This piece stays mostly true to the original black & white source photo, rendered in browns like sepia tone. As an earlier work, it lacks some of the polish and detail of later paintings, which is part of what I like about it. Though I’ve always regretted not putting more into the eye lashes in particular.

One aspect that has always resonated with me, is the three tiny tear-drop shapes that make up the nostrils and the corner of her mouth. They are a good representation my minimalist approach, the purity of shapes, and how in combination they can be just enough to perfectly convey an image or likeness. 

The rest of what I like about it is that it’s a portrait of my wife in our first year of marriage. I think she had just gotten this adorable pixie cut, and she was so gorgeous. I needed to capture that... and still enjoy that I get to look at this image every day.