Doctor's Family

Debra Jones · 05-25-2009, 04:28 PM

This is a promotion piece.
My friend the doctor and her husband are in the Washington DC area and I am hoping this piece will help encourage her friends to consider art for at the LEAST her practice, at best, some of their homes.

As a father's day gift we are conspiring on the piece. I will ship it when approved and hope we may stage an unveiling in July when she bring me out. A good vacation, and visit with friends and even a little art lesson or two for her kids, but to date it is my largest actual piece, 36x18"

My friend is, as usual, looking very wrong to me. Perhaps because I do know what she looks like. There will be amendments.

Natalie Hunsaker · 05-25-2009, 05:59 PM

Do you have a photo for drawing/value comparisons on your friend?

I love the composition--very unusual and creative. Even numbers are always tough and you handled them well.

Terri Ficenec · 05-25-2009, 09:23 PM

This is lovely!

I especially love how you've handled the youngest girl's hair and the expressions are so natural! Not as wild about the scarf on the older girl... on my monitor anyway it reads as very close to flesh color and somewhat confusing?

Overall, though, a unique and engaging piece!

Heidi Maiers · 05-26-2009, 09:26 PM

Interesting composition and really gorgeous Debra! Those kids are absolute morphs of their parents. I hope the father doesn't get wind that it's up for viewing here and ruin his father's day surprise. He's got to love it.

Debra Jones · 05-26-2009, 09:48 PM

It was all I could do not to post it on my facebook.
This is not on his list of "must read" sites, I am guessing.

I am waiting for my friend to be brutal with her own critique. I have a good photo with a slightly unusual expression and that is our problem. I would hate to have to get another pose, but there is something missing when I try to correct it.

I want to have her input that it looks wrong to her, and then I have a plan where to go... but if she LIKES it, I will leave it. As a mentor said, "Don't worry so much about what they really look like. Think about what they want to look like."
dj*

Debra Jones · 05-27-2009, 02:50 AM

Progress.
My friend has a real Lucille Ball sparkle. The reference has a very stifled smile. Like it is hard for her to contain a toothy grin, but she matches the mood of the others more.
She gave me enough clues that she likes the look of the original snapshot and I am working toward it.

I really hesitate to post the reference. It is sort of direct representation, but I am working from a lot of shots that show different aspects. When I come up against a client problem that I can't quite get a handle on, I will ask for some comparison suggestions.

At any rate, it is dry enough that I will work a bit on the hair and clothing tomorrow. I need to dry it for the two weeks before Father's Day as I am going to ship it back and do final tweaks there in July. Want to finish as fast as I can so it will benefit from this LOVELY lack of humidity!!
d*

Debra Jones · 05-27-2009, 11:25 AM

Photos in daylight!
I do too much work at night. I find the painting is not so off, but the photos are horrible to adjust. Now the daylight looks a bit blue, but monitor to monitor one never knows. The proportions are closer, as they are more vertical, being able to get farther back than indoors with less distortion. Her skin tones have become more translucent and cool. Probably not so blue was what I see. It was underpainted in Burt Sienna so it may be somewhere in the middle of these two color samples.

Debra Jones · 05-27-2009, 04:11 PM

This is keeping me from going nuts. I am waiting for my mother to tell me the results of some biopsies today. Last time it took four hours and they said they needed more tests. I am trying to keep busy.

All this hair is a blessing.

Feeling better about the scarf and trying to regiment the hair.
(This photo needs a bit more pink... ah well!)

Carol Norton · 05-27-2009, 10:49 PM

Debra, I do have a suggestion. .... Keep your doubts to yourself. Let your friend decide. Don't front-load her with doubts.

Be confident of your incredible talent and ability and just fricken ship it to her. It is a beautiful portrait. Try just keeping quiet. I guarantee that she will have her own opinion that you can deal with later and you are very capable of dealing with any changes - if any. If you give her YOUR doubts, SHE will have too much information that she doesn't have the ability that you have to deal with.

Your friend,
Anna Freud...AKA Carol Norton

Debra Jones · 05-27-2009, 11:00 PM

Carol, you sweetie!
The deal is:
I have been waiting to hear about my Mom and she just called and has cancer in the lung, something undetermined in the liver and two more days of tests.
I was painting to keep from hitting my head against the wall.

My friend the doctor, not only talked me down, she is sending money for a matching portrait of her Airedales and airline tickets for later this summer. The girls love themselves, MOM loves her new look, I am way too happy while doing my whirling dervish thing. Like drugs, when I get painting it is painful to stop. It means I have to think.

Started it on Saturday. Done on Wednesday. ONLY a friend would get that kind of service. Now I am on beating the hills for something else to do.

I will bring it to the SAL for critique on Tuesday.
dj*