Every time I look at this painting I think of the wild west. Our model Denise brought a dress she formerly used to deliver singing telegrams. Diana set her up against a bright red background (it was a some fabric hanging from the foldable screen). Costumes aren't my thing, but even I have to admit the effect was dramatic, and it was a welcome change in our routine. I manipulated the background to make it more interesting, shortened the wall and added Deborah, who always draws these incredible portraits in pencil. In this 16 x 20" acrylic, what works is the clear emphasis on the model: saturated vs muted, warm vs cold, sharp vs soft, more detail vs less detail.
I particularly like the way you've framed the model's profile within a rectangular space in the background (the vague pink, light blue, and yellowish shapes out the window are beautiful) and, similarly, fitted her body between two balanced squares of light blue on the floor. The putty-colored rectangle of wall behind Deborah and the dull turquoise strip of wall at the far right do a lot to give structure and interest to the composition in a most unobtrustive way, while allowing us to concentrate on the figures. Denise's feather boa has lots of pizazz, with its angular, cloud-like shapes. Deborah is a strong background presence with an amusing, expressive face.
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