Simms Family Portrait; Part I

This is the fabulous photo I have been eagerly awaiting for.  It is a photo of my husband’s great grandmother and her eldest four children, it was taken in Carbonear Newfoundland a looong time ago. I am going to be replicating this photo in an oil painting. It was taken at a Sunday school picnic by a photographer, and she paid $3.50 to have it taken.

The price is still written on the back.  What I love about this photo:

1. It has Adam’s family in it, I find family history very interesting.

2. The children’s clothes! I think Mary Simms (The mother) sewed all of them herself.

3. Sara Ash, Mary’s neighbor is hiding in the back of the photo (you can see her peeking from behind Mary just above her hat), she did not want to pay for a photo but wouldn’t move out of the frame! And she is even holding up her baby so it would get in the shot too!!!! Hilarious!

Here is my sketch of this photo I started this morning. The size of the canvas is 16″ x 20″. I did consider removing Sara from the painting, but the story of this picture is so well known in the family I just couldn’t do that.

This is the baby; Elizabeth Simms, she was called Beth. I love her little wisps of hair and how she is squinting in the sun.  That is her baby pram in the background where the ladies have set their hats.

Wow, there is Sarah Ash standing just behind Mary’s hat in all her glory.

Once I am done my pencil drawing I spray the canvas with clear lacquer so it doesn’t smudge or turn my white paint dull by mixing with the graphite.

There.  Now I will wait for it to dry and I can start painting it soon.