The Doughboy (Jolley)

by Godfrey J. Ellis – 14×18 Acrylic March 2022

This portrait of a WWI grandfather was a surprise gift for the 72-year-old grandson. The grandfather had been a “doughboy” soldier during WWI. When I gave it to the grandson and his wife, it was one of those – GASP !! – receptions that make creating art worthwhile. His wife started to cry. Very rewarding!

The reference photo was in sepia and quite blurry. I colorized it and researched the uniform on line. If you look closely, you can make out the pockets and buttons, which were quite invisible before I looked up doughboy uniforms on Google. Below is my friend, now 72, holding the painting of his grandfather back in 1914 or so.

Below are three photos of the portrait as it took shape: