Girl by the Fire

This was drawn from a model before a hot fire in an otherwise unheated studio this past February. I fell in love with the light and over the course of several days this image emerged. Alas the photograph doesn't do it justice and because it was recently framed and the only image I had was taken on my iPhone. The actual image glows as if lit by fire from within. And that's what I've been searching for and to some extent achieving over the years of my work with pastels. Trying to discover and express the the heart and emotional life of the being I'm painting. I believe in the beauty of the human form and see in the nude great nobility and spiritual depth. A cause for honest celebration and deep appreciation.