hallelujah

i have been obsessed with jeff buckley's version of hallelujah lately. i downloaded it onto my computer a few days ago, and i'm playing it over and over again in the studio while i'm painting. in a moment of synchronicity, the rock and roll hall of fame was on vh1 last night, and if you didn't see it, you at least may have heard the fallout of madonna's speech and her plastic surgery in entertainment news today. i was really so sad that she has made the choice not to age naturally. she looks a bit deformed to me. i had a really hard time with it. anyway, i digress...
the class act of the evening was actually leonard cohen, who wrote hallelujah. what an amazing man. he is legendary in the music industry, and finally received his due honor by his induction into the hall of fame. after his poetic acceptance speech, damien rice performed hallelujah. i was once again moved by the song, and during it, i had a vision for this self portrait, which i drew tonight...

sketchbook page...self portrait

a new painting

portrait of ines
oil on canvas

i completed this painting today and i am submitting it to the national portrait gallery. it is shipping out to london on friday.

what a journey! two sittings during which i took several reference photos, and an impossible to count number of hours working on it in the studio. i just find ines dali to be so inspiring. she is also in the color and black and white photos i featured recently.

every year the national portrait gallery accepts submissions for the BP portrait award. 60 paintings are selected for exhibition and viewed by close to 200,000 visitors, including the royal family and other dignitaries, like madonna. how wonderful would it be to be chosen.

i am simultaneously working on a commissioned portrait of a beautiful little boy, (i will post it when its finished), and on a new series of paintings that i am preparing for a show. i am so grateful to be creating art!