I could not resist making this portrait of Cassandra.
Her smirk is timeless! And, of course, her "smile" reminded me of the infamous enigmatic smile of that portrait hanging in Paris of the wife of Francesco del Giocondo--also known as Mona Lisa!
Mystery & Escape
I hope you sense mystery in Cassandra's sidelong smirk and piercing eyes. I hope you want to keep looking at her to solve her puzzling smile and gaze. I also hope that while you contemplate this artwork you get a chance to escape your daily worries for a few moments.
Sometimes we just need to take a little time to ponder a smile.
"Cassandra" Preliminary Sketch
I thought you might like to see this graphite pencil sketch I drew in my sketchbook before I went all out with the charcoal "painting." I usually do these graphite sketches to determine if I can "capture" the subject. If I like the pencil sketch I will move forward to develop the subject into a more complex piece of artwork.