This is the second portrait of Jade that I just completed. I really wanted to paint a pregnant woman. They are truly beautiful and I wanted to try to capture that. At the same time I also wanted to imbue a tension or almost apprehension in the piece....I wanted the concept of waiting to be obvious but also subtle...could she also be waiting for something or someone else besides the baby?
You probably can't tell, but she is in the elevator of her building where she lives. There was a mirror on the wall on the left but it was creating weird shapes and I found it distracting. I would rather create a bit of interest with the texture and brushstrokes than have a shape that is annoying in there. Besides, I wanted more "weight", literally and figuratively on the right hand side with the figure. The railings in the elevator help to hopefully draw the eye in to Jade as well.
As usual, I like to ask questions within my work and encourage viewers to ask them as well. No offense to Anne Geddes, but you won't be seeing any paintings of children with halos of sunflower petals any time soon.
This piece is 24"x24", oil on wood panel. It took about 30 hours to complete I would guess.
"I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way--things I had no words for."
~Georgia O'Keefe
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