Portrait of Bonnie

Painting a spouse can be a scary endeavor.  Bonnie is not only my biggest supporter, but also my harshest critic (which has benefited my work greatly over our 10 years of marriage).  So trying to capture her likeness, nuanced expression and personality was daunting...that's why this has taken me two years to complete.

This painting was inspired by a visit to Cà d'Zan, a beautiful mansion in Sarasota, FL where John Ringling (from "Ringling Bros" fame) lived with his wife, Mable, in the early part of the 20th century.  There was a great portrait of Mable in their vast living room and I realized that my own bride should be immortalized in paint. 

Here are some process shots and the finished piece which also features our cat, Penelope.