Poetry Porch

 Poetry Porch
oil on board 18 x 24"

On a beautiful day some time ago I was walking near the park and there was a couple sitting on their huge front porch.  The man was reading the newspaper out loud to the woman who sat attentively listening.  The romantic in me changed the newspaper to a book of poetry and this painting was born in my mind.  A self-portrait I guess, but not really because:  1.  I don't wear long dresses when I walk, and 2.  My dog looks nothing like the dog in the painting.

I changed the couple to a group of women because as you know I am more a painter of the female figure vs the male for no other reason than they are easier for me.  I am a woman, I was raised by a woman, I grew up surrounded by women, so my recurring subject of women makes sense.

I hope you all are well and have a wonderful weekend!

♥ Lisa

A Background Story About Jade

Jade
acrylic on wood panel
2013

When I painted Jade back in 2013, I used an image of Whistler's Arrangement in Grey: Portrait of the Painter as my guide for color.  However, as you can see  when comparing the image below I didn't stick to the plan as my painting is far more green.  The image of the girl is a loose rendering from a photo of my aunt at the age of 14.  I was not trying to capture my aunt, I just wanted her pose and Whistler's colors, but in the end it did seem to capture her somewhat.

Arrangement in Grey:  Portrait of the Painter
James McNeill Whistler
scanned image from Whistler by Frances Spalding

 I almost sold my painting, but after having it around for a while decided it was best to keep it.  There was just something too special about it for me.  It now hangs in the entryway of our house along with a vintage find and an old photo of my grandparents and other Missouri mining workers and wives in 1930.  My aunt was the one who gave me that photo years ago and I had it professionally framed for my mother who kept it until she passed away last July.  Our new-to-us old house was also built in 1930 which adds to the meaning of this old picture.

The images that greet you at our house
2015

photo detail

My grandparents are the couple on the left, and the couple on the right are my great aunt and uncle I am told, though I never met them.  

The inspiration for Jade
AKA Mary Imogene

Wasn't she a pretty girl?