"My Beauty"

My good friend and fellow painter, Mark Gingerich, is a mentor as well as peer.  His persistent pushing to get me out of my comfort zone has been a Godsend for me.  This is a piece I worked on during our nearly weekly painting sessions together.  Needless to say, a portrait—of my wife!—with palette knife?—is waaaay outside of my safety harness!  No pressure there!  But with Mark's encouragement and suggestions, I was very happy with the result.  As was my Honey, who said, "Finally, after 41 years of marriage, you've painted me!"