Governor's Portrait Unveiling

[Carol Norton]

Thank you, Michelle. What a welcome reminder of great resources! I just ordered 4 books.

[Chuck Yokota]

Congratulations on your wonderful painting and the great exposure it is giving you.

[Tom Edgerton]

Michele--

Great painting, great work.....this will get a lot of well-deserved attention.

Best to you--TE

[Jimmie Arroyo]

Congratulations Michele!

And thanks for those closeups and procedure pics. Great exposure. Congrats again!

[Michele Rushworth]

Thank you ALL for your very kind comments!

I was just looking at the countries the various comments came from: the US, Italy, Singapore, Brazil, Canada, Italy, the UK, Spain and Denmark . Isn't the Internet a wonderful place when we can share our work with so many people from around the world?

[Ngaire Winwood]

Wow what an amazing journey you are on Michele. Are you still floating on cloud 9?

We are all proud of you for continuing your hard work, dedication admist many obstacles, I am sure. What an inspiration to us mere morsels like myself can aspire to and no doubt members of your own family can admire and love you for.

Add Australia to your list of world wide admirers.

[Mark Lovett]

Michele,
Amazing work. Congratulations. Very interesting approach. I have seen Nelson Shanks paint several times but never have I seen him paint as you did....meaning a highly detailed sketch that is painted a little at a time until almost finished before moving to the next area. In fact, what I got from his teaching was the opposite. Im not sure if he changed his style or I was just unaware that he was painting this way.

Did your client sit and pose live at all?

Also, I'm not sure if you are using much texture or not but it appears that you are not and that visible brush strokes are minimal. Do you mind telling me what type, size etc.. brushes you are using? And your medium?

Also, between sessions, when the paint dries and goes flat in areas, do you use retouch varnish or something to make the values easier to see?

Again congratulations on an incredible painting.
Mark

[Michele Rushworth]

Hi Mark,

To answer your questions: no, the Governor's schedule did not allow for live sittings. I did two photo sessions with him and two photo sessions with his staff members prior to that, standing in for him, to test various lighting and posing options.

There is no surface texture on the painting and I don't use any medium -- just Gamblin or Winsor Newton paint straight out of the tube.

When dark areas get dull and sunken in, I brush on a 50/50 mixture of linseed oil/odorless mineral spirits to "oil out" those places. Then I wipe most of it off.

For the face, hands and the seal on the chair I used a tiny synthetic brush that is about 1/16th of an inch wide and about 1/3 of an inch long. For larger, simpler areas I used larger sizes, all in filbert shapes and mostly synthetics.

Hope that helps!

[Rui Manuel]

Originally Posted by Michele Rushworth

I was just looking at the countries the various comments came from: the US, Italy, Singapore, Brazil, Canada, Italy, the UK, Spain and Denmark . Isn't the Internet a wonderful place when we can share our work with so many people from around the world?

Michele:

It is even a little better than you said cause you forgot me: Portugal ! LOL



Regards and, again, congratulations for your talent!
Rui

[Renee Price]

This painting is wonderful Michele!! Congratulations on a wonderful painting and the deserved recognition!

Renee