Halcyon by Richard Greathouse

“A portrait of a young woman surrounded by birds, a memory of halcyon days. This work was painted at a time in my career when I knew I was about to return the U.S., after having lived for several years in Italy. This was a bittersweet time, filled with acknowledgements of coming changes, hopes for the future, and contented memories. It was also the period in which I became engaged to my wife, and since that time, we often look back on it with fondness. The painting itself started off modestly, simply as a portrait study of a young woman. The model for the painting was also at a time of change in her life, as she was about to leave the country for the first time, unsure of her future. After she had left, I continued to work on the painting, evolving it into its current state, with these thoughts and memories in mind.” – Richard Greathouse