I Painted Kelsey at Epoch Coffee

I painted Kelsey at Epoch Coffee House as she was applying to Colleges.

I painted Kelsey at Epoch Coffee House as she was applying to Colleges.

Kelsey was at Epoch Coffee this morning, applying to colleges on her mom’s laptop.  She is past-president of the Latin club at her high school, where she is on the distinguished track.  She said that she hates these college applications because they all want the student to prove their leadership skills.  She said that she “hates leaders” – and that all that means is “some bossy kid with half a brain wants to push you around”.  She said that she loves riding her bike (she was at Critical Mass on Halloween), and playing the cello.  Kelsey wanted to go to art school for college, but her mother wouldn’t let her.  I hope to run into her again, soon.

This entry was written by Lavanna Martin, posted on November 2, 2008 at 9:29 pm, filed under alla prima, art, oil painting, painting, portrait sketch, portraiture and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post. Post a comment or leave a trackback: Trackback URL.

14 Comments

  1. cbdeoro
    Posted November 2, 2008 at 10:20 pm | Permalink

    this is wonderful & lovely!

    Reply
  2. Lavanna Martin
    Posted November 2, 2008 at 10:26 pm | Permalink

    Hi, cbdeoro.

    Thank you. Please visit again. On Wednesdays, I have a starving artist series. I will eventually ask for other artist’s stories.

    Thank you,

    ~Lavanna Martin

    Reply
  3. Owen
    Posted November 2, 2008 at 11:02 pm | Permalink

    Beautiful, both the subject and the rendering. I hope her folks will reconsider. The greatest gift they can give their daughter is the gift to be herself.

    Reply
  4. Lavanna Martin
    Posted November 2, 2008 at 11:05 pm | Permalink

    Hi, Owen!

    So good to hear from you again.

    Let me pop over and see what you are up to.

    ~Lavanna Martin

    Reply
  5. grace
    Posted November 2, 2008 at 11:18 pm | Permalink

    will someone tell kelsey that she can go art school if she wants?! oi.

    Reply
  6. Lavanna Martin
    Posted November 2, 2008 at 11:24 pm | Permalink

    Hi, Grace!

    Hope that things are going well at He-Brews Coffee in Michigan!

    Thanks,

    ~Lavanna Martin

    Reply
  7. Lani Anglin-Rosales
    Posted November 3, 2008 at 12:26 am | Permalink

    Wow. You may get tired of hearing it, but I just LOVE your work! This is beautiful!

    Reply
  8. Lavanna Martin
    Posted November 3, 2008 at 2:42 am | Permalink

    Hi, Lani.

    Thanks so much for the kind words. It gives me encouragement to keep painting.

    Good to hear from you again!

    Thanks,

    ~Lavanna Martin

    Reply
  9. Jana Bouc
    Posted November 3, 2008 at 6:29 am | Permalink

    Definitely a favorite and for some reason reminds me of a a Toulouse Lautrec painting. Do you often converse with your subject while you paint them?

    Reply
  10. Lavanna Martin
    Posted November 3, 2008 at 1:12 pm | Permalink

    Hi, Jana.

    I never talk to my subjects when I am painting them – they rarely discover that they are being painted, unless they get up and move behind me to see what I’m painting.

    If I am discovered, they always want to sit down and chat a bit. No one has ever been mad, and that surprised me. I think that they are amazed that someone would be painting what they see, since there is such an anime and self-expression movement with a large section of the coffee house culture.

    Thanks for the kind words. I try!

    ~Lavanna Martin

    Reply
  11. ydnad
    Posted November 4, 2008 at 2:23 pm | Permalink

    Kelsey will thank her Mother one day for the guidance to go to university. Beautiful work!

    Lisa Kelly

    http://www.resumepie.wordpress.com

    Reply
  12. Lavanna Martin
    Posted November 4, 2008 at 7:20 pm | Permalink

    Hi, Lisa.

    Yeah, you know, most of the time, the parents really do know their children, and desire the best for them. Let’s hope that this is the case with Kelsey, too!

    Thanks,

    ~Lavanna Martin

    Reply
  13. Aletha
    Posted November 14, 2008 at 2:43 am | Permalink

    Lavanna,

    I think this is just amazing. What a wonderful portrait. I have sometimes drawn people in brief sketches while they were unaware — usually on the subway — but I have never even considered painting. And this portrait is so sensitively done. A true wow.

    Aletha

    Reply
  14. Lavanna Martin
    Posted November 14, 2008 at 2:48 am | Permalink

    Hi, Aletha.

    Thanks so much for the kind words.

    I enjoy your site. What a pleasure to have you pop over.

    Thank you,

    ~Lavanna Martin

    Reply

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