This is a picture I painted of President Obama before he turned gray

[lunatica]

Last edited Sun Oct 13, 2019, 08:54 PM - Edit history (1)

I want to make a very large one of 3 ft x 3 ft or larger some day.

It’s only two colors, black and white, which symbolizes, among other things, his mixed race parentage. I wanted to do something that represented a racially united country. Little did I know!

[AJT]

1. Gosh, that's wonderful.

[tblue37]

2. Very nice! K&R. nt

[dchill]

3. Excellent!

[KT2000]

4. you captured his spirit!

really nice -

[lunatica]

5. Thanks!

I made it as minimally detailed as possible so just him would show. I didn’t want to give it any details other than the necessary ones to recognize him. I also wanted to render the man alone with no indication of office.

[Thekaspervote]

6. It's really a great piece!! Keep up your art

[lunatica]

8. Now that I'm retired my life

has narrowed down to my art. I finally have the time!

[LyndaG]

7. Very good!

You are so talented.

[backtoblue]

9. Wow!

You captured his warmth and his beautiful smile. This is fantastic!

[lunatica]

10. I love it when he laughs

Especially when he cracks up. That’s what I was going for.

[Duppers]

11. WOW!! Most impressive!

When I think of him in my mind's eye, he is smiling like this.

Did you use a photo as a model? Anyway, it's PERFECT.

[lunatica]

12. Yes. I used various photos

And the funny part is that his hair went gray really fast and I kept having to update the picture until I finally decided I would never finish it if I kept doing it that way!

[MLAA]

13. OMG, you have so much talent.

Are you a professional artist? You really captured his wonderful, joyful, kind spirit!

[lunatica]

15. No, I'm not a professional

I have had a few requests for my art, but due to various life reasons I was unable to pursue a career in art. Right now I just want to finally dedicate myself to my art since I retired about a year ago.

This piece was done in President Obama’s first term.

[MLAA]

22. So glad you are now in a position to pursue your art!

I retired a few years ago and started taking painting lessons and now am painting all my friend’s pets. But I am not in your class at all. You go for it, you have what it takes!

[lunatica]

25. I have about 65 years of experience.

If you’ve improved in a handful of years, imagine how you’d be painting in a few decades! That’s the way art is. The more you do it the better you get. This is a fact.

[MLAA]

29. I did have a recent breakthrough....

After a couple years of plodding along overnight one day I started painting better and much, much faster 🙂. It is so enjoyable.

[lunatica]

31. In my experience that happens even if you don't paint for a while

As long as you think and see like an artist. And you can do that by just looking at nature or art.

I just recently had a breakthrough myself. It would surprise me except it’s happened so many times in my life.

It’s possible our subconscious is artistic and works undercover and every once in a while it pushes it into our conscious mind.

[MLAA]

32. So funny you should say that about not painting for a while...

My breakthrough came after not being able to paint for 8 months because I temporarily went back to work in NYC and didn’t have the time or the space in a downtown apartment. However I thought about painting frequently and of course saw beautiful art while there!

[lunatica]

34. That's exactly it.

I’m glad I was able to corroborate your experience. It’s very real.

[Chicagogrl1]

14. Gorgeous!

Our only saving grace is that the younger generation doesn’t see or care @ color, at least most of them. Can’t wait til all the old racists pass away!

[madaboutharry]

16. It's beautiful!

You could sell copies. I would buy it.

[lunatica]

17. Thanks!

Really? I have it in my photobucket account which has print services in various styles and sizes. I can get it as a photo or as a poster or on canvas in a large variety of sizes.

[madaboutharry]

18. I would.

I would hang it my wall. I think it’s beautiful. You captured his spirit, his optimism, his belief in basic goodness.

[lunatica]

21. That's really nice of you!

If you decide to get a copy please PM me.

[madaboutharry]

23. I'll pm you tomorrow.

I’m very interested in finding out more.

[lunatica]

24. Great!

Thanks!

[Karadeniz]

19. That's fabulous...mail him a copy!❤

[mountain grammy]

20. Nice. I love black and white art.

This makes me smile 😊

[Doodley]

26. You capture the greatest president of all time very well.

[Ghost Dog]

27. Nice work, lunatica. Pity about the ageism

(I speak as one gray-haired these last many years), though.

[lunatica]

28. LOL!

It wasn’t ageism on my part. It was that every time I thought I was finished he would get a ton more of gray hair. I tried to keep up because I wanted it to be contemporary but I finally had to give up and restore most of the original hair color.

The funny thing is it must have really been bothering me because I had a dream where I saw him and Michelle sitting in an outdoor café and I walked up to him and told him that he was messing up my painting of him because I couldn’t keep up with his hair turning gray. It was meant to be a joke, of course and they both laughed. But before I left I gave him a kiss on the top of his head. That dream is still very vivid.

[lunatica]

35. I'm quite a bit older than he is.

I’m 71 and gray myself. I see now why my remark seem ageist.

I love gray hair.

[Ghost Dog]

36. Going gray fast does seem to be part of that job!

Thanks for your art & good vibes

[JimGinPA]

30. Very Nice!

[Maraya1969]

33. I love it!

[Cha]

37. Wow.. you're Good, lunatica!

How wonderful to be so talented and creative!

Mahalo!

[lunatica]

38. Hi!

Thanks Cha!

[lillypaddle]

39. It's beautiful

You're very talented.

[sheshe2]

40. That is fantastic, lunatica.

Beautifully done.

[lunatica]

41. Thanks!

At the age of 71 I can finally get back to my art. Before retiring I didn’t do much for a few decades. But in Obama’s first term I wanted to paint him and Michelle because I love them both.

I figured people might enjoy seeing an artist’s rendition of one of our greatest Presidents right now. Especially right now!

[sheshe2]

42. He is the best President in my lifetime.

You captured his essence perfectly.

[Soph0571]

43. That is stunning! n/t

[MRDAWG]

44. That picture shows his personality***

*

[Nitram]

45. Obama never "turned too gray."

[lunatica]

46. You're right.

I didn’t write that the way I wanted it to come out, so I took the word ‘too’ out.

I painted it in his first term but his hair started to turn gray so I went back and added the little bit of gray, but he kept getting more and more gray and I tried to keep up. Then I had the dream I talk about and I realized that I was letting it influence me too much. So I decided to just leave a little gray and say it was finished.

I hope my explanation makes sense. It isn’t ageism. I’m 71 and gray myself.

[Nitram]

47. Thanks, Lunatica. Your explanation makes complete sense.

I'm gray, too, btw.

[bif]

48. Very nicely done!

I wish I had half the talent you have. With just a few lines, you totally captured his look and spirit!

[Demovictory9]

49. k&r