Size: F15, 65cm × 54cm, ~26″ x 22″
Media: Brush, Oil paint on Canvas
Date: Completed June 4, 1975
Where: Painted in Fayence, France
Signature: “benson”
Currently: Unknown
At conception this was entitled ‘Enpassant’ or ‘By The Way’ but as the painting emerged, she found herself calling it The Red Turban or Soie Rouge. This was the third painting she did using her non dominant left hand after injuring her right hand and wrist. From the diary she mentions early on trying to use her injured hand and then regretting it. You can clearly see how her technique has greatly improved compared to her first left handed effort, ‘Child of Vietnam‘, much to her own chagrin as she was actually appreciating and utilizing the lack of control and rough appearance caused by being forced to use the left hand.
Interestingly the colour palette is noticebaly different than most of her portraits. This was quite intentional as she writes in her diary of adding the “idea of 15th century colours, crimson, peacock green and gold” to the concept for the painting.
Diary Entries
| May 21, 1975 | 1.5 hrs new painting. Added nuisance was backache along with my still poorly hand. But got stuck in on a new painting of a beautiful Thai girl in silk head dress – idea started to come to give an impression of the Orient. |
| May 23, 1975 | 2 hrs unhappy work with left on ‘Enpassant’. Awoke feeling very cheerful – but still look frightful – and wrist/arm hurting from an attempt yesterday at normal usage. Shouldn’t try to do a beautiful woman with left hand – got very frustrated and cross. Definitely mistake to encroach on right hand territory. |
| May 25, 1975 | 2 hrs ‘Enpassant’ or ‘The Red Turban’. Persevered with head of Thai beauty, and with left hand and thought I was getting somewhere, but later looked at it and I didn’t like her. Wish I knew what subject I should be working on in this looser technique. Must put my mind to it – now I have got rid of the past churning around. |
| May 26, 1975 | 1 .5 hrs ‘Enpassant’ better work – left hand. Think I can pull the painting around I’m getting much more control with left hand. |
| May 27, 1975 | 2 hrs ‘Enpassant’ good work. Worked well in the a.m. on neck and chest of Thai girl. Incredibly the texture of paint is already becoming smoother as I gain control with my left hand – details still a bit tricky. |
| May 28, 1975 | 2 hrs on ‘Turban’ v. direct painting. I don’t believe it! Back aching like crazy with rheumatism. First time in ages. Gritted my teeth and got stuck into painting turban. Found Thai silk stole and wore it – painting from mirror. |
| June 2, 1975 | a.m. 2 hrs on ‘The Red Turban’ – good work. p.m. 2.5 hrs more painting on background. 16.5 to date. I woke feeling more cheerful and raring to get to work….. Work on fall of turban – it came out quite beautifully (all with left hand too!) Then in afternoon banged in the background. Remembering to keep it soft and hazy. I feel as if I am learning a lot about painting and how to produce the in/out of focus effect that I want. |
| June 3, 1975 | 3 hrs work and finished! Third left hand work 26″ x 22″ -20 hours ‘The Red Turban’. Incredible thought at least another 6 hours work – but no! Idea for ‘Red Turban’ has been in my mind for ages – the way I wrap a towel around my head after hair washing – but plus Pandora’s suggestion of doing Eastern woman of beauty – plus idea of 15th century colours, crimson, peacock green and gold. Paint quality much rougher than photo indicates here. |
| June 4, 1975 | 2 hours new canvas drawing in. Wonders will never cease! UNQUALIFIED ENTHUSIASM from Dot over the Red Turban !!! She said “ooh ah you must be pleased it’s the first real colour painting you’ve ever done – it has colour perspective and a great depth” & so on! The first genuine compliment she has ever given me! She expounded merits in it for ages. I said unplanned and her reply “Great keep working from instinct! Her only suggestion is to ‘bathe in the light’ the column by the face. She reckons I was meant to hurt my hand. |
Initial layout sketch
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.