Malian Girl was inspired by a close friend of mine who hails from Mali, West Africa.  I thank her for helping to rekindle my love of painting in acrylic.

        I was on a near 7- year hiatus from picking up a paintbrush, when she asked me if I would create this piece. Since I had never painted people or faces before this, it was a long process of painting and repainting, hence the several versions.

        What began with imitating an image of an unidentified Malian village girl, transformed into a blend of features from the girl in the original photo, my friend's characteristics, and my own twist.

        Her young defiance and confidence was something I enjoyed portraying. The crossed arms, hard stare, and raised eyebrow were the details I wanted to capture.