Alla Prima Portrait: Smiling Jennifer (Oil, 21 x 15)

It was Punta Gorda VAC's portrait studio day. As usual in winter, we had two models. I went there kind of early this morning. Some of my fellow artists told me excitedly that one of the models was already fully dressed. I always like to have some drama in portrait posture, so I was happy to set up at the site where the dressed model was supposed to sit. When she showed up, it was such a disappointment to me that I immediately moved to the other site no matter who was going to pose for us there. The cause of my disappointment was the surprising fact that the lady dressed herself as a clown. I have to give her credit for the make-ups and the full dress she wore because her face was like a clown mask and it really didn't matter how she actually looked or even who sat there in her place. What I could remember now is the red dot she had on the tip of her nose like a piece of MM candy.

By the time I set up at the other site, the model arrived. It was Jennifer, daughter of one of our respected volunteers at the VAC library. As you could tell, Jennifer is lovely and loves smiling. She kept smiling even without us telling her jokes.