My beautiful friend Vicktoria has been such a huge inspiration and force for encouragement in my Wild Woman Portrait journey. She is also one of my favorite models because she exudes self-confidence and enthusiasm and is patient with my lack of photography skills when shooting for references. She’s happy to set any scene and assume any character, taking on each personality with flair. I had a wonderful time at her farm this summer shooting the photos for this painting. We captured so many beautiful concepts that you will definitely be seeing her again in the future.
This portrait is a monumental advancement in my creative practice for two reasons. First, I have begun working in my favored media of oil paints again after a long hiatus due to time and space restrictions. Secondly, I feel like I made a tremendous amount of progress as an artist in this painting, particularly in the way I rendered the lighting and background elements. I am looking forward to much growth in my skills and concepts this year after the completion of this piece.