Portrait Of A Little Girl

I can understand why some artists get hooked on doing children's portraits. American artist, Mary Cassatt,  is one of the first that comes to mind. She painted beauty, softness and innocence.

I feel fortunate each time I have the opportunity to paint a child's portrait. It's exciting every time. And in this instance, if you add to that a handmade blue dress lovingly sewn by her mother that is embellished with little white satin flowers handcrafted by her grandmother, it all becomes sentimental and lovely. In addition to that, I will go another layer deeper and tell you that her mother was painted in a portrait when she was a little girl and she sat in this same rocking chair. Another bit of family history in this painting is the buffet in the background - it was passed down from her great grandmother. History once again mixing with art and telling a story. I love it.

Now that I've drawn in her image with a thin layer of burnt sienna, I am ready to pull out the rest of my paints and get busy.  

  

Sofia

South Africa: Portrait #2

Enchanted II, oil on canvas, 16x20,
Rita Salazar Dickerson (c)2011

There is always a sense of relief when I get to this point in a painting. I've signed it and right now it feels done though I really won't be sure until I wait a couple of weeks and then go back and look at it again. The variety of textures and contrasts in this painting made the experience of working on it so enjoyable. My hope is that the interplay between this young woman's colorful, detailed costume and the rustic South African landscape will tell an entertaining story.

South Africa: The Bracelet And The Skirt

Ah, yes. The bracelet and the skirt were just as fun as I imagined them to be plus they had the effect I was hoping for. The skirt adds contrast and visually anchors down the fantastic yellow shawl; it also balances out her black hat and hair. And the bracelet simply enhances the entire outfit. But before I allowed myself to paint them, I had to do her right hand. Underneath her hand she is cupping a yellow flower that is attached to the shawl. This poses a bit of a problem for me because right now I feel like it is hard to read visually. (Or maybe I'm just tired.) I'm not sure I will keep it in the painting. I'll do the background first and then decide.  

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.

South Africa: Golden Grass

I've enjoyed every step of this painting and once I get to this point it seems extra special because I am seeing my vision become a reality. There will be a lot of last minute adjustments toward the end - but it is still exciting because the colors are in place and the mood has been set. It was early fall when I was there in March and so the tall, golden grasses  provided a perfect background that added texture and contrast  to her dramatic  costume. This grass, like everything else in the painting, has been more challenging than I thought it would be and I still feel like there's more to do. Yet, I am ready to move on to the final blank section of the canvas, her skirt.(Wait until you see it. It really completes her outfit.) I've been painting late into the night (sometimes I wish I didn't have to sleep) and enjoying every minute of it. This painting is so much fun!