The Dance Shawl, oil, 14 x 18 inches
Exhibiting: Nancy Rynes Studio
$1900 framed
 
 
While I enjoy creating historical painting of people, this modern scene totally captured my attention because of that amazing, red dance shawl. The model (Susan Smith) is a good friend of mine and wrapped herself in a shawl she picked out for part of our photo session. While she is of Apache and Pueblo descent, this dance shawl is anything but traditional. The red complemented her complexion and black hair so I played off that as much as possible. The feather she wears is a Harris' Hawk wing feather, a nod to her ancestry here in the American Southwest.
 
To offset all of that red, I decided to leave the background a neutral taupe but livened it up with a lighter taupe outline.