Shirley Phelan Art

Not sure what to say about this guy. I got him blocked in quickly and thought he would be done fast, but that wasn't to be. The more I "tweaked" him, the more I got away from the original loose way he was painted to start. It took some time to get back there. I think he's done now.

I generally paint my portraits from photographs. Often these are black and white and I use whatever colors strike my fancy to communicate the highlights and darks of the person's skin tones. Since most of my subjects are long deceased, I don't get complaints. Painting people who are alive presents a challenge, because I want to capture their likeness, in case they actually see the painting. Painting people I know means that they definitely will. Painting people that I love me

I thought it was time to add a woman to my group. I found her image in an archive and immediately fell in love with her. She is young, but she is proud and strong, and She is beautiful. As I was finishing her the day before the election and the day after, I was inspired by the election of the first two Native American women to the House of Representatives. It is about time...and they will both make fantastic subjects for my continuing series. They will be the first living sub