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The subject matter of most of my paintings has been figures, in some setting, mostly from my imagination. This is the first portrait that I have done in a long time. Geoffrey commissioned this 20″ x 24″, oil on canvas portrait as a surprise wedding anniversary gift for his wife, Marlya.

I stopped painting with oils for about 2 years. The smell of mineral spirits, used to thin the oils and clean brushes, made me feel ill. So, I experimented with other mediums – acrylics, watercolors, encaustics, textiles, and mixed media. But, I missed painting with oils. I decided to try water-soluble oil paints, which do not require the use of mineral spirits. I used a gift certificate from an art supply store, that I won for a photography award, to purchase some water-soluble oil paints. Shortly after that, I was asked to do this commission.

Working on this portrait was a change of pace for me. Even though I worked from a photo, it brought back memories of painting the models who posed for my art classes at the College of Charleston. It also reminded me that there is a difference between painting a person from my imagination and capturing a likeness of a real person.

I enjoyed working on this commission and I am pleased with the results. But, it was a challenge because my portraiture skills were a bit rusty and I was learning the nuances of working with a different type of oil paint. So I am going to do some practice portraits to keep up my skills, in the event that I have an opportunity to do other portrait commissions. I'll share some of my practice portraits in another post.