And so it begins – painting actresses from 1920s

© Katie Jeanne Wood
Anna May Wong
oil portrait painting
WIP

I’ve thought about it, and decided I do want to create a series of famous actresses/models. It might be slow going for the next couple months because I’m busy working on other projects, but I’m excited to work on this series. I’m going to shoot for 5 to 10 portraits from each decade, maybe more if I get really inspired while doing the research. I think I’ll be using oil paints for most, if not all of these. I’ll post my work in progress shots here on my blog when I get a chance. 

I’m starting with the roaring 1920s, and this beauty’s name was Anna May Wong. She was the first Chinese American to star in movies. Her story fascinates me. Since I was a little kid, I’ve been a fan of silent film. I’ll never forget the first time I saw one. My parents were buying a car at a dealership, and to keep kids entertained, they had a tiny theater room that played silent films. I was probably around 8, and had never seen a movie like that before. I remember asking my Mom why nobody talked, and she explained silent film to me. I was mesmerized, still am, especially watching Anna do this dance.

The painting still needs work, but this is how far I got with the first layer. I pretty much wanted to get her features down on the panel, and then I’ll work on painting in details next time. I’m letting this one dry, and will continue where I left off in a day or so. 

I’m once again working with an old b&w photo, so I’m choosing the colors myself. I’m not sure yet if the cad red background is going to be a thing with all these portraits, but so far I think it’s working well for Marilyn Monroe, and Anna. 

I’ve been getting quite a few requests for custom paintings lately. If you want to order a custom painting for the holidays, the cut off point will be soon. I usually stop accepting orders around November 15th. The date depends on how many orders I’m working on, and if I think I can get the paintings finished and shipped on time. Some years I’ve had to cut it off on Nov 1st, because I was swapped. If you’re interested, please contact me sooner than soon to get on the waiting list. Fall is passing by quickly, and my schedule is filling up. 

Subjects I prefer painting – abstracts, portraits, floral, and birds. I will consider other subjects also. Let’s talk about the possibilities.  

PS: It would be most helpful to me if you have a size in mind, let me know your preferred colors, and have reference photos ready. Reference photos need to be as large as possible so I can see details. Please no blurry photos, and good lighting is a must. I can only paint what I can see. TIA! 

I hope you have a lovely weekend. xo 

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It’s the perfect time to freshen up your walls for the new fall season, so be sure to check out my eBay store. I’m listing original paintings at low starting bids. Remember to click the ❤️ to save me as a favorite seller, so you don’t miss out. I’m also having a 10% off already marked down paintings in my Etsy shop. Hurry! Sale ends soon. 

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