Naive elegance

Lisa Ober · 06-26-2005, 10:28 PM

Hello!

Well, this is my most recent pastel for fun (not for a client). My thinking was I would like to put a little color punch into the clothing of a pastel piece for a change and boy did I get more than I bargained for when I asked a new friend to pose in one of her saris. When she showed me the choices I was overwhelmed with the vivid colors and complicated designs. Good grief. In any case, this is what I ended up with. I'll wager this is the first time I have used vivid blue pastel in a decade.

I absolutely loved painting this. I think this woman is quite elegant and beautiful as is her kind, modest and gentle heart. In fact, I am working on an oil painting of her as well (in an even more intricate sari-oh my!)

20 X 24 on a home prepared surface using Golden's ground for pastels on hardboard. I did my best to get my photo to show proper color but I have lost some of the design on the sleeve somehow. In person it is a bit more visible.

Thank you for looking.

Note to Jimmie: I have about 30 minutes in this one.

Just kidding.

Enzie Shahmiri · 06-26-2005, 10:35 PM

Lisa, this gorgeous!

Mike McCarty · 06-26-2005, 10:38 PM

Lisa,

I would like to sub-contract any pastel work I get out to you. This is beautifully lit with a simple elegant pose.

Lisa Ober · 06-26-2005, 10:48 PM

Hi Enzie! Thank you very much. I really enjoyed this one-probably more than any pastel I have ever done.

Dear, dear, Mike, what are you trying to do? Make me smile? Hey, thank you so much. I am smiling. I am so happy to hear you like the lighting. I have been reading your advice and trying to apply it a step at a time to improve my work. You have been so helpful. It's funny how when you get some good lighting (which rarely happens to me) it makes painting easier and much more fun. Again, thank you.

Linda Eades Blackburn · 06-26-2005, 10:55 PM

A magnificent work! Would love to do some pastels, but don't have a clue how to approach this type of work. My pastel work looks primitive next to this. Hopefully I will learn from this site.

Linda Brandon · 06-26-2005, 11:04 PM

This is stunning, Lisa. Wow, do I wish I had painted this!

We are in parallel universes of some kind. Last week I got my hands on an incredible red sari with gold stripes and gold motifs.It has found its way into a new painting as a background drape (I had no idea a sari was such a long piece of cloth).

This is another terrific pastel!

Kimberly Dow · 06-26-2005, 11:10 PM

Wow!

This is just gorgeous. Stunning, Lisa!

Lisa Ober · 06-26-2005, 11:22 PM

Linda E. (so many Linda's), thank you for commenting so generously. I certainly wish I was a better oil painter. It seems to me with your talent that you can approach your pastels like you do oils and have great success. With pastel the differece is that your fingers become part of the brush. It's a real mess.

Linda B., I have no doubt you can do better than this but thank you very much. Aren't those sari's something? The oil I am painting has this girl in a red one as well! Too funny. It has gold threading throughout and leaves of deep teal and lavender. It looks like Fall and is so rich in color. It's quite a challenge to say the least. I wonder how you get these things on (not that I would try it). I think I would get stuck. They don't seem flattering for the larger figure type category I fit into anyway. Furthermore, do you know how heavy some of them are? I saw this woman's wedding sari and it was made of the heaviest fabric, almost like upholstery fabric. It's a wonder she didn't pass out wearing it. It had to have weighed 20 pounds at least and the wrap part (a technical term-lol) went on forever.

I look forward to seeing your background sari pattern. Thank you for a very thoughtful and encouraging response. I admire your work so much.

Heidi Maiers · 06-27-2005, 01:18 AM

Lisa,
Every last detail of this is absolutely gorgeous! The bold blue, the simple gradient background, and the exquisite portrait all complement each other perfectly.

Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco · 06-27-2005, 04:06 AM

Lisa, what a great piece of work! Is not only about the sari, it's just the look in those eyes that make it so powerful, the colours and lighting only add to the presence of this woman in the painting.
Great !
Ilaria