Art: Hope

[honorat]

by Honorat
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Didn't take the photograph used for reference. Not making any money.

Summary: More Art! This is my favourite portrait. In my opinion this is the most beautiful person I've ever drawn. I love the spirit in this woman's face.



Copyright 2005. All rights reserved.
8 1/2 x 11 inches, mechanical graphite pencil on printer paper.

Comments

[sinningia.livejournal.com]

This is truly awesome!

This woman does indeed look beautiful, as you already said. All this emotion in her expression and the pose (especially the pose of her hands) does the rest.

Splendid work, especially the shading!

~sinningia~

[sparky-darky.livejournal.com]

"Some people, no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty-- they merely move it from their faces into their hearts."

I don't know who said that, but it sprang to mind the moment I saw this picture. This woman has such an open face-- so sincere. There is a sadness in her eyes that seems to equate to wisdom, and the prayer-like pose just says it all: this is a woman who would give you everything she has.

Absolutely beautiful work-- the subtlety of detail in this is gorgeous. I love the soft curls in her hair, and the lines on her face. She reminds me so much of my own grandmother, who has worked far beyond when she should just so she could carry on providing for her children and grandchildren-- she has finally been persuaded to retire this year.

Beautiful, beautiful work, honorat!

[solitaryraven.livejournal.com]

That artwork is absolutely incredible. The detail is just...wow.

I am so happy that I found a link to your LJ over at ff.net because I've really been enjoying all you artwork and past fics; I just haven't had the opportunity to comment. I really, really liked the Sunset Ruins art, but then I have a love for sunsets and artwork of that sort anyway. :o)

Anyhoo, is it alright if I had you to my f-list?

[hendercats.livejournal.com]

Her eyes, oh my gosh, her eyes!! She is incredible. (who is she?)

[honorat.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you agree with me that this older woman is beautiful. When I first started drawing real people, I realized that there is no such thing as an ugly face. But this woman's face is so hauntingly lovely that I couldn't help drawing her. Thank you so much for commenting.

[honorat.livejournal.com]

That is a wonderful quotation. And it is so true. Then that beauty in the heart shines through on the face again.

I do love the soul that moves behind that face.

Thank you so much for your kind words about the detail. I'm glad you liked the work as well as the subject.

Your grandmother sounds like a wonderful person. Some people are so generous with their lives. My mother-in-law worked as a nurse until she was 70. Now she still does temporary elder care for families who need a break--and she's in her 80s.

How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!
As tho' to breathe were life! Life piled on life
Were all too little, and of one to me
Little remains: but every hour is saved
From that eternal silence, something more,
A bringer of new things; and vile it were
For some three suns to store and hoard myself,
And this gray spirit yearning in desire
To follow knowledge like a sinking star,
Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.

I can't resist some of Tennyson's poetry. :D

[honorat.livejournal.com]

Thank you for dropping by to comment. I'm glad you found your way here and are enjoying the visit. Sunsets are a bit of a challenge in black and white--LOL. Someday, I hope to have time for colour.

I'd be delighted to be on your f-list.

[honorat.livejournal.com]

Windows to the soul--eyes. She is pretty amazing. This woman is not anyone I happen to know personally, although I have seen her. She's a stage actress who--if you will forgive the pun--has the grace to act her age. No pulling and tucking away all the artwork time has done on her face.

It's lovely to see you back again. I hope RL has been treating you well. Thanks so much for the comment.

[elessil.livejournal.com]

Gorgeous work. You have such a way with fabric textures, I'm envious.

[hendercats.livejournal.com]

Truly a beautiful woman - thanks so much for sharing this one (and all the others too) with us.

RL has been a bit overwhelming the last couple of months, but am trying to get back to all this wonderful fun I've been missing. Read chapter 4 of Crossing the Bar and owe you feedback on it - am just incapable still of anything but slack-jawed staring. Hope to be coherent tomorrow morning. :)

[erinrua.livejournal.com]

Wow.

You just keep getting better, Honorat. The *textures* of your work simply blow me away. You have truly captured a beautiful soul, here. Very well done! :-)
Cheers ~

Erin

[honorat.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much. I find fabric works best if I don't think what I'm drawing but just look for shapes. Patterned fabric is a real nightmare, however. I struggled with whether or not to bother on this one, but that dress just seemed to need its little floral pattern.

[honorat.livejournal.com]

Hello Erin,

How wonderful to see you again. I hope RL has been good to you. I'm glad you like this wonderful woman. I once saw a production of Shakespeare's The Tempest where Miranda, who had never seen anyone but her father and Caliban, sees the castaways and exclaims "Oh wonder, how many goodly creatures are there here, how beautious mankind is, oh Brave New World that has such people in it." The director had her say this line while looking at the oldest man on the cast. Free of the constraints of cultural conditioning, she saw the physical beauty even of the elderly. We are merely trained to disregard the shapes and lights and shadows time paints on the flesh as unattractive, but the first time I drew them, I was astonished at how beautiful every face is at every stage in life.

Thank you so much for the comment. Honorat