Robert

[Julie Deane]

How do you do it, Garth? Beautiful work, but that's no surprise. I know that will be the case any time I view a new post of yours.

I like the fresh coloring and those little touches of color in the dark hair. And those spot-on values.

[Garth Herrick]

Dear Marina, Alex, Michele, and Julie,

With your solid support of you four greats, I am feeling pretty good! Thank you all! The value massing was my best spontaneous alla-prima guess, as for most of the painting, once I laid the initial gesture of paint down, it stayed there, scrubbed in and all. I did paint it at a section at a time, though. I have retouched and reworked small areas as an afterthought. The face and hand are reworked too.

Humbly,

Garth

[Christy Talbott]

Absolutely superb Garth! Like the others, I notice and love the subtle color changes in the boy's face. The hand is amazing too. I don't think I'd like this any more than I do now if the painting was made more 'finished'.

[Tom Edgerton]

Great light! And I love the low point of view.

Paint handling is superb...don't touch it.

Wonderful spirit...

Best--TE

[Garth Herrick]

Thanks Christy and Tom,

It's good to get a sense of when to quit; I am still working on that sense. It seems less fussing is indeed more; while doing more finishing yields less appeal.

Garth

[Thomasin Dewhurst]

A very nice piece, Garth. Such clarity of light and colour! (And I love the rabbit in the backgound. Great marks that look abstract close up, but from a distance make a solid sculptural form. The same thing for the flowers and light behind the rabbit. Your genius is there with or without your conscious help.)

[Garth Herrick]

Originally Posted by Thomasin Dewhurst

A very nice piece, Garth. Such clarity of light and colour! (And I love the rabbit in the backgound. Great marks that look abstract close up, but from a distance make a solid sculptural form. The same thing for the flowers and light behind the rabbit. Your genius is there with or without your conscious help.)

Thanks Thomasin!

As an aside, and I know it is off topic, yet extraordinary: I just learned from both parties that the ever popular Jane of Jane and Iona was once the cotillion dance partner of Robert's grandfather (of the same name). My client world just got smaller! I visited Jane last week, and while she browsed through my portfolio, she experienced d

[Chris Saper]

Dear Garth,

Such a refreshing piece! I can learn a great from the way you have handled th subtle turns fromt he jaw to the throat. Thnaks for sharing this portrait

[Enzie Shahmiri]

Dear Garth,

What can I say that hasn'talready been said?! Just lovely!

[Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco]

Garth, this is so nice and relaxed. The handling of the paint corresponds completely with the subject.
I normally like your paintings all the way through, and if I were the mother of this boy I would also have bought this work as it is. And I can't really perceive it as a sketch or a preparatory work, but for me is absolutely complete and well solved eveywhere.

I understand that in official portraiture you might need to get to a more refined stage, but it is really a treat to see you in everyday clothes...

Ilaria