Portrait Sketch of a Woman

Oil on canvas, 16 x 12 inches (43 x 31 cm)

This is actually a pretty good likeness, but you'll have to take my word for it. The model looks a little too old in the portrait, and that is never a good thing.

I am discovering there are things to be learned from other artists in the open studios I go to. Some of the most accomplished artists do not paint on panels or stretched canvas, but rather they tape a rectangle of canvas to a board and paint on that. If you like the painting and want to display it you can then stretch the painted canvas, otherwise it can be stored in a drawer, taking up very little space. Here I was imitating a member of the group, Robert A. Johnson, who keeps the canvas ground very light, quite different from the medium-gray wood panels I have been using.