Housekeeping as inspiration, a surprising find...........

"Red Bows for Estefani"

On a recent trip to Florida for a wedding, I had anticipated spending any down time photographing the many birds the area has to offer, so a midst the daunting heat and humidity that any true blooded north westerner would consider oppressive, we (my husband and I) ventured out to do that; find me some birds.

As luck would have it, very near to our hotel was the local Audubon Society's Birds of Prey rehabilitation and visitor's center - (with grounds maintained voluntarily by Disney employee's no less!)  Needless to say, a beautifull location, I found inspiration every few feet wandering through the center, and have now on the back burner many more paintings with bald eagles, falcons, owls, etc.  They even had vultures to admire, and it was on our way home that right next to the road, as though awaiting the queue for a photo op, were several wild vultures enjoying a late morning snack of a not-so-lucky-armadillo.

When we arrived back at the hotel, it was time for the metamorphoses of oneself  in prep for the evening's pending nuptials.  As I ironed the dress I was about to don, a knock at the door produced the housekeeper ready to freshen our room.  In walks this striking little Dominican young lady who, as I steamed and pressed my way around the pleats of my dress, I thought to myself; "Geeze!  Wouldn't she be a great model for a painting!?"

Not one to be overtly bold, this shy artist bit the bullet and asked anyway, "Would she mind if I took a few pictures of her, I am an artist and would love to paint her someday", as I handed her my phone on which I had pulled up my website to prove my authenticity and alleviate any worries she may have had about me being some strange stalker.

After a brief explanation of my work, she very  graciously consented in her lovely Dominican accent, and I proceeded to flash away with my amateur  photography skills using my still-even-after-having-had-this-thing-for-a-long-time-now-way-too-fancy-for-me camera.

I had brought along my new book by my friend and artist Bev Jozwiak; "Painting Life with Life" .  I had suspected this book would do this and from the moment I had opened it, I knew it would have me re-inspired to paint a subject that has long been absent in my paintings; people.  I highly recommend this to anyone interested in watercolor, Bev is a fabulous teacher and this book is chocked full of her great work! (order at; www.chrisunwin.net)

So upon returning to the temperate pacific northwest, (why would anyone ever stay in such a hot/muggy climate???)  I began some simple sketches of my model.......with the end goal of doing a final painting in acrylic.  Not necessarily looking for an exact likeness, rather I was happy I was able to capture her essence (and happy I did not produce something that would be mistaken for an alien!).  

So far, have gotten some studies done of her in watercolor and using Bev's tips on skin tones, below you will see some of the graduated steps that I took to finish the piece.

I learned a lot in doing this, having been away from faces for so long, and am glad I did it because with my amateur photography skills, the shot I had (on the right), was completely void of any detail on the shadow side of her face, so I had to "make it up" as I went along - note to self; never a good idea.  And portraying the direction of her gaze (looking down) is always a hard one!  Oh well, next go at it, I won't use that shot, already have another one in mind......such is the learning curve for this artist....always the student!  

I am painting this with the paper at nearly vertical throughout, as this allows for those intentional drips and runs of paint that I love.  Starting with a cadmium red, burnt sienna, yellow ochre, and ultramarine blue I washed over the shadow side of her skin and hair, leaving where the light hits; the pure white of the paper.

Eyes and brows emerge using burnt sienna, and ultramarine blue. Manganese blue is also very lightly added to receding areas.

More washes of the same skin tone, and adding more manganese blue to temples, eye sockets, under nose, lip and chin, behind earlobe. 

Again, same washes but going a bit heavier on the cadmium red side at cheeks, forehead, nose, lips and ears.  A warm mix of burnt sienna, alizarin crimson, and ultramarine blue is used for nostrils and corners of the mouth, ears.

Hair and background; done using all these same colors as used in her face, just darker values, the background is done directly adding one wet color next to the other, letting some of the paint run with the help of a water spritz or two.  
Hair is many layers of glazing and dry brushing.

The bow is cadmium red - lots of thick pigment barely watered down and alizarin crimson and some ultramarine blue in the shadowed areas. Her uniform; same color mixes, just lighter values this time.

"Red Bows for Estefani"

Finishing this up was just a matter of bringing up the overall values to the point where I thought it looked best, tweaking it here and there as I went.  I could spend an eternity doing this but, 
I think it is important to stop at some point and just let the piece speak as it is.  

I hope I have done this pretty lady justice and she is pleased with what is a first, of several pieces I plan to do which include the essence of her gorgeous face.