Astrid's Portrait - Venturing Out of My Comfort Zone - Part I

A new project to start the New Year is to paint my daughter's portrait. I actually started about a week ago and have got to this point. I've tried painting portraits many times before, but was never fully satisfied with the results. To me there's nothing harder than to do someone's portrait. I have no problem doing people or figures from my imagination. I also have no problem doing my own interpretation of famous deceased people like Jane Austen, but portraits of living people are a whole different and complex game. Yes, attention to detail and technical ability is advantageous, but the painter must also be able to render the intangible, such as personality, psychology, and atmosphere, all in respect to the person featured.

One of my New Year's resolutions is to venture out of my comfort zone and persevere until I'm "comfortable" with the results. I thought that my daughter Astrid (the love of my life - sorry Brian, you were moved to second place almost sixteen years ago), would be the ideal subject since I would never give up on her - therefore I'm much less likely to give up on her portrait. Also, I know her inside and out, giving me a distinct advantage with the intangible aspect of the portrait.

Start the New Year with me and see how her portrait turns out.