Tuesday, January 18, 2011

"Julie" Oil on canvas Portrait by Linda McCoy

Mother, daughter, sister, artist and now teacher. Congratulations Julie!


Julie was here for a visit with her children over the holiday. We went shopping one day to a place called “Charming Charlie’s.”  This store would satisfy anyone’s desire to go crazy with accessories. A mere twelve thousand square feet of necklaces, scarves, purses, earrings, leggings, and more.  Everything is arranged by color. I felt I was in the movie “Alice in Wonderland.”
 I’ve wanted to paint Julie for some time so when I spotted this necklace I thought “that might be fun to paint.”
So on went the necklace. Too big for Julie, but it was sparkly, and went she sat in the sunshine everything lit up, her face, hair and of course the too big necklace. When I went to paint it I toned down the lights on the necklace and kept the colors cool, so the colors in the necklace didn’t overtake her face.
I had the not so brilliant idea that I would send the necklace around to women I know, have them pose in the necklace, and then mail it on to the next woman on the list.  You know, sort of like the “Sisters of the Traveling Pants” only this would be sisters of the traveling too big necklace.  I thought I would do a hundred or so of these paintings, and then some New York Gallery would trip over themselves to have a showing of the paintings of women in the necklace. Was I crazy? Suffering from delusions? Perhaps too much eggnog for the holiday?  I imagine that the logistics and trying to keep track of the thing would be an adventure in and of itself. (Where is it today? Chicago with Linda? Wisconsin with Marge? Scottsville  with Sharon? Back in Cincinnati with Rachel? No, it’s in New York with Geri who had to be tied to a chair to wear it.)  
Well I’ve already exhausted myself just thinking about it. So, here is the lovely Julie in the one and only painting of the necklace. Well maybe.



11"X14" Oil on canvas. For information about commission portraits, please contact me at lindamccoyart@live.com   Copyright 2011 Linda McCoy

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love this painting it's like you are staring right at her!

jennifer brashear said...

Wow! I think this is my all time favorite portrait I have seen of yours. You're smoking, girl!!