PORTRAIT OF ALEENE

I've been working on this oil portrait of a woman called Aleene Koontz.  She is a Cherokee Elder from Choctaw, Oklahoma.  She's been sitting for my Portrait Drawing class at the Fine Arts Institute for the last 5 weeks.  The students in the class have been drawing, but I decided to demonstrate the process of painting, starting with a refined drawing on the canvas and the subsequent development of the painting into the underpainting, which is what this photo illustrates. The bit of paint in the middle between the eyes is the beginning of the form painting, which is the final phase.  I'll post my progress as I continue to work it out. (The unfinished bit in the lower right corner is not intentionally left undone - I do plan to finish that part when Aleene sits for me again!)

Roger Lawrence, a student in my class provided the photographs in this post.  Aleene is posing and I am demonstrating.  Aleene is a delightful individual and a terrific model.  And she is BEAUTIFUL!  Thanks for the photos Roger!