It’s always a real pleasure when a returning customer gets back in touch. This beautiful young woman in her national Japanese costume (above) was a recent pastel commission. Her father originally commissioned a charcoal portrait of her 10 years ago when she was a girl (below) and recently from got back in touch with me.
This time it was to produce something a bit bigger and grander- a colour pastel painting as a special gift for her Mum's big Birthday.
She has striking Anglo/Japanese features and in the portrait and she proudly wears the national costume of her Mother’s homeland.
This type of kimono is traditional for young women to wear in Japan. The colours in a kimono are often symbolic, Orange symbolises courage, love and happiness, Pink is youth, and Red wards off evil.
I loved the way the colours in her kimono complimented her skin tones, I wanted the orange, pink and ivory to mirror her peaches and cream complexion. It produced a lovely contrast against her dark eyes and hair
It was a pleasure drawing her as a child and then as a young woman and the portrait will hopefully be a precious memento for years to come.