FreeBird

Oil on Linen ACM
Inspiration: The lady of shallot by Tennyson. The story has been told many times. The film the Red Shoes, also has the same narrative. If an artist falls in love and leaves the studio or what they create to be with their lover, husband etc, that will be the death of them. In the poem by Tennyson, she dies searching for Lancelot in her canoe leaving her studio where she was the boomer of tapestries. In The Red Shoes, the ballet dancer dies at the end running down to the stairs to give up dancing for her lover. I always feel that as a painter, we need to be free to stay in the studio to create. If you pick the wrong person, that can all change. She has red hair like the lady of Shallot and her vest is like feathers of a bird hair being rhythmic to that. The Bohemian theme is based on my series Bohemian Spirits. I also wanted a west coast or western feeling of style and colors and the idea of early morning in back of her. it is suggested she may be in a landscape., a renaissance theme.
Process: Using my model Allie again, she had the wardrobe, I had the camera and lights ready to capture her when she had a deep intense but soulful expression. I always direct the model like in a film...which was my background. I have painted her so often from life, so I always start with a design and a drawing to nail the emotion I want to express to the viewer. The most important thing to me is that it has human presence in a natural way.