Charlotte, February 1980
1980, oil on canvas board, 14x18 inches

"And I should grow, at last, to know,
that I was dear to thee..."

Robert Burns Wilson, 1887

It was not long before I wanted to try my hand at painting Charlotte in oil. Considering how few oil paintings I had done up to this point, it turned out pretty well. This time I felt I got her eye colour right or as close as I could make it. There was still a lot to learn about painting the face, particularly the eyes. There was a mistake I made in painting the eyes that for some reason I did not see for over twenty years until a friend pointed it out to me.

In spite of the error, the painting conveys something of Charlotte's essence and her dignity.