Joy at 19

Delightfully, sweet daughter Joy agreed to pose for me yesterday. I started with a quick sketch on a toned canvas, just to make sure the eyes, nose, mouth, and hair were all in the right places, more or less. They were a little less than more, but the general idea was there.


Then, as I started applying color, the shape of the face became more defined. The eyes, nose, and mouth all found their way to the right part of the face, too. At this point, it was getting late, and Joy was tired of sitting...maybe I should say tired of sitting still...so I took a few reference photos to finish the portrait later.....


....which I did this afternoon.

This was one of those paintings that I dreamed about in the night, so finishing it was easier than some of the other paintings I've done. I don't know why that happens sometimes, the dreaming, I mean. (?) Why do some paintings flow, and others languish in painter's purgatory? It's a mystery. Funny thing, though, just a week or two ago Joy posed for me. That painting (on this exact same canvas) was so horrifying that I wiped it off before anyone could see it.


Joy is happy with this portrait, as am I. It's always a huge plus when the subject of the portrait likes the finished work. It's a 14" x 18" oil on linen.