An Old Soul

This painting has been through many transformations.  I started it last fall and I just couldn't get it to work.  I loved her face and hair, but I just didn't like anything else about her.  Just like my last painting it sat in the kitchen for months and then went down to the basement for awhile and then made its way back to the kitchen to be finished.  She started out with golds and reds, probably because I started it in the fall, but  that didn't feel right.  So then  she was in very bright colors, pinks, oranges, lime greens and that felt too bright for her.  I literally peeled layers of paint off of the background and what came through was some nice old colors with just hints of brighter colors.  I then added some small bright colored pieces of painted tea bags and coffee filters and painted some brown over her bright pink dress to knock the color down and things started to feel much better.  It has the feeling of something which is old,  but still beautiful to look at.