"Young Equestrian"

Oil on Canvas  -  20" x 30"

Regular visitors to the studio will recognize this portrait and might have assumed it was from my personal collection.  As well they might.  This portrait and a companion piece of her brother have been my constant companions in the studio for almost two years.  "Two years?" you might ask.  "Why so long?"  It's like this; A patron of mine wanted copies made of two portraits that I had done in the 90's of her children. In fifteen years one's skill level (hopefully) improves.  I am a much better painter now than I was then.  Do I faithfully render the early work in my old hand or bring them up to the present?  It is something I have been grappling with for quite a while.  Since I still had the old reference, I chose to compromise.  They are still very close to the originals but I think they have a certain je ne sais quoi.