The Artist- Portrait of Katie Whipple by Michelle Dunaway

This is a portrait of my friend and fellow artist Katie Whipple. I have always been impressed by Katie's talent and dedication to the path of art, I am also struck by her combination of graceful femininity yet fierce strength and determination to speak her mind. Anyone who knows her knows that she often dresses as though she could have emerged from the pages of a Jane Austen novel into the present day world. To know her spirit though, is to know she is bold, unafraid to speak her truth and has a very powerful presence. I wanted to capture her grace and femininity in the pose while having her stare directley at the viewer to show her personality, focus and intensity as a human being. As an artist I was also drawn to the muted colors of her attire as she sat with her studio window behind her, the light enveloping her while the highest chroma was her palette of fresh paint.