Judith St. Ledger-Roty is Face #15: Perseverance Is Theme of The Day

"Judith St. Ledger-Roty", Face #15 ... FINALLY

While we decided to keep the length of today's sitting a secret, let's just say that today's painting didn't paint itself. My sitter: friend, fellow artist, former studiomate Judith St. Ledger-Roty did her part and then some. No problem there. I felt like I had some serious momentum going leading up to today being really pleased with the way each alla prima portrait sketch was turning out. Yet today was all about drawing issues and color issues and paintbrush issues.

My painting wasn't dreadful but it looked like a whole different person than Judith. I'd occasionally catch glimpses of Judith ... only to see them disappear. Judith was kind enough to tell me to take as long as I needed ... and she meant it.

At one point I said that this looks absolutely nothing like you and she came over to the easel and agreed with me. (Just the truth.) Then she carried it into the bathroom so we could look at her and the painting in the mirror. We were thinking it might be my first do-over, because there just seemed to be so much wrong with it. I still wanted to stick it out ... and one of the main problems I saw in the mirror was the relative height of her forehead. So that was fix-it job one. Judith also suggested we both be quiet and let me concentrate. (I was excited about having her sit to catch up on all she's learning and experience in her part-time program at Studio Incamminati -- so we'd done a lot of talking.)

I worked more. Things were improving. We returned to the mirror. Better, but I noted other changes I needed to make.

Judith is fair-skinned and that is an important part of making her look like her. She doesn't have an ounce of fat on her which makes her cheekbones stand out and I had recurring chin problems.

I moved her mouth four times.

Rough day at the office ... but still goodhearted fun and somehow I chose exactly the right person to share a rough day with. She couldn't have been more patient and helpful.

I admire Judith greatly. She's dedicated to becoming the best artist she can be. Four months ago she enrolled in Studio Incamminati's part-time atelier program, traveling to Philadelphia for what began as two days a week and immediately turned into four days a week ... to study art all day, year round, for three to seven years. In this program, students draw in charcoal for an entire year ... no painting and you return to square one in skills. Like starting to draw a sphere. They rebuild the skills from there.

So, to go from painting, having taken countless classes and workshops to starting in order to get better is an incredible, and admirable commitment. At the end of our marathon sitting session, Judith showed me some of her drawings on her iPhone and they were markedly better than any I had seen her create pre-Studio Incamminati. She can feel herself learning and is having a lot of a-ha moments. She is drawing from the model three days a week and drawing the still life one day a week ... and loving it.

I guess the patience that's being required of her at Studio Incamminati made sitting for me not quite so taxing. She knows how difficult the road is to get it right and she helped me along it today.

Today, I painted at the Artists' Atelier and so was lugging stuff there from my home studio. I forgot my cell phone, my purse, the card for my camera so I could take photos, and my brushes. So, no extra photos from my painting session. Just as well, considering the trauma of it. Tough day.

In the end it turned out just fine. This is Judith.

And, tomorrow I may have my biggest challenge so far with a very young model. Please cross your fingers for me.

"Judith St. Ledger-Roty", Face #15 of 100, oil on Raphael linen-lined board, 12"h x 12"w, copyright Jill Banks 2011.

Web: www.jillbanks.com
Blog: jillbanks.blogspot.com
100 Faces in 100 Days Project: www.jillbanks.com/jillbanks/100_Faces_in_100_Days_Project.html
Email: jillbanks1@aol.com
Phone: 703.403.7435