The effervescent Christine!

This piece was inspired by a photograph I saw online and I felt I just had to paint it. Almost like I had no choice in the matter. Something struck a chord deep down in me and I have spent the last several months painstakingly painting it layer by layer and probably could spend another several months on it if I'm honest. But sometimes we have to admit that perfection and photo finish is not what a painting is about. Hence the picture came out as I saw it and as a painting not a photo copy of the original. I then realised if anyone was ever going to see it I would need permission for using the photo as original reference which took some time to achieve however I managed it and the original photographer chose not to be named alongside it. Maybe it is because the picture has travelled somewhat towards a painterly direction and away from the refence. Who knows. All I can say is that I had to paint it no matter if anyone ever saw it or not. Gladly however I can unveil months of work done in the background and in and around my regular paintings and commissioned work. I hope you like the piece as much I loved painting it watching it pull forward and back and appear and dissappear until eventually I found my happy place and decided to call it done!