Evelyn from Nebraska, part 3

Evelyn from Nebraska had so much energy in our photo shoot, that I could spend a long long time just painting her. I can't, of course, and for now the curtain comes down. Evelyn and I, I believe, share one more favorite picture, and I'll come back to that once my pulse slows down. There's an energy that I've discovered in painting, in art, of any kind, I suppose. It's a surge of ideas, a few hours awake before dawn, when I have finally given up on sleep and gone disheveled into my art room, which I dearly love. There's nothing quite like the calm that settles in when I slosh a brush of paint across a new sheet of watercolor paper. It's not high art. It's not for anyone but me. If I accidentally make a few people happy, then I'm thrilled. Why has it taken me so long to discover this? I can't answer that, but I'm grateful for a little time to continue.

Evelyn from Nebraska, part 2

Those of you addicted to expressionist art, as I am, know that portraits rarely show people as they appear--more as the artist feels about them. Irony is a strong component in expressionist art, and that's why attractive models, like Evelyn from Nebraska, are such a challenge. I feel a tinge of guilt about distorting and discoloring them. Still, Evelyn has proven to be a good sport, so here's Part 2 of my Evelyn studies (more distortion in studies to come):

Evelyn from Nebraska

Some of you may vaguely remember, if you happened to be reading my Facebook page, that a woman from Nebraska, named Evelyn, wanted me to do a portrait of her. Last week or was it two weeks ago, she drove with her family to Salt Lake City with the express purpose of doing a photo shoot from which I would extract one or several paintings. Needless to say, I felt the pressure. I didn't know Evelyn, and she didn't know me, but I soon discovered that she was one funny woman. There are more portraits to come, but I thought this one of Evelyn busting a gut, might be a good way to start. I discovered in the course of the shoot that sometimes her smiles had a slightly demonic grin, so I included that in this painting.