My friend Mary was gracious enough to let me paint a portrait of her. I took many pictures of her and didn't show her the picture or painting until I was completely finished. When Mary saw this portrait I was anxious and nervous for her reaction. She stared and stared at it, this made me really nervous. Finally, she told me that she expected to look at the portrait and see some sort of resemblance, she thought it might "sort of" look like her, but what she saw shocked her... because it look "exactly" like her. That was the greatest compliment she could have ever given me. As an artist, especially one that's pretty new at this, that was my goal.
There is something about her that I felt the need to capture on canvas; I couldn't exactly explain what it was, but when I saw the photo that I used for this painting, I knew I had found it. Mary has an inner light that shines through, she has a strength and a faith that inspires me.
Original Oil on canvas - 18" x 24"
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