Daily Painting Portrait, "Ella at Three" In Progress

Detail of "Ella at Three" In Progress
16X12
Oil on Linen Panel

I know....are you sick of this yet? I am not happy with the photos I'm getting of the entire portrait, so I am only showing the detail one today. You can see I have painted the top of her dress and am ready to work on Paddington Bear and then her hands....and then her skirt and the rest of the chair...and then go back and tweak the background. Ella in real life is very fair and blond and blue eyed and soft as a sweet little three year old should be. Of course, I think she is the cutest child who ever lived, next to my own children. And right behind her comes Bennett, so look out. Down the road I will try to give him the portrait treatment as well...when he is older.

Anyway, I'm beginning to understand why really good portrait artists command thousands of dollars for their work. There is no slap dash hurry up slam bam thank you maam way to do this, unless you want some very abstract impression of someone. Those who are skilled and practiced at this can go much faster no doubt, but nonetheless, I can really appreciate the time and skill and that it should require a boat-load of money to buy one of good quality.
More progress tomorrow....:)