Although I have not seen his work in a long time, for years I have been an admirer of Texas-based painter Ray Donley’s dramatic and contrasty figures. Recently I have been improving small details on a portrait drawing I created in December of a beautiful Sicilian woman that I know. She is actually one of my madonnari (street painting) colleagues here in Florence, Italy.
While working the edges of the white pastel on a black textured paper, I wondered if Ray had influenced this series of white-on-black portraits that I have been doing off and on these last few months. I thought I was simply pushing the limits of tone with this new material for me, but perhaps there are many parts to my subconscious thoughts.
Anyway, “Jessica” is a portrait drawing that measures approximately 16 x 12 inches. When my friend painter Tish Lowe saw my drawing, she commented how the texture of the paper that I left showing through on the hand and arm resembled fish net stockings. It seemed to go well with this somewhat 1960s looking portrait, as others have observed.
If you would like to add “Jessica” to your art collection or give her as a gift, please click on the PayPal button here or contact me.
“Jessica”
original portrait drawing
by Kelly Borsheim
black textured Mi-Teintes paper
with white pastels
16 x 12 inches
$150 + $20 shipping (anywhere)
