Wednesday, June 29, 2011

RHONDA, MEET RHONDA

Tuesday afternoon the FedEx man arrived, music blaring from his truck.  He gave me a very large box.  It wasn't very heavy.  It came from Gary Everest in Washington.


It is my portrait!!!

Okay, now I don't want to gush, but I do think this is beautiful.  I'm not sure how Gary could make a person in pain like this (and keeping my jowlies and my frown and my puffy eyes and all) seem beautiful.  But it really is.  I love it.  It amazes me.  I'll probably spend time looking at it, getting more familiar with it.  It is hanging in a place of honor in my entryway where everyone entering the house will look slighting up and over to the left and see it.  I hope it will encourage a few interesting comments.  However, the main thing is that I love it, no matter what others say.  And let me tell you, just studying the hand is a lesson in itself - beautifully rendered. 

(The first photo shows it on the wall; the second photo shows it a bit closer.  Both are in natural light from the open doorway.)



So I am the proud owner of an oil portrait from Gary Everest.  What a gracious, giving, wonderful thing to paint this - and then to send it to me??  Well, that is more than I expected and it shows how big Gary's heart is (almost as big as his talent!!!).


Thank you, Gary.  Thank you so much.  Now quit worrying! ha ha  (Oh, and I'm glad you stuck to a variety of blues for the shirt, scarf and background - you know I love my blues!).






The more I look at this, the more amazing it seems to me.  I know hours of work, toil, stress, tears, and anxiety went into this - and I do hope you're pleased with it because you should be.  (May I put it up on the sidebar for my photo?)

19 comments:

Sadami said...

Hi, Rhonda,
That's nice! In my eyes, very beautiful. Also, your cloth is interesting--"blue."
Kind regards, Sadami

Watercolors by Susan Roper said...

No wonder you are so happy to have this, it is wonderfully painted. What a gift! The skill with which he painted your anatomy and emotions is a wonder.

Mimi Torchia Boothby Watercolors said...

how come he painted you in pain?
Yes, it is really beautiful!

Mimi Torchia Boothby Watercolors said...

and the hand!! what a great hand, so beautiful!

jgr said...

Rhonda, this is great! What a wonderful gift.

Carol Blackburn said...

Rhonda, I totally agree that Gary did a beautiful job with your portrait. He captured such intensity of pain and emotion.

debwardart said...

What a lovely thing for him to do! I'll have to come see it in person.

Vicki Greene said...

Wow, it is beautiful! What a wonderful gift to receive.

Suzanne McDermott said...

Wow! The rendering of the hand and the radiant cobalt blue against the black field of your hair. A dark painting that glows. That's an achievement!

And you might not be in pain (to someone not in the know), you might be pausing... trying to bring something to mind...

Gaylynn said...

It is a beautiful gift Rhonda! Pick an area and I am in awe...the hand; eyes;hair;texture in the scarf and shirt....Gary did a fabulous job and you are so lucky to be able to admire and study it daily.

Carol Flatt said...

Rhonda, this is absolutely wonderful! What an amazing gift. This portrait offers so much craftmanship AND emotion. I think it will draw your guests into conversation...what an exciting thing!

Teresa Palomar Lois said...

Ooooooooh this is wonderful! the portrait, the colors, the model and the gesture of the painter, you're so lucky! yes, put it up where everyone can see, it is beautiful!

Marilyn said...

Rhonda--what a beautiful image! And--a beautiful person as a model. Please share your story about this at the GCWS meeting or on their blog

RH Carpenter said...

I'm so glad this portrait garnered so many wonderful and positive comments. I really love it and think it is masterfully painted - and I know how much effort went into it, so glad everyone likes it so much.

Mimi, he painted me in pain because he's doing more expressive paintings - not portraits of pretty girls in big hats, but portraits that make people feel - and I think this one succeeds in that regard very well (as well as being a beautifully painted portrait). I guess some people would want something prettier but I guess I'm just a bit odd this way! ha ha

Deb, you're welcome any time!

Marilyn, it's not watercolor - not sure what you want me to share but maybe we can talk about it next time we meet :)

Christiane Kingsley said...

I agree! This is absolutely wonderful! A woman in pain has never looked so good!

Jeanette Jobson said...

What a wonderful portrait. Sensitive, well rendered and full of emotion.

You must be thrilled to have it.

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks, Christiane and Jeanette :) Jeanette, yes, it is thrilling to have this on the wall - so new that it surprises me every time I enter the house and look up. Beautiful just isn't the word - so much more!

Unknown said...

Great job!

RH Carpenter said...

Yes, he did a great job on this, Tim. Thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment - I know you have been super busy!