Monday, April 19, 2010

To Bonnet or Not to Bonnet



Woman in a Rain Bonnet?, acrylic, 14x11

At Easter time I thought not of Easter bonnets, but of the rain bonnets my mother wore to preserve her hairstyle. There are few photographs of my parents from the 50's and 60's so I just began with a face. My mother always held her chin high, I added her (& my) nose with a bump and our thin lips. I chose reddish brown hair instead of Mom's light brown (more contrast with the background) and no real style because it would be covered, and eliminated her glasses. I thought she should be standing on my porch-- not in the rain--but I didn't like the jigsaw cornice of my porch. I rode around town; each Queen Anne has its own hand-jigsaw work. I found the right shape, asked for permission to photograph it--then decided the cornice should match the scarf and not be so intricate. Thank you, nice family on 8th Street.

Now the rain bonnet is a problem--I haven't been successful at finding the cheap plastic folded type. I did find an image on Google--Queen Elizabeth wearing one. I like the painting as is but without the rain bonnet my concept disappears. Who would have thought that Dollar General would have $1-rain ponchos but no rain bonnets.

I felt the suit should be a primary color and Mom didn't wear yellow, and little red. I realized today that this blue suit is actually what I wore to court in D.C. 47 years ago when my husband and I were married at 9 a.m. on a payday. If I give this woman bright red hair teased into a French twist and freckles, this could pass for my wedding portrait.

With a rain bonnet it will be my mother saying, "Robert, I am not going out in this rain." Maybe I should add that five-dead-mink scarf (we lifted the tails and made rude noises in church).




15 comments:

  1. Hi Hallie, What an intense and captivating gaze! It works with the simple background. Interesting story about the rain bonnet.

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  2. I've got such a soft spot for redheads, and this one is no exception. I really like her eyes and the set of her chin. I feel a little voyeur-esque, because I can't take my eyes off of her.

    She's REALLY not going to go out into that rain if she doesn't find her bonnet... If she was anything like my grandmother, she got her hair "fixed" once a week and was not going to do anything to mess it up...

    I would have loved to have hung out with you in church, although I'm afraid the bruises from all the pinching from my mom would still be healing... fffffpppppt...

    -Don

    -Don

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  3. She actually looks like a friend of mine!! How neat. I love your work, and am so glad you added the slideshow to your blog because it's fun to see al lthe great pieces you've created.

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  4. Hi Peggy. Thank you.

    Don, I'm glad someone appreciates redheads--my mother didn't and often commented that no one would believe I was her daughter. (She always liked my brothers more.) It's ironic that people now tell me I look like Mom--I don't know whether I should hit them or thank them. The trick in church is to sit behind your parents.

    Hi Kathy. Thank you. This was my third attempt in six months to add the slideshow. The album was floating in cyberspace for quite a while before I caught it.

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  5. Hallie, Did you lighten this up and repost? It looks different to me today. I really like the piece; it has power.

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  6. You caught me, Peggy. The first photo was taken indoors last night in bad light. This one was a retake outside on the shaded deck--made a big difference. I see a couple of areas that need more work; when she gets her bonnet, I'll post the "after."

    How observant you are!

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  7. Beautiful painting. Lots of work on her face expression. Lovely!

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  8. I really enjoy the eye contact of this portrait painting and I truly enjoy your description of it...the story makes it come even more alive, though it's a simply lovely painting even if you had not said a word.

    Thanks for coming over to see my foxes and I love your mention of your "weed eater" we had a bunch more of those before the fox arrived!

    NOT to bonnet...I'll throw in Albrecht Durer's Law: "If it doesn't add it detracts" to back me up.

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  9. Hi Hallie, Just logged into the blog world. I've been painting for 2 days ! ! ! Loving it!Enjoyed your post and enjoyed the story more. I adore red hair, even tried to make mine red several times. Once it turned out burgandy & once it turned out tangarine orange. Hedious.
    I look like my mom now too. When I was young I looked just like my Dad, so how do we morph into our mothers? I think it's because of the gray hair. If I didn't hate those roots I'd color it again.
    Anyway love your work.

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  10. this is a brilliant portrait. I love the austerity of it ...and that direct gaze. The porch wood is inspired. "My" people were a stoic bunch. They believed in only work and didn't never seemed to care for or understand much else. They could be described as being puritan ...I guess. Your portrait looks more charming than my thoughts about my original family--but I also feel warmth for that "puritanical" look. Everyone in our family wore those plastic hats.
    Great work. I totally love it.

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  11. Thank you, Megha. I always enjoy looking at your drawings.

    Merci, thanks for the comment about banning the bonnet. Durer's law is one I usually agree with. However, what would American Gothic be like without the pitchfork?

    Sue, I hope your knee has improved--good excuse for paintings. The red hair usually comes with lots of freckles; now it lots of visits to the dermatologist. Sun is not my friend.

    Celeste, thank you. When I was painting, I kept saying to myself, "Why can't I paint like Celeste--those great brushstrokes?" She does have a rather puritan look. I like austere in painting.

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  12. I too like the direct gaze. The contrast of the bold blue suit against the soft background is appealing. The porch frames her beautifully~`and that you found the right cornice from the 'nice family on 8th street' is perfect!

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  13. Thanks, Indigomar. I was lucky on the cornice--it's what I would have painted from imagination. Now I know it exists (sort of).

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  14. I think it is great! She looks so familiar to me! And I love the slideshow; great work!

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  15. Raena, thank you. It took me a while to figure out the slideshow gadget.

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