Elkins' Version of "Spanish Dancer" by John Singer Sargent 1879

---

I've always admired the work of John Singer Sargent and after my first attempt copying his famous "Madame X" portrait, I turned my attention to one of his larger and more complex works, "El Jaleo".  This is a large mural piece currently housed at the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum in Boston. When we moved into our new house in Nov '18, there was an alcove in the entryway which presented the perfect location for a large painting.  But since it required a portrait orientation, it gave me an excuse to simplify my plans and focus on the dancer only.  She, after all, is the primary focus of the larger piece and Sargent captures her fascinating posture in this dance. Sargent created the "Spanish Dancer" as a study for "El Jaleo", which included  multiple characters.  The original "Spanish Dancer" currently resides in a private collection. Below is a brief history of how Sargent developed this material: 

The painting was inspired by a five-month trip Sargent made through Spain and North Africa in 1879, which also yielded a smaller oil painting, The Spanish Dance. Chronologically and thematically, the painting is related to a series of works Sargent painted during a subsequent stay in Venice; these, too, include dramatic light effects, exotic models, and restrained coloring. Impressed by the costumes and theatrical manner of Gypsy dance, the artist returned to Paris and began work on a large canvas whose scale suggested a performing stage. The name El Jaleo refers to both the broad meaning of jaleo, a ruckus, as well as the specific dance known as jaleo de jerez.

Sargent planned the composition of El Jaleo for at least a year. The painting was preceded by a series of preliminary studies, focusing particularly on the dancer's stylized posture.

This masterwork by Vermeer is the reason I developed such an interest in learning to paint in oil. I became obsessed with Vermeer and the mysteries surrounding his techniques. And this painting in particular captured my imagination. In Europe, it is referred to as "The Mona Lisa of the North".  It was created in 1665 and resides at the Maurithuis Museum in The Hague,  Holland.  I was able to see the piece in person while it was on traveling exhibit in NYC several years ago. It is surprisingly small at ~18 x 15 inches. It took me eight years and four attempts to complete a version I could live with. But Vermeer is untouchable. Many have suggested he used optical devices to achieve his visual affects. Whatever the case, he left us with precious few authenticated works, all of which are awe inspiring in their artistic and technical perfection.  Some history on Vermeer's original below:

Girl with a Pearl Earring  is an oil painting by Dutch Golden Age painter, Johannes Vermeer.

The painting is a tronie, the Dutch 17th-century description of a 'head' that was not meant to be a portrait. It depicts a European girl wearing an exotic dress, an oriental turban, and an improbably large pearl earring. In 2014, Dutch astrophysicist, Vincent Icke, raised doubts about the material of the earring and argued that it looks more like polished tin than pearl on the grounds of the spectacular reflection, the pear shape and the large size of the earring.

As mentioned, I am a huge fan of Sargent. I became fascinated by "Madame X"after reading about the painting's subject in the  book "Strapless" by Deborah Davis. It is a very entertaining  story of how the painting came to be completed and the scandal produced in its wake.  I was able to see Sargent's original in NYC at the Met. It is a large canvas...almost life size. My version is modified to 18"x24". Sargent originally painted one dress strap hanging off of her right shoulder. This is what produced the social scandal. He  later repainted the strap on top of the shoulder and kept the painting in his possession for nearly thirty years, rarely exhibiting her. Near the end of his life, he sold it to a friend, curator at The Met.  Although yet unfinished, I have chosen to paint my version as Sargent originally did, with the strap down.  Some history below:

Portrait of Madame X is the title of a portrait painting by John Singer Sargent of a young socialite, Virginie Amelie Avegno Gautreau, wife of the French banker Pierre Gautreau. Madame X was painted not as a commission, but at the request of Sargent.  It is a study in opposition. Sargent shows a woman posing in a black satin dress with jeweled straps, a dress that reveals and hides at the same time. The portrait is characterized by the pale flesh tone of the subject contrasted against a dark colored dress and background. 

The scandal resulting from the painting's controversial reception at the Paris Salon of 1884 amounted to a temporary set-back to Sargent while in France, though it may have helped him later establish a successful career in Britain and America.

My wife, Stefini, loves grizzly bears. When we met, she told me her bucket list included seeing a bear in the wild. We were able to check this off the list on our trip to Yellowstone Park several years ago. I searched the internet for images of grizzlies and found this cool  photo. I struggled with the bright colors of the salmon and the amber eyes. But I've recently found a brilliant color which I think will mix up nicely for this piece. I hope to finish the Grizz soon. 

This is the first piece I actually finished and one I'm especially proud of because of the subject, Don Parham.  Don is one of the most honorable men I've met in my life and someone to emulate. I was so happy to capture his likeness in this  18x24 inch portrait which was  painted from a photo. I started with the idea of layering gray tones (grisaille) over this Burnt Sienna paint sketch...to be followed by layers of translucent colors. But due to my inexperience, I decided to stop while I was ahead and am happy I did, as looking back I'm convinced I didn't have the skills at that time to achieve the original intent. I gave the original piece to Don for Christmas 2009 and I keep a giclee reproduction hanging in our home

You might call these my first commissioned works, as they were specific requests from my niece and nephew, Victoria (8 yrs) and Orion (6 yrs). On seeing my studio and paintings during a visit to our home, they promptly placed their "orders" for pieces to be created for their bedrooms. Victoria was very specific in her request for a white horse with rainbow. Orion asked for Godzilla destroying a city. I did my best to keep it simple and created these images from my imagination. I believe they were very happy to receive their own framed originals from Uncle Mike. The paintings hang in their bedrooms in Columbus, TX.