Oaxaca Beauty

I painted this from life. My model is an immigrant from Oaxaca. I taught her son art in trade with her cleaning my house. She was stunnedwhen I asked her to model for me as she is humble and perhaps does not see herself the way I did. This painting is about the humble beauty of this women and a quiet pride that I felt. I choose the flowers for her to wear and used saturated rich color harmonies to portray the spirit of her native country of Oaxaca.