A Note from the Artist

Painting a portrait of Ellen Degeneres has been on my Life List for several years now. After making a new wish list for 2008, I decided to just do it. I went up to my studio and three and a half hours later, emerged with this portrait. I have wanted to do a portrait in black and white with the eyes in color, and this seemed like the perfect one to do, so I knew that all I had to do was show up at the canvas and get out of the way. Many think that struggle is what produces your best work. I believe the exact opposite is true. It's tapping into the flow of creative energy and going with it. It just comes out effortlessly, like breathing, and the time passes without your knowledge. This was one of those times.

Line Drawing

Background

Blocking In

Highlighting

Detail

Finished Portrait

Ellen and Blynda