Great-Grandmother Melinda Oil Portrait

Although I never got to meet her, she died way before I was born, I've always been fascinated by my great-grandmother, mostly because she was full blooded Cherokee Indian, and I loved to hear my Granny Prater sing her name off and tell me about her mother-in-law. I still love her name, which was Melinda Lucinda Valentine Sanders Prater. Isn't that a catchy name? I seem to remember that Granny said they called her Lucy!

Someone gave me an old black and white photo of my paternal great-grandparents, which I love, and I enlarged and printed it off on paper, cropping her head and shoulders, to paint on a six by six inch gallery stretched canvas.

Again, it's been a while since I started her, but I think I used a black stabilo pencil to sketch her off, then used a damp brush to shade her features.

Went over the background with burnt and raw umber oil paints

Added a little ochre oil paint to the light parts...

and a little flesh color, hair color, and some definition of features and dress. Her eyes aren't actually closed in the photo, but when I blocked her face in, I kind of liked them closed, like she might be praying, or really listening.

This is as far as I've gotten on this last day of 2016 on her. She is a long way from being finished, but one day I will pick her up, add more layers of oil paint, and possibly some cold wax, to complete her. When I do, I will be sure to post her!