Ron as Roulin

Kay Elmore, Ron as Roulin, oil on Canvas, 16" x 20"

10/10/15 - Addendum.  Top image is current state of the painting--made good headway with it yesterday.
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One of the paintings at The Barnes is Van Gogh's The Postman, Joseph-Etienne Roulin (1889) (see below).  No, not "one of the paintings" ....my favorite painting there, as is usually the case in any museum I've been in that has a Van Gogh painting in their exhibit.

I guess it was on my mind when I took the train into town the next day, from Lansdowne into Philadelphia. I saw a SEPTA worker walking through the train cars, and almost grabbed his coattail but he was moving too fast. I knew I wanted to paint him. So when the train stopped, I jumped off and asked if I could take his picture. He wasn't too crazy about the idea, but agreed if I promised to send him a picture of the painting. No problem--I will happily send it when it's done.

Started it today. So fun, it just puts a smile on my face! His dreads will go nicely with the loopy lime-green patterned background of Van Gogh's original composition, which I'm posting here for reference.

Vincent Van Gogh, The Postman, Joseph-Etienne Roulin (1889)

Oh--one other thing--I'm not generally able to get a likeness of someone, but this is him! (Ron, not Roulin.) This is the closest likeness I've ever achieved. I hope I can hang onto it when I lay the paint down.

10/8/15