE and not hers, even if she has paid for it.
Treat'em badly and they'll love you?!
Ilaria

Jan Keeling · 06-03-2005, 11:01 AM

Thanks so much for the story, Ilaria, I think it has some great lessons in it. It is going to be of great help to me, I know. And I'm glad you have found this new strength in your career.