The last portrait I shared (a dog in a forest scene) was very complex. This one will be straightforward: a double Head Study of two people who were married for 57 years, commissioned by the wife, Cheri McNealy, after the loss of her beloved husband Larry, 8 months ago.
I have known Cheri for 33 years. She was instrumental in introducing my artwork to the Doberman community in 1991, and has been one of my biggest fans and supporters ever since.
Those who know Cheri know that she is an eloquent writer. She shared many memories of Larry with me to help me capture his essence. It’s hard to know which to share with you. So I’ll start with how they met….
Cheri's words are below the picture.
This is the initial outline drawing made with light and dark colored pencil on grey Canson paper.
From Cheri:
“I fell in love with his eyes on the night we met, at the Enlisted Men's Club at the Naval Training Center in San Diego. They were the only thing that left a good impression because he was out with the guys and snockered to the max. I would see him drunk only one other time in our 57 years together, but that is a different story.
I'd been hired to work the Chow Line at Coronado Naval Amphibious Base (cuz I wanted to meet sailors!) and a couple of weeks after our initial introduction, he came through my line, early in the morning and definitely sober. Once again, I fell in love with his beautiful blue eyes which I noticed before I really even saw his face! He looked up at me and smiled...
...and I watched where he sat down, then decided it was 'now or never': time to fill his napkin dispenser, replenish the salt and pepper shakers, check the catsup bottle and write my phone number down on a napkin and carefully place it on top of his cantaloupe before I returned to the chow line.
That was the beginning...he called me that night and I broke a date with a very handsome Russian born NCO who had a red convertible Corvette. The Corvette was very interesting and so was he - however, neither of them had Larry's blue eyes.”
🎨 Prismacolor pencil on grey Canson Mi-Teintes paper, 20 x 26 inches.
📷 From a photo taken in 1988 by the McNealy’s daughter Sarah.
"Cheri and Larry" is a HEAD STUDY portrait, one of my 5 portrait types. You can read about my types of portraits, and see galleries of examples HERE.
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