South Africa: The Other Twin

 This painting is the second in my series of paintings inspired by South Africa.  After searching through all of my photos from my trip to South Africa I finally found the one I was looking for: a strong reference photo of the twin sister. Even though painting the first twin (see earlier posts) was such a pleasure and challenge for me, I somehow felt like I wasn't really finished until I did a portrait of her sister. She could not be ignored since she was the other half of the story.

The minute I started this second painting it brought back memories of that warm day in March (South Africa's early Autumn) when we were invited to their family birthday party and treated as honored guests. It was late in the day. The soft light was beautiful. There was anticipation in the air. Everyone was waiting for the birthday girls to arrive. I had no idea what to expect and assumed they would look like everyone else who was there, dressed nicely and ready to party.When the young women arrived, modeling  incredibly detailed, colorful costumes, it was breathtaking. Their contrasting colors enhanced the scene. I was not expecting this. It was enchanting.