11:31 AM: after studying gaze 33 for 24 hours, it became clear that more work was needed. so back it went to the studio and i've been working on it since i arrived, a bit earlier than usual since we have a 1 pm meeting. here's where it's at as i clean my brushes and have a bite to eat.
although the basics remain the same, extensive but light and delicate work has been done on the face, neck, teeshirt and hat. as i mentioned yesterday, when the image is of a family member or friend, it's always a challenge to let go of any investment in verisimilitude. so far, so good, although i may have held back introducing more collaged elements, which i normally might have done at this stage. this painting is based on a photo i took of mikela just after our trip to australia, where we spent 10 days with an aboriginal clan in the outback, which would place it at about 1992.
in an unusual and rather bold, for me, move, i'm putting it out to the gallery that, if there are gallery clients who think they might want to commission a portrait in the style of the gaze series, they can do so with no obligation to purchase. right now i'm feeling that the entire series thus far, which has been based mostly vermeer prototypes, has been a warm-up exercise for portraits of living subjects.
below is a before and after.
