I have now made it a rule that I will take the last month of the year off from commissions, as much as possible, and make some paintings or drawings just for my own satisfaction. These might be strange ideas that have come to me that would just never be commissioned or revisions of previous artworks that I felt I could improve on.
Last December I returned to an old Leg Show illustration which I thought was a great idea but had always felt it did not hang together well and looked unfocussed.
There were too many elements vying for attention that I felt it needed recomposing and sorting out. So I asked the stunning Ms Rebecca Knox to pose for the profile one day when she was here in London.
So this is the revision. You may wonder why bother if it is already done – and half-way through I did to – but I do think it is an improvement on the original now. There are quite a few small changes but the most significant is the main light is on her face and human flower pot stand in the background is brought forward for contrast.
I found a buyer for the painting almost immediately.
Well, you choose which you prefer – both have their own qualities.
First of all, I’d like to say that once in a while it’s a real duty to yourself to take some time off and draw something that your Artist’s imagination conceives, out of the commissioned work…
The choice. Very difficult to choose… Both are the usual, masterpieces. The first one reflects more your “old” style, more brilliant and spectacular, while the new version is in your actual style, a bit more somber, perhaps, but with a deeper meaning… Here the light emphasizes the true character of the lady, less showy, with just a shadow of make-up on her face, but much more striking, because here’s a real woman, more than the public Goddess…
Excellent.
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Thanks very much for your considered comment. You understand the reasons why I redrew it and with a real person as a model it gained a veracity it didn’t have before.
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