"Aphrodite"

Alice McMahon White

"Aphrodite"

A tribute to The Goddess Marilyn, from my “Black Butterfly” series. From a reference photograph of the last sitting by Bert Stern. Charcoal and pastel on mylar drafting film, 20×16” The butterflies in this case symbolize the artist’s muse – and also are a premonition of the death of the goddess.

The drafting film is translucent, so I have used a white paper under the film for brightness on this ethereal subject. I work on the frosted side of the paper for tooth. The mylar lends a lovely soft effect.

"Aphrodite" by Alice McMahon White
  • Douglas Hunt

    Douglas Hunt

    magnificent!

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Thank you Douglas!

  • Valerie Simms

    Valerie Simms

    Gorgeous work Alice! I like the way you’ve added the butterflies it really makes it yours :)
    She was stunning wasn’t she

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    I had such a hard time choosing a single photo – you chose well for your portrait as well Val. I’m having an even more difficult time moving on to something new! She was All That. Indeed.

  • Christophe Testi

    Christophe Testi

    Amazing work!

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Hard to go wrong with this subject matter. Thanks Christophe.

  • Laurie McClave

    Laurie McClave

    Gorgeous honey!

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Goddesses are such fun! :)

  • AnitaInverarity

    AnitaInverarity

    Great work Alice- really beautiful x

  • Lee Wilde

    Lee Wilde

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Awesome Lee,Thanks!

  • Sean Farragher

    Sean Farragher

    beautiful work

  • JDNarts

    JDNarts

    Nice work Alice! Good to see you continuing the series. You’ve captured her eyes and her expression very well.

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Thank you Jim. The mylar can be very tricky – I’m still not 100% pleased with the rendering, but believe me I’ve given it 100% in effort. I keep coming back to the mylar because of it’s ethereal quality.

  • Lynsye Medalia

    Lynsye Medalia

    :) I wish you could see how big my smile is right now! :) I’m loving how the ‘black butterfly’ series is taking on this goddess persona! I can’t wait to see what you do next! Aphrodite – the Goddess of love, beauty, and sexual rapture…...what better person than Marilyn to portray that! :)

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Lynsye, somehow I knew you would approve. :) Thanks again for guiding my direction. <3>

  • Firedrake

    Firedrake

    Beautiful, has a very soft look to it.

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Thanks Firedrake, the mylar film gives that effect. It’s actually very difficult to build up dark layers and to do subtle shadings. In the end you just have to give over to the medium. Seems to work well for this subject. xx

  • karmym

    karmym

    well done, really beautiful!

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Thanks for commenting!

  • Shelleymay

    Shelleymay

    Really effective, congratulations!

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Thank you! xx

  • Alleycatsgarden

    Alleycatsgarden

    woo hoooo – big round of applause

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Boy, artists can use all the applause they can get! Thanks kindly for that!

  • masqueHysteria

    masqueHysteria

    incredible work Alice!

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Thank you David! How are you – I have a new myspace page. I’ll look you up. xx ~ Alice

  • PaulineAdair

    PaulineAdair

    Superb….!!!!

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Thanks very much Pauline. I so admire your work, I really appreciate your feedback.

  • tkrosevear

    tkrosevear

    Norma Jean would be proud…;)

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    She was gorgeous!

  • ShadowDancer

    ShadowDancer

    it took a while to scroll down to add my comment, which shows what a marvelous piece it is, lots of admirers. I love the soft sensuality, it’s very surreal. Simply beautiful.

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Haha! I make the list longer by commenting back. ;) Thank you SD, I really admire surrealist art, this may be one of the first pieces I’ve done that approaches that style. Thanks so much!

  • Colin Cartwright

    Colin Cartwright

    This could be fine charcoal sketch, Alice. Wonderful photoart.

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    But Colin, this IS a charcoal drawing! :) From the photo art of Bert Stern, Marilyn’s last sitting.

  • Colin Cartwright

    Colin Cartwright

    Oops sorry, Alice. That sends it much higher in my rating!
    Ah, I see it now in the text “charcoal and paste”. Sorry.

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    No problem Colin. Glad you like!

  • Angel Warda

    Angel Warda

    absolutely beautiful!

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Thanks Angel, living up to your name, I see. xx

  • Angel Warda

    Angel Warda

    sometimes…maybe!!!...lol

  • dpennyor

    dpennyor

    excellent job!!!

  • Simon Aberle

    Simon Aberle

    This is simply stunning! I see what you mean about different backing paper adding different effects to the mylar!

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    So much fun! I may never go back to pastels – although I think they may work on the mylar as well. There’s a thought! :)

  • PJ Ryan

    PJ Ryan

    stunning

  • linskudd

    linskudd

    Excellent work.

  • bdazzled

    bdazzled

    Stunning work of art – you have a great talent :-)

  • ltruskett

    ltruskett

    goodness, absolutely stunning…...........love this…......

  • illestwill

    illestwill

    Beautiful

  • Shoaib .

    Shoaib .

    great work you are super talented

  • Alice McMahon White

    Alice McMahon ...

    :) Thanks!

  • Tracey Mac

    Tracey Mac

    Just gorgeous, loving your style so much!

  • Patricia Anne McCarty

    Patricia Anne ...

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Hey, COOL! Thanks so much Patricia! xx

  • Ingz

    Ingz

    so very beautiful….a wonderful tribute to Marilyn xxx

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Thanks Ingz! I couldn’t resist drawing her.

  • Damien Venditti

    Damien Venditti

    i love this beyond words .. its just so amazing .. for me its a perfect balance of her amazingly powerful sexuality and her more vulnerable human side .. masterpiece!!!!

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Thanks so much Damien! It was great to work from such a wonderful reference, but I liked adding the butterflies as a touch of whimsy.

  • Janell Rufiange

    Janell Rufiange

    so amazing, you are so talented

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Thanks Janelle. You have some lovely photos in your portfolio! I enjoyed my visit.

  • aABHINAV

    aABHINAV

    NICE WORK.

  • Sarah Moore

    Sarah Moore

    This is stunning! It is instantly recognisable as Marilyn…gorgeous!

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Thanks so much Sarah. I really wanted to draw her from a reference different from the usual, highly recognized glamor poses. I love this suite by Bert Stern. It was a challenge to get that backlit look, and I think I revised the face four times after my first posting. :)

  • Makeba Kedem-DuBose

    Makeba Kedem-D...

    Soft and lovely. peace…

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Thank you Makeba!

  • Mindy McGregor

    Mindy McGregor

    I love Marilyn, and I love what you did here, this is fabulous!!!!!!

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Thanks for the fave and watch!!! <3>

  • Jean M. Laffitau

    Jean M. Laffitau

    WOWOW!!!!!

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Thanks for all your kindnesses Jean!

  • MoonSpiral

    MoonSpiral

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Woohoo! Thanks for the double feature! xx

  • NAGILLAH

    NAGILLAH

    WOW!!

  • Morris Hill

    Morris Hill

    unbelievably awesome, when I grow up I want to be just like you, lol…..how long does it take you to do a portait of this type.

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Hahaha! Somehow, that makes me feel really old. :) kidding. Have no idea how many hours, until it’s done I guess! Not maybe as many as you’d think. The mylar is quick on the less detailed areas, but slow in the finer details or delicate gradients. I had a tricky time with the likeness on this one, and redo-s tend to be tough on mylar. It’s easy to erase mistakes, but it erases too thoroughly, and then it’s a bit like staring all over. I redid the facial features, especially the eyes at least three times. I’m happy with it now. :) Thanks Morris!

  • Zoraida Pesante

    Zoraida Pesante

    BEAUTIFULLY DONE!!! WOW!!! AWESOME WORK!

  • Svetlana Sewell

    Svetlana Sewell

    Spectacular art Alice!!

  • EarthquakeBee

    EarthquakeBee

    I am stunned and marvelled by your pieces of art, by the things you see and you share with us. Thanks for sharing it.

  • Angela van Boxtel

    Angela van Bo...

    Would be great if you can do on t-shirt AND Please submit to our new group http://www.redbubble.com/groups/womanly-tee-design
    for the largest Tshirt clothes line at Manly Beach!! Womanly @ Manly Beach!! as part of the Manly Arts Festival www.manlyartsfestival.com and the event is hosted by www.creativemums.com.au

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Thanks, but I’m not much into the t’s – especially since I used someone else’s photo to create this image.

  • Angela van Boxtel

    Angela van Bo...

    I still love it :-)

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Thanks Angela!

  • Nori Bucci

    Nori Bucci

    Just a fantastic piece of art!!!

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Thanks so much Nori!

  • JP100

    JP100

    I like your organic style and feeling to your works it feels very tangible and real. nice work

  • hsien-ku

    hsien-ku

    really beautiful

  • Anji Johnston

    Anji Johnston

    Superior!

  • krishan gupta

    krishan gupta

    well done.. ... beautifully composed image, i love your creativity in your work …..i like so much.

  • Sarah Moore

    Sarah Moore

    Gorgeous work – would you consider entering her in the The Beauty of Black and White compeition in Fine Art of the Female Form?!

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Thanks so much Sarah! I already entered the challenge with my work “Black Butterfly”. Do you think I should change them?

  • Chris Baker

    Chris Baker

    Amazing work! The butterflies suit the feel of the image really well :)

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Thanks so much for your kind comment Chris – I’m really impressed with your portfolio! Glad you found me here on the bubble.

  • Sinéad Costello

    Sinéad Costello

    I adore your style

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Thank you for that, and for the watch Sinead!

  • CORA D. MITCHELL

    CORA D. MITCHELL

    awesome!

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Thanks Cora – I’m showing this at my upcoming solo exhibition. Have you been to the Zhou B Center?

  • CORA D. MITCHELL

    CORA D. MITCHELL

    no, where is that>? let me know the dates and I’ll try to make it!! I’d love to meet you.

  • Mudsoldat

    Mudsoldat

    The Immortal M. xxx RIP. MS

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Thanks Mudsoldat! Cool screen name. LOL.

  • Steph Granshaw

    Steph Granshaw

    this piece leaves me speechles…......

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    Thanks for all the love Steph! xx

  • Rajdev D

    Rajdev D

    Fantastic, your work is great.

  • kenmeyerjr

    kenmeyerjr

    Really cool…I actually used a photo from that same sitting, if I remember correctly…I think I have it in my art here on RB.

  • juha

    juha

    j aime beaucoup ton travail bravo

  • Alice McMahon ... replied

    xx

  • Constance Widen

    Constance Widen 16 days ago

    How very beautiful this is Alice! Your work is really superb and your butterflies are sublime :-)

  • Alice McMahon ... replied 15 days ago

    Thanks so much dear Constance! xx

  • James Lewis Hamilton

    James Lewis Ha... 5 days ago

    I’m enjoying all your portfolio art today. This is just one of your gorgious works that has ‘jumped out at me’! ;)))
    By the, IMO either your image… or the picture of Marilyn, with the words would make a great tee! Oh, I better check… maybe you’ve done it… I’ll just keep ‘watching’.
    ;    )))

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