Jane Tarini

Home: Ancaster ON
Title: Figlia
Media: Graphite on paper
Dimensions: 30 x 23 cm

Artist Statement

My portrait is of my daughter Kate. I chose this particular pose because I liked the combination of her almost smile and her forward look. It is a good portrayal of her sense of humour and her determination. When I began the drawing I was most interested in capturing the slight smile accurately. That made me think about the Mona Lisa and that Kate is Italian on her father’s side of the family so I thought using a loose interpretation of the Mona Lisa’s background would be a fun nod to both Kate’s heritage and art history. I subsequently found out that Leonardo’s birthplace is quite close to our family’s hometown.

Biography

Though I have a good educational background in psychology, women’s studies and art history my main focus has always been making things with my hands. About ten years ago I decided to learn to draw and paint well and so I did training in the realist manner. Since then I have been working on my own to develop and refine my skills. Portraiture is my favorite subject although I have started to learn about the pleasure of drawing landscapes and animals.