In the Garden (Christensen)

by Godfrey J. Ellis – Acrylic 14×18 Dec 2025

This is another of our lovely missionaries serving in our home town. The photo is one she already had and loved. It was taken before her mission and I added the badge. The necklace was important to her. Finally, I tried to reduce the orange glow that was on the reference photo and brighten it up a little..

Most portraits go through an “awkward phase” and often the artist feels like giving up and starting again. That usually passes quickly; this one didn’t. It lasted longer than usual. I worked and worked on it and it finally passed through into the finished phase. That’s not to say it is perfect and there are a few things I would like to change. Nevertheless, it is the best I can do at this stage of my development as a portrait artist. Below is a photo of her holding it.

Here are some photos of the painting as it took shape.