"head over heels": a commission

a few days ago i received permission from both the sponsor as well as the subjects for this commission piece and i thought that i would post it. aside from the unusual pose...all the work of the sponsor photographer...i went in a slightly different direction with the background. i was influenced by two artists whom i greatly admire. frank webb is a noted watercolor painter and teacher. the other influence is a figurative artist who does amazing figures and faces in a variety of (mostly) angst-driven poses. his name is sorin dumitrescu mihaesti.

frank webb shows a technique wherein he places similar value but different-hued patches against each other on damp paper thus yielding a patchwork of colors that reads well as on shape. sorin dumitrescu mihaesti does somewhat the same thing but with oils and allows some of the patches to invade the figures themselves. the net result is fascinating. i am trying here to produce a somewhat similar result in watercolor in the background. in order to bring a little unity to the piece i allowed a few patches to spill into the hair of the figures.

so here it is.

"head over heels": (11"X15")