Dad in December
I painted this portrait of my father in the last few months of his life. The hands and feet you can see are still the initial block-in with burnt umber. Dad was able to sit for me for about twenty minutes in the early days of the portrait but the times became shorter. In between sittings, I worked on the clothing, the chair and the background curtain. This is as far as I could do the painting from life. After Dad's death, I entered the painting in the Sarina Art Prize and as you can see I won a couple of prizes. Dad would have been so proud. The painting caused some controversy as some deemed it unfinished. I just said I finished when Dad did: that's what life is like.
I contemplated another title for the painting. It was 'Last year of the Tiger'. This from Dad being born and dying in the year of the tiger and it was also the title of the book he happened to be reading at the time. I decided on 'Dad in December' as I was painting it at this time and also because he was in the December of his life.
The first and second sessions of blocking in the painting. There is no drawing with pencil or charcoal first. I have used burnt umber and turpentine a brush and a rag as the drawing mediums. The hand resting on the arm of the chair is finished at this stage - as is the shadow of the head on the chair and the cushion he is sitting on.