Woman of the Week: Somaly Mam

I was finally able to complete the portrait of Somaly Mam. I only had a few minor touch ups to make, but here she is more radiant than ever.

Final Portrait: Somaly Mam

 The most exciting part about painting each women is the transition from sketching them in pencil to completing them in full color. Here is the outline I made of Somaly Mam before I painted her:

From the sketch, it was hard for me to tell what the final product was going to look like. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to do her justice. However, beginning with the eyes, I worked the brush around her face and it wasn't long until I began to see Somaly Mam peeking through the black and white. 

There is always a moment I have while painting when I feel the presence of the woman I am portraying with me in the room. Within a few minutes, I see her come to life on the page, and with each stroke, she grows more strongly into the woman I admire. Upon completion, I feel as if I have formed a personal connection with each woman and gotten to know her better just through the process. Here is the moment when I saw Mam come alive in my artwork: 

With her nose poking out of the page and her one eye squinting, Mam seemed as if she was right in front of me. Somaly Mam is an amazing woman who lights up a room with her contagious smile and warmth. Painting her was a beautiful and meaningful process. 

For more information on Somaly Mam, please see my previous post titled "Somaly Mam".