The sixth commission from Melissa Robinson was Melissa's great
grandmother Elizabeth Walden. Elizabeth was half white and half Indian who was born in the mid 19th century. The only surviving
photograph that was taken of Elizabeth was when she was in her senior
years. Melissa wanted a picture that illustrated what Elizabeth may
have looked like as a young woman. Ron Marlett studied the old
photograph of Elizabeth and made a drawing that focused on her cheek
bones, chin, nose, and forehead, and then imagined what her face would
look like without the sagging skin and deep wrinkles. The hair was
painted in a style fashionable during the 1880s and a Victorian
shoulder coat was drawn from pictures found on the internet. Melissa
liked the coat and wanted to carry the colors into the background by
adding pink and red flowers to the imaginary scenery that Elizabeth
stands in front of. Return to Gallery |
