Size: M30, 91cm × 60cm, 36” x 24”
Media: Brush, Oil paint on Canvas
Date: Completed 1973
Where: Painted at Fayence, France
Signature: cropped off photograph
Currently: Chantel Robert family
Happily Ever After was another painting of one of the locals in Fayence, Chantal Robert, started a week after finishing The Wish. This painting should not be confused with “Wishing on the Moon“.
A reading of the diary entries, see below, tells the story of how this painting of the same model in an identical pose as “Wishing on the Moon” came to be created. At first this had me baffled as “Wishing on the Moon” appeared to be a complete rework of this earlier painting of the same model. Instead we read that while starting this painting another concept occurs to my mother and she reuses her initial sketches on the second canvas to be completed some three months later. This painting then becomes a gift or payment to Chantal herself.
While going through her sketches, I came across this series of sketches that includes ideas for The Wish as well as one of the Chantal paintings along with some of the sketch ideas for the Oyster Nymphs also mentioned in the diary.
Diary Entries
| September 24, 1973 | 1st sitting with Chantal (Robert) 25M 1/2 figure. Idea for title “Happily Ever After” 1hr drawing in, good. |
| October 1, 1973 | 2nd sitting Chantal . She didn’t come! Sketched ideas for “The Oyster Nymphs” |
| October 7, 1973 | Waited with paint mixed for 45 minutes Chantal never came! Did laughing self portrait in 2.5 hours! |
| October 8, 1973 | Again Chantal never came! Finished ‘laughing self-portrait’ 4.5 hours altogether! |
| October 13, 1973 | 2nd sitting Chantal . Re-draw with paint. New hairstyle, new sweater & now new idea for 2nd canvas. She can sit on the Moon. Why not? Giving me great contrast & impact with night sky behind yellow sweater & hair. |
| October 15, 1973 | 3rd Sitting with Chantal. Finished painting on eyes & face & neck not mouth in 1.5 hrs!! Good. PM Started 2nd canvas “Wishing on the Moon” Transferred drawing – painted face but not features 1.5 hrs I seem to have jumped a mental block on portrait painting giving me more speed. |
| October 17, 1973 | Chantal & small cousin [visit], stopped work in AM. She gave me ‘moules’ I cooked them for supper. V. good. PM Did 3 layers of paint on night background 1 hr. |
| October 18, 1973 | 2hrs on sunset background. |
| October 21, 1973 | 4th sitting Chantal. I couldn’t believe it!! She arrived in yet another different set of colours! & lank greasy hair when she knew I was going to do it!! She now wants hair a different colour & also sweater & pants. Some present this painting 1.5 hrs mouth, nose, hair. 2hrs alone on sweater. |
| October 22, 1973 | 5th Sitting Chantal 45 mins, painted trousers. |
| November 5, 1973 | Incredible Chantal DID NOT turn up again! 4th morning she has let me down, waited 45 mins then started on nude again, but new technique evaded me – legs & feet. |
| November 12, 1973 | 5th sitting Chantal who calmly annouced she couldn’t come anymore! Finished hands an hr. v. good. |
| December 3, 1973 | Great got some work done. 3.5 hrs Chantal background. Nearly finished 7.25 hrs with model 7 alone. |
| December 4, 1973 | 1.5hr Chantal background |
| December 5, 1973 | Finished! ‘Heureux jusqu’ à la fin’ in 17 hours altogether. |
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