Painting Women - A Portrait of A Lady

Painting women is one of my passions - whether I am painting faces, figures or a full portrait.  Over the years, I have focused mainly on painting women's faces, but over time my artwork has evolved into portraits of women including body and form.

Famous Artists - Body & Form

Most often i paint from my mind's eye but I am also inspired by artists of the past especially Frida Khalo, Georgia O'Keeffe, Henri Matisse, and John Singer Sargent. I think their personal life stories and how they approached their art is unique and fascinating.

I just finished a portrait painting of a woman today - "The Lady" 24in x 20in x 1/2in (D) on staple back canvas.

It was inspired by Madame X by John Singer Sargent, I love the dress she wore and I love the story behind this painting - both were ostracized for the artwork when it was exhibited in Paris in 1884. The entire story behind her portrait, the naming of the artwork and how it impacted both of them and their life was remarkable - all because her ear was rosy and the strap of her dress was falling off her shoulder. The entire piece was considered risqué.

The Lady Painting of a Woman

This is my painting of The Lady - it was a personal challenge to do a portrait and a profile view. I know I will be doing more studies on women's form and side portraits as I continue to paint.

My main focus when painting people is on the shadows (darks versus lights) and proportions while staying true to my own unique style.

Originally this artwork had a green background but after careful reflection I changed it to a deep rich midnight blue while allowing some of the green to show through. To make the lady pop off the canvas I outlined part of her in white.

I outlined some of her hair, her dress and her earring in gold and on the canvas prior to the first paint layer (after a layer of gesso) I added Liquitex Acrylic Molding paste onto areas of the canvas. Molding paste adds another layer of depth and texture to the piece.

Happy painting!