Jamie

30″ x 24″
Oil on canvas

In 1994 I wanted to have ready subjects to paint before moving to Mexico City. Memorial Day was a great time to visit my sister and her daughters in Missouri. She lives in a rural community and we walked the country roads gathering wild flowers. The Queen Anne’s lace was abundant. The young girls were obliging and posed with all the straw hats I had brought. Children and young girls are my absolute favorite subject to paint. I chose to paint Jamie in full figure. Feet and hands are said to be very difficult to draw and paint. That is exactly why I try to include them in any paintings of people especially children. With children it is only natural to show them barefooted. The soft light airy look of the perfect mild spring weather was just the effect needed for this painting. Soft and loose does not mean sloppy. Loose does not mean that the figure is incorrectly drawn or out of control. Just because this is a painting it should not exclude it from being a true likeness. Jamie is the mother of two teenage daughters.