Amie

I completed this painting a day or two ago. 

 It has a simple title: "Amie"  The title can be read two ways.   'Amie' is friend in French.  'Amie' also happens to be the first name of my friend who I have been visiting in New York City.  

Her first request on my arrival was for me to do her portrait.  I don't normally do portraits. Come to think of it, I have only done two or three paintings of someone in which I have striven for a likeness.  But, how could I turn her down?  

As some of my recent posts have alluded to, I have been shown a fantastic time in New York by my friend who is intimate with some of the mind-blowlingly funky and fabulous restraunts, bars and locations in the city.  Then there were the numerous late night conversations where we tried to spin out meaning of life and relationships.  A portrait is the least I could offer in return!

Now, Amie, sophisticated aesthete that she is, wasn't looking so much for a painting of herself, as the experience of being painted!  She was in for more than she bargained for with my admittedly unexpected approach.  The painting applies my style of "essensial distillation".  Basically, simplification through a gradual process I distill my subject into its fundamental elements and essence.   In the case of my landscapes-- into a carefully chosen pallette of four or five colours.  In her case, careful chosen lines and layout.  The painting came about through a week and half process of sketching and resketching her in restraunts and cafes and kitchens.  

If my description of the process sounds a tad apologetic... well it is!