Here’s a figurative charcoal illustration to get you dancing!

A few weeks ago I finished this oil portrait painting of my wife Brigitta’s maternal Nicaraguan grandmother (or ‘abuela’, in Spanish). Her name was Rafaela Corrales Toruño, and Brigitta simply called her “Abue.”
Abue had five children, three of which emigrated from Nicaragua to the U.S. in the 1970’s. Abue also came to the U.S. to accompany her first child to come here, Tía Ligia (Tía means “Aunt”, and Tía Ligia was Brigitta’s Aunt Ligia). Then, Brigitta’s Dad came on vacation to visit, which then turned into a permanent stay! Later on, Brigitta’s Tía Cecilia came as well. Abue’s other two children stayed in Nicaragua. So nowadays, we have family both in Northern Virginia and in Nicaragua (and in Argentina and Ecuador on Brigitta’s Mom’s side)!
I met Abue almost ten years ago, before I spoke much Spanish. Whenever I tried to speak to her in Spanish, she’d turn to Brigitta and say “¿Qué dice?”, or “What is he saying?”. I’m glad I got to experience her liveliness, kindness and family values. She was a true ‘family matriarch.’
Abue lived with Brigitta’s family during much of Brigitta’s childhood, and they spent lots of time together, abuela y nieta (granddaughter), on the famous couch shown in the painting below!
I recently finished this dog portrait painting in time for my friend to pick it up tonight and surprise his girlfriend with it!
It’s painted on a gallery-stretched linen canvas – linen is the best for portrait paintings!
For a custom pet portrait painting, see here or contact me at info@davewhitepaintings.com!
Here’s the finished painting!
This painting is on a flat 5″ x 7″ Ampersand Gessobord panel, which is made in the USA from sustainable forest products that ensure the protection of wildlife, plants, soil and water.
If you ever want to see wild horses, visit Assateague Island on the Maryland shore.
Local folklore describes the Assateague horses as survivors of a shipwreck off the nearby Virginia coast. While this dramatic tale of struggle and survival is popular, there are no records yet that confirm it. The most plausible explanation is that they are the descendants of horses that were brought to barrier islands like Assateague in the late 17th century by mainland owners to avoid fencing laws and taxation of livestock.
The horses are split into two main herds, one on the Virginia side and one on the Maryland side of Assateague. They are separated by a fence at the Virginia/Maryland State line. These herds have divided themselves into bands of two to twelve animals and each band occupies a home range. The National Park Service manages the Maryland herd. The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company owns and manages the Virginia herd.
Imagine yourself on a sunny day in the Mediterranean region, exploring winding narrow streets and stairways with fresh flowers in bloom!
The image from this painting is from the Old Town section of Ibiza, Spain. My wife and I visited there in 2004 and then took our honeymoon to Ibiza in 2009!