Photography 2000-2024

3 Dimensional Studio

“3 Dimensional Studio”
Digital photograph
2024

“3 Dimensions” might seem like a misnomer for a photograph that appears essentially flat. It is in fact a painting (the orange one) sitting in front of another painting (blue) on my canvas covered painting bench.
But in another way of thinking about it, the 3 parts of the photo show 3 distinctly different kinds of reality. And yet it works as a single composition.

Usually photographs of artist’s works in the studio show the art works as objects in a space such as a studio or workshop. Here, they work together along with the workshop itself on equal footing to present a multidimensional vision of the studio.

“Self Portrait”
iPhone photograph
No size
2024

This was shot with my IPhone And then modified slightly with the phone’s digital tools. I darkened the shadow and reduced the hue saturation to make it look more washed out.

It is a shadow of me, of course.

Self Portrait
Sculpture Story

“Sculpture Story”
Digital photo shot with iPhone
2024

This is a photo of one of my sculptures. The sculpture is a woman’s torso and legs without a head or arms. It is wax and attached to a wooden plank with a piece of tie wire which can be seen protruding from the top of the figure.

The little figure would not stand up on its own anymore because of the warm temperature causing the wax to soften. As I tried to document the sculpture for this website, it slumped into a corner of the studio. I was struck by the impression of vulnerability and strength. I moved the shadow over to encroach on the scene. Then I turned the plinth to cleave the composition at an almost 90 degree angle from the bottom of the composition making it more of an abstract component than just the edge of the plinth. After I shot it I used the phone’s filters to deepen the shadows a bit which highlighted the figure’s volumes just a touch.

I could have put this in the section on sculpture. But for me, this photo is at least as powerful if not more than the sculpture itself. So I’m putting it here, in the photo section of my works.

“Sculpture, pedestal and the shop”
Digital photo
2024

I shot this photo on my IPhone and then modified it in various ways with the tools readily available on the phone. At first I was attempting to document the sculpture. But I quickly realized that there was something else going on here. My creative drive was to make a compelling image and leave the documentation to subsequent photographs.

What makes this a work of art rather than a document is that the image is the message … not the subject in it. This is the same conundrum for wildlife photographers. The subjects of their photography are so compelling in themselves and of such curiosity to their audience that the question of whether their photographs are art is hardly ever even a question. But once in a while their photographs become more art than documentation of the subject. There is no reason they can’t be both, of course. These concerns are not necessarily at cross purposes. And one is not necessarily diminished by the other. Michelangelo’s David is often seen on the cover of many a college text book on anatomy. But this is rare and not even a thing to strive towards in my mind. What is worth some effort is understanding the difference in order to deepen the understanding and joy of what one is looking at…and why. Understanding and knowing are inherently joyful as well as uncomfortable and even painful at times. But even these particular unpleasantries are more tolerable if based on knowing and understanding.

So here we are … sure … its a good sculpture. Enjoyable to look at. But look at that interplay of grays between the figure and the background. The interplay of the curved lines of the figure and the architectural shapes and lines of the background also fun to explore. The whole thing ends up creating a wavering of space and dimension simply not possible with the sculpture by itself. These visual dynamics either succeed for you or not. But in any case they are working towards that in a manner that is art and art of the 2d sort made by a camera and seen here on an illuminated screen (its never even been printed on paper to date.). And that, to my mind, makes it a work of art … not a document of a work of art.

The Sleeper Photo
Sleeper in the Studio

“Sleeper in the studio”
Digital photograph
2024

“The Exhibition Hall”
Digital Image
2022
 
I shot this in the summer of 2022 in my own exhibition hall, or, gallery, as the British would call it.  A “gallery” has the additional implication, for Americans, that what is on exhibit is for sale. But that is not the case here. It is for viewing and contemplation.  
 
In this case, it is the play of different kinds of light that are worth contemplating.  In this case there are at least 4 kinds of light at play here. There are the spot lights shining directly on the paintings.  The wash lights illuminating the red curtains, the ambient light and of course the dramatic beam of sunlight hitting the sculpture in the middle of the room.  
 
While this photo, or the room it was shot in, have none of the minimalist austerity of the work of artist James Turrell, I am deeply grateful for his work. I don’t know that I would have stopped to appreciate the “art” and beauty of the light itself if it were not for his work.
“Work in progress: Global Warming”
2021
 
“Work in progress: Large study of Crystal” 
 
The titles of these 2 photographs suggests they are documents of a work of art in process.   And, to be fair, they could be seen that way.   And in fact, when I grabbed my phone to take a picture that was the initial intent. However, while preparing to take the shots I realized there was potential for something more than a simple document.   
 
Yes, to be sure I took extra time to get the composition and lighting and seemingly random background details to be just right.  And yes, the work in progress is clearly the “protagonist” in the scene of the art studio.  But these things don’t really explain why this photograph is an art work in its own right.   I was hoping by the time I finished writing these paragraphs the understanding would have come to me.   
 
I’m still not sure why these are works of art in the way I am sure about my paintings and sculptures.  But the lack of clarity still leaves me no less certain these are works of art.   They are doing something in the range of unspoken things I want my art to “do.”   
 
At the risk of bragging I will try to make a point that may shed some light on this.   I am good at many things in the realm of art.   I can draw and paint complex things.  I have a knack for sculpture and I have an imagination that pretty much runs non stop.   I can even play many musical instruments well and am told I am a good dancer.  I would even go on to say I am at least a little above average in basic writing skills.   But I can’t write a poem to save my life.  I flat out suck at poetry.  
 
Perhaps these photographs could be thought of as visual poems.  They are intimate, true and seem to have meaning.   Yet, like most poetry I enjoy, I can’t put my finger on what it is that resonates so deeply.   The ancient Greeks believed there were 7 ( or nine depending on which Greeks you talk to) muses of the arts.  I clearly got a good hand but not a royal flush.   Maybe this is my way of stealing one more card from the gods.  Hopefully, like Hermes, who stole the sacred cows from the gods and ended up inventing music and was subsequently forgiven for his crime, I too will be forgiven for having made something beautiful in a world of endless visual drivel.  
 
 But that’s not for me to decide.  I just have to keep raising my phone for more than selfies and take the risk and hope for the best.    Who knows what punishment the gods may have in store for me but in the meantime, at the very least, these may be my humble attempts to save myself from drowning in a sea of mediocrity.  
“The Exhibition”
2021
 
Yes, this could be considered a document of a sculpture or of a moment in an art exhibition…my own.   But it is also a work of art.  
 
And yes, it is beautiful.  The angles and the spaces are just right.   It is exquisitely composed if I do say so myself.    But still, that is not  enough to make it art.  
 
 It quietly asks us to think about the way we think and observe as well as how we reflect on the things right in front of us as well as what lies further away or completely out of site.   The floor suggests one kind of journey or progression and the piano’s keyboard another.   There is also the compelling juxtaposition of the large painting in the distance that is actually tiny compared to the sculpture which is easily deduced to be small.   A strange reversal. 
The reflection of the sculpture on the piano also sets up interesting thoughts.  I have often thought about what is memory.   How does it work?  How does the correspondence to other things affect how we think about or remember something?   Does it sharpen or diminish or transform it all together?   
 
The churn of memory happens so thoroughly and so effectively we don’t even know it is happening.   Things are being forgotten not to just to make room for something as though there was a finite amount of memory…I don’t think there is a finite amount of memory by the way.  Instead I think the forgetting is an active verb that colors memory not by the fact of things being gone from memory but from the pulling away itself.   The empty space in the photo and the passageways quietly work that way for me in this photo, slightly raising my awareness of this process….useful I suppose…but mostly a joy to get a moment of fleeting insight.  
 

“Grief”
Digital photo
2019

My mother passed away in 2019. I returned to my hometown of Harrisburg PA to help my family with practical matters and to grieve. In front of my childhood home where she died is a small pond with an overflow culvert pipe to ensure the water never overflows the driveway which acts as a damn. The pond freezes over most winters and was always a source of aesthetic fascination for me.

Grief
“Four and a Half Women”
2019
 

Most of my photography involves people interacting with my art or my sculpture interacting with my paintings.  Now that we all have smart phones with powerful cameras photography has become more complex than when I got my first camera 40 years ago.  Among other things, one can take pictures with reckless abandon since there is no limit and no cost.  For younger readers, in the old days each picture was a piece of film on a roll.   When the roll was used up it had to be taken out of the camera and delivered to a place where the film would be developed and then actual photographs made from the developed film.   It was expensive and time consuming.  

 
Perhaps because of this background, or because of my countless hours composing paintings, I use my iPhone like a camera.  I look carefully at the shot. I ask myself a million questions while moving the camera and or myself into a position that alters the arrangement of the parts in a multitude of subtle ways.  The whole process often takes a fraction of a second.  And the results are often less than satisfying.   
 
But every once in awhile all the parts are in the right places.   And the photo has something to say.  The relationship of these women is enriched by their physical positioning as well as their shared black attire.   Another layer of interest to me is the relationship that they have to the painting….a drag queen dressed similarly in formal black attire standing proud and looking over the 3 women like a magisterial queen. 
 
The subtle references to classical art such as the frequent presentation of the 3 Graces or the 3 Fates or the 3 witches of Shakespearean fame, adds another layer. I honestly don’t know what the photo is about.  But I included it hear because it is fascinating and pleasing as it is perplexing.  For me, that separates it from documentation or memorabilia.   Nothing wrong with either of those concerns.  But this is an art website, not Jeff’s family album or an advertisement to promote an art show.   
On one level this is a photograph of one of my sculptures. But I think of it as a work of art in its own right. The tension within the figures and between them is what makes this interesting to me. What are they doing? And while it’s not clear what, it appears to be something of focused intention. And which figure is more real. And then there is the interplay of legs and arms. 
 
I suppose I also like the shadows and other lines created by the plinth. And the pool of black behind the figures which is a “painted black” echoed by the strip of black across the front created by the shadow of the plinth.  

“Beijing Family”
Digital photo
2017

I think 2017 will go down in history as the pinnacle of this latest round of Chinese society. There was greater prosperity then than at any time in the last hundred years and certainly a lot more than when I was there in the mid 1980’s. But even then change was in the air. I remember sitting at an outdoor cafe in a fashionable neighborhood of Beijing. As evening came on there was a distinctive chill that came along with a dry cool wind. My Chinese friends said that it was typical of early fall to feel the weather shift this way….suddenly and with more than a little tinge of portending the coming of winter. But I couldn’t help but feel that there was more about to change in China than the weather.

This young family was making a good living selling jewelry on line. They were kind enough to let me snap this picture as they sat with their child at their living room table in their snapping high rise condominium. I’ve lost touch with them, but I’m including this photo here on my website as art because it says so much more than a typical snapshot of my friends. As China enters a period of deep and unsettling challenges, I hope they have found a way to continue to thrive.

Beijing Family

“Beijinger”
Digital photo
2017

I shot this in a prominent shopping center in Beijing at what was in my opinion the peek of China’s modern era. This handsome young Western man was gigantic, sleek and clearly inspired by a famous Picasso painting which added another level of intrigue for me. In front of him an attractive young Chinese woman struts by and a few people can be seen in the reflection of the gigantic glass window covering the ad.

Beijinger

“Luther”
2000

I met Luther at an event that was held at my art studio in the 1990’s about once every few months. It was called “Romp Naked.” It was an all male naked dance party with no drugs or alcohol and no sex. It was a kind of Robert Bly-meets-nudist-meets-Gay Pride crossover. It was the intention of the organizers to make this a male experience… not a gay experience.  Well… they tried.

Even though I am straight, I really enjoyed having this group of men gather in my studio and as a result I met some terrific people. Among others were people willing and even excited to pose for my paintings.

One fall they asked people to come in “creative undress” rather than be simply nude. Luther presented himself like this. I was struck by the comfort this 70 year old man felt in his body and his playful spirit. So I asked him to come to my studio for a photo shoot and possible painting. After trying various things I settled on the idea of him simply standing there on a simple block of concrete.

I liked the photo so much I decided to do a life size painting of him. He agreed and started coming to my studio weekly. I used the photo to guide my work when he was not there.  

Around that same time I took some photos of a woman who was a sister of a friend of mine. She wanted to model for me and came to my studio with an old Volvo full of props and ideas.  I could barely keep up with her costume changes and whirlwind of ideas. At some point it became clear that at 50 or so she was at the opposite end of the spectrum on her journey in accepting her aging body. So I painted her as well in a manner similar and yet very different from Luther.

The result is 2 paintings that stand alone just fine. But when presented as a diptych are a powerful exposé in subtle but very meaningful differences. Some of that is already visible in these tiny 6 x 4” prints.

“Jim and Tim”
2000

Jim and Tim were 2 guys who very much loved each other. I met them at a studio event called Romp Naked. To learn more about that event, please see the citation under the photograph entitled “Luther.” Jim and Tim came to my studio weekly for sittings for a large painting. Tim, the seated figure, was blind so these visits were a little more challenging than they might have been otherwise in part because my studio was on a steep hill and because Tim had only just lost his sight a few years before this.

What struck me about them was their love for each other. At the time of this painting the fight for dignity and respect of homosexuals had largely already been won in liberal urban areas like Seattle. And this was especially true in the artistic circles I was running in. But the battle for rights to marry and have children had just begun.

So I choose to feature the love and essential humanity of them as individuals and as a couple. There were so many tender moments as they disrobed and then got dressed at each session. Some of my favorite moments were of Jim helping Tim find his clothes and then helping him into them. I still regret not doing more work inspired by these tender everyday moments.

I did, however, get a few stunning photographs and one large painting that remains one of my favorite pieces.

I suppose I wanted to think I was doing my part to help nudge the culture forward by presenting these unidealized men in the most beautifully painted way possible to convey something of the authenticity of their love for each other. Whether that helped the culture more forward or not… I don’t know. But my guess is probably not. The painting was rarely seen outside my studio. Then years later I gifted it to an art dealer who later stole many of my paintings then ended up in jail for other crimes. I suspect it’s just sitting in a storage unit now, or worse, been destroyed. But the images live on here, hopefully still conveying the beauty and tenderness that people of all kinds and orientations can feel for each other and that love is every bit as transformative wherever it shows up.

“The Little Red Studio”
Photograph 
2005 
 
I have already written extensively about the Little Red Studio on this website so I won’t elaborate on what that was here. This photograph captures the mixture of elegance, camp and wacky juxtapositions that were the very stuff of the Little Red studio. Here you have the luscious Madison posing like an artist’s model with a painting of a bare ass directly behind her.  Much of her and the scene is in such deep shadow one can not make out her face at all or even were she is. Is this a bar, a boudoir, a stage or an artist’s studio? The fact is, it was all of those.  

“Tableaux Vivant”
2005

This for the photograph with the women with the seashell and beautiful fabrics.

This is a photograph of a Tableaux Vivant. That is a French term for an art form that roughly translates to a “living table.” The English translation is accurate but does not convey the sense of it being an art form in and of itself like painting or ballet. People have been creating Tableaux Vivant for several hundred years. As you might imagine it has undergone many transformations and applications. In fact, an argument has been made that Tableaux Vivant is the origin of comic strips and animated film. There was a period in the 19th century where artists presented stories in a series of tableaux, in succession, with the actors not moving in between the “moments” presented.

But as far as we know, it does not date back to the era of the ancient Greeks. And therefore it does not have a muse or spirit associated with it like nine other classic artistic muses.

In more recent times you can see artists presenting themselves singularly or with others dressed and made up to look like famous sculptures or paintings and busking for money in public spaces.  These are arguably also Tableaux Vivant although there is sometimes no table.

I often found myself essentially creating a Tableaux Vivant as I arranged my models in the process of creating a painting. Often I used the ruse of it being a photo shoot in order for my models to feel familiar with the process. In the end, I had photographs that I intended to use as visual aides in the process of the painting. And in some cases, the composition and “look” of a painting would be created and complete in these sessions.

But these were not Tableaux Vivant in the formal sense of the term in 2 very specific ways.  First, they were not created as things for viewing. Instead, in a sense, they were for my eyes only. And secondly, they were not based on classical or “famous” works of art. They were, instead, the best arrangements of the models and props and lighting to create the image I wanted to paint.

That all changed sometime in the 90’s when my cellist friend and I decided to present a multimedia evening of classical music, painting and tableaux Vivant. I worked with a Butoh dance troupe to create the Tableaux as well as provide the mechanism for moving the paintings throughout the concert. That evening was called “Eleven Portraits” and featured, among other things, an original score by another friend, Sarah Bassingwaithe.

But this Tableaux Vivant really became a thing when I started the Little Red Studio a few years later in 2003. The Little Red Studio, or LRS as it was called, had Tableaux Vivant presentations almost every Friday and Saturday night. They were often erotic, thought provoking or just plain weird. Some were funny. And some made no pretense of sticking to the no movement tradition. Some where used as visual eye candy for poetry being read aloud. Or to further deepen the impact of a spoken word or musical piece. Some were used as a vehicle to present and even serve food to the audience.

Occasionally I would snap a photo of these creations with the intention of making them into grand paintings. I never did. And that is regrettable.

It’s interesting to me how an art form can grow and change over time to serve the expressive needs of artists and audiences over time. And in most cases, few if anyone even knows anything of what came before. But I did. And I do think my knowledge of the existence of this art form as well as what it could do played a meaningful role in its becoming such a prominent part of those LRS “evenings.” And without those powerful and consistent presentations of Tableaux Vivant, LRS may never have become the 10 year weekly night of magic and transformative power that it was.

At the end of each night we ended the evening with a quasi pagan, part catholic ritual gathering in the front of the room on what we called an altar. It was solemn and serious in an effort to bring the heightened sexual charge to more contained and even spiritual vibe. It worked. We called it the “anointing” and it was looked forward to by nearly everyone. It was a big part of what made LRS something different than just another party of the precursor to an orgy. It was unexpected for first timers. It was elegant, a bit strange and aside from the slow procession of candle lit players, it was yet another manifestation of the spirit of the Tableaux Vivant. The Greeks may not have invented it, but I am certain there is a muse that should be named and added to the Pantheon. I have felt it move inside me even while it’s manifestation is essentially motionless.

“Which Mary”
Photo taken in my studio in 2004
 
Painting: “Veiled Mary”
Oil/canvas
36” x 24”
2005
 
The photo was taken in my art studio with no intent of making a painting from it.  This was, from the outset, meant to be a photograph as art.   
For people like myself who grew up Christian but never really paid much attention, I am at least aware that there are 2 big Mary’s in the Christian pantheon of important people.   One is the mother of Jesus and the other was his girlfriend…..well…she was actually the town whore who was taken in by Jesus and his groupies.   But let’s call a spade a spade….she was his girlfriend.  We are, after all, expected to accept that he is the son of God and his mother got pregnant without having sex…..so….I’m calling her “girlfriend.”   Besides, it’s more interesting that way.   
 
In any case, the two Mary’s represent chastity and …..well….whatever it’s opposite is.  And that set of polarities has always been puzzling to me.  This photo was an attempt to compress the 2 onto one woman.  I wasn’t confident in how well that was working so I did a painting to try again.  
 
Do either of them work?   Sometimes paintings completely fail to do what you set out to express and end up conveying something equally if not more powerful.  
 

”Marni & Gillette”
2000

Most of my photography is in the service of my painting. The photographs are often intended as sketches for paintings including large concept shots or close up details. But sometimes I take a shot that I know will never be a painting.  And in most cases where I am sure it won’t be a painting is when there is too much “environment” in the story of the shot. This kind of space just doesn’t translate well to painting…at least not the way I paint.   
 
The drama between the two figures is clearly the main part of the “story.” But the large sweeping tarp, the messy painting wall and large amount of so called “empty space” around the figures is also a big part of what makes this photo work. And exactly what is preventing me from wanting to paint it.  
 
So here it is.  Just a photograph.     
 

Little Red Studio: Madison In the Studio
2004

I would never create a painting like this. Well, it’s very unlikely that I would. This is an image that is as much about the room as the figure in it. Yes, Mary is arguably the central aspect of interest. Without her lying there on the “alter” I would not include the photograph here on the website. It just wouldn’t be interesting enough.

But as a painting, it just would not work. And I would not want to spend days if not weeks painting the so called background just in order to paint this tiny figure in the middle. In order for her to be big enough to be interesting I would need to make the canvas about 8’ x 10’ if not larger.

But as a photograph it works. And on the website it appears as the same size as paintings I have done that are 8 x 10’ or larger. And they have a roughly equal visual impact in this setting. In real life the painting would be nearly overwhelming and the photo would be a tiny thing on my desk barely even noticed.

That is, in fact, one reason I decided to include a section on photography on my art website.   Photography has been both an important tool for me creating my paintings. But it has also been an end in itself. This photograph particularly was shot as a work of art, not as a “sketch” for a painting.

I am interested in space after all. Usually this shows up as either landscape space or the space that is implied in a volume. My figures are almost always volumetric, not flat. But I have hardly ever painted interior architectural space like you see in this photograph. I’m not sure why. It’s especially curious because I enjoy looking at this photo and “feeling” the space. And I even wonder what it would be like to experience a large painting like this. Perhaps one day I will do it… or more likely… one year it may take that long to create.

“Little Red Studio: Madison Reclining”
2004

Many of these photos were set up and shot with the idea of using them as sketches for paintings. I also painted from life with a model sitting or “being” in my studio for extended periods of time. But some people were just not available for that or that just wasn’t in their character.  The photo shoots therefore became these highly rarefied events which often produced some exciting results, results I was very excited to paint. 
 
For some reason, I never did a painting inspired by this one.  For me, though, it is never too late. I keep a tray on my table in my studio. It’s full of old photographs that “someday” I’m going to paint.  This one is still there.  

“Adam & Eve”
2000

At some level this is just a photograph of a painting in my studio. But ever since I shot this picture nearly 20 years ago I have always been intrigued by it. The painting is actually a shallow cabinet.  It is depicted here in its closed position. And it is sitting on my painting bench. Back in the days when this photo was taken artists would usually take slide photos of their work. In order to minimize doing a lot of cropping with silver tape applied directly to the film, we would drape the wall with a special soft black fabric.

After shooting the slide film I probably reloaded the camera with black and white film and took this shot. I think it is interesting that the flowers are close to us but out of focus. The painting of the human backs are in sharp focus. Also, there is a seemingly random amount of white wall behind the black fabric. Furthermore the floor is white.

I think it is the floating quality of the black area with the painting which creates a kind of mysterious space that makes the photo so intriguing. If the floor was wood or painted a darker color it would not work as well. Also, the effect would be diminished if the black backdrop went all the way off the edges.

In any case, I have had this photo lying around my studio for years and it keeps drawing my eye. The truth is I really don’t know why. I have tried to find design elements to explain that fascination. But perhaps it’s nostalgia for an earlier chapter of my life. Or maybe it’s that I love that painting so much. I guess it doesn’t really matter why it continues to be so interesting. Like great paintings and my favorite people, it may be that the very fact that I can’t nail it down, define it or say how it works is the very thing that keeps drawing me back to it.

“Little Red Studio: Pimp & Ho”
2005

When I took this photo the models Carmi and Sophie lamented the blurry focus and over exposed light areas.   But those were and remain aspects of the shot that make it work.  This is a “studio” shot with members of my theatrical troupe role playing and rehearsing an act for an upcoming show. 
 
 Carmie is not a pimp and Sophie is not his or anybody’s ho.  And the “incorrect focus and lighting” help convey this. Carmi is both blurry and in heavy shadow.  Sophie is over exposed and as a result appears to be wearing a mask.   In both cases their individuality is masked adding to the archetypal dynamic.   
 
This photo was shot with the intention of making a painting.   That was almost 20 years ago.  I still haven’t gotten around to doing it.  But it seems more relevant than ever.   Maybe I will get to it soon. 
 

“Little Red Studio: Coyote Dream”
2005

Coyote was a dear friend and gifted poet who early on became an active member of the Little Red Studio community.  Despite his severe Parkinson’s and diabetes and having only one eye as a result of a car accident in his youth, he frequently performed in our weekly shows and wrote many poems, anthems and closing ceremonial scripts.  He passed away in 2017 due to complications of diabetes and Parkinson’s.  He is sorely missed.  
 
Alexa was also a member of the Little Red Studio Troupe.  She was also a poet and a performer.  And she was without a doubt a muse to many other artists and guests with her youthful and playful spirit.   
 
This photograph captures the pivot point where lust gives way to inspiration.   It is clear that this older man has surrendered something to this goddess draped over his shoulders.   He is experiencing the inhalation of her energy….he is quite literally being inspired.   And she in turn is not enduring some unpleasant chore.  She has drawn confidence and poise from this moment.   It is an exchange that results in something greater than the addition of its parts.   It is the very definition of a gift exchange, unreckomed, no expectation and with transformational, not accrued  results.  
 
It is a moment.    A true tableaux vivant and decent photograph.  

“Pam”
2001

This was the first and only time I was paid to take a picture of someone. Pam and her husband wanted a nude black and white photo of her. They probably wanted a painting as well, but they could not even afford my modest prices.  
 
I agreed with terms but added the caveat that I was free to make paintings from the photos. They agreed. I never did until 2022 when I did a painting inspired by a couple of shots from this shoot. The painting is not finished yet. When it is complete I will add it here for comparison’s sake.