When I started the painting, I worked first with the photo in Adobe PhotoShop where I changed the composition a bit, turned it into a black and white photo and then made a grid over it for an easy transfer to the canvas.
Once I got to my studio I prepared the canvas. I first painted it red which I do with most of my paintings to give the final painting a sense of warmth. (Red also adds an energy to a painting that I guess I am addicted to!) Then I marked a grid over the canvas with chalk and blocked the whole figure in with purples, blues and greens. Unfortunately, I did not take a photo of the painting in the early stages so you cannot see how ghastly it looked! But believe me--the colors were not flattering to Madelein!
But the colors were chosen for a reason--I wanted to be challenged! I wanted to see if I could actually bring life and energy into a dark, shadowy painting of a person. I wanted to see if color could be the vehicle of transformation.
This painting is 11 x 14", in acrylics and at this point is unfinished.
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