Acrylics on canvas
69 x 35cm (2,5 cm deep)
I was happily working along on my small detail paintings, ready for my 4th one, when I read an Article about Sofie on NRK website a couple of weeks ago:
Sofie has lived in extreme pain the past 6 years, due to a failed shoulder operation. She has now struggled her way towards a better life, contradicting doctors and experts, refusing to give up. I met Sofie a couple of times, she’s a friend of a friend. She is one of those strong, full of life ladies, adventurous and fearless. I can only imagine the tip of the iceberg of what her journey has been, the pain, losing her job, friends and apartment, not being able to do any of those things that once she identified with as being her. I loved the photos that came with the article, by Patrick da Silva Sæther. Those strong eyes! I wanted to spend some time with that imagery, to honor Sofie, and people who go through identity shifting challenges in their lives, to see her, to see her spirit standing strong through an uphill that seems to never end. I spent some hours with the face and those eyes, to me they express that life lived, on the outskirts of what it used to be, working so hard towards quality of life, in spite of body and doctors telling her she can’t.
I chose to crop her face on purpose. The thin and long canvas, sort of squashing her face, the left side not quite making it into the painting, makes it feel a bit claustrophobic. Maybe it somehow mimics the feeling of being the same spirit as you always were, but now restrained by a body that no longer can do what it used to.
From my last detail portraits i have learnt a lot about sculpting the face, and I think this is my most challenging picture so far. Maybe because I also know the subject, this always makes it harder. But it is also one that i think I am most pleased with so far. I can see i have learnt stuff!
I added some “last subtle finishing touches” to the picture last night. This morning, in daylight, they were a bit less subtle, like the white highlight in her cheekbone, and I might go back to it at some point, smoothing it out a bit.
Detail of eyes
Detail of water reflection
In situ
What did i I learn:
- Never add finishing touches after dark. Always wait until daylight.
- The hair is somewhat rougher than the face. This creates a contrast that emphasizes the facial details, as well as the lines of the hair leading the eye from the edge and into the face.
- The dark color at the top is a mix of pthalo blue, paynes gray olive green, raw umber. I like it. It’s really dark but not black.
- Painting water reflection: great fun! it’s abstract and realistic at the same time! More of that!
Progress images:
Starting with skin color
Adding the shades in red oxide, olive green and raw umber
Bald lady! Face finished but no hair!