Jane Coram's pics

[Stephen Thomas]

The lovely Jane has most kindly agreed to restore this picture which was created in 1972 by an American artist friend who used only scissors and paste and a Sunday Times supplement. Here's the image which got grieviously damaged after accidentally spending last year's horrible Britsh winter under a tarpaulin in the garden after a house move. All the dark marks are weather damage.

[Jane Coram]

Hi Suzi,

I'm not sure if I've got them, but I'll have a look for you and see. I think I might have copies somewhere!!

Hugs

Janie

xxxx

[Jane Coram]

Hi Stephen,

Blimey that is a challenge. I might have to email you about how far you want me to go on it restoring it, but I think I can do something with it. I'm always up for a challenge!

I'll post up the result here anyway. I'm shaking in my boots a bit, but fingers crossed I can restore it to its former glory, I'll do me best anyway.

Much love

Janie

xxxxx

[Jane Coram]

I know someone mentioned earlier that they would like to see Frances Coles and Alice McKenzie. Well here's Frances anyway. It was a bit of a job working out how much of the puffiness on the poor girl's face was due to post mortem slackness and loss of muscle control, so it has to be best guess to some extent, but I think that Frances really was a very pretty girl, looking at the post mortem photograph.

The first one here is the study I did, painting it on the computer.

xxxxx

[Jane Coram]

Here's the study with the post mortem photograph superimposed over the top. I must say this one did give me the creeps a bit, but it's the only way to see if it's like her or not. At least it helped me to see that the nose shape, shape of face and mouth were right. It was hard to tell much about her eyes, because her eyes are closed and the eyelids may have drooped. I think that I might have made the eyes fractionally too small on the study, so made them very slightly larger on the oil painting, which I think is probably a bit closer.

xxxxx

[Jane Coram]

Here's the finished oil painting, although it's scanned in on a scanner, and it always makes them look crappy because the light is too bright and close on it, but it gives you the idea. I think it's a fair likeness of her, at least as much as can be done without more to work from.

I'm going to start Alice soon, and I think she'll be a real character.

Hugs

Janie

xxxx

[corey123]

Jane,

That is amazing. I am lost for words. I don't know how to possibly praise such art. Well done.

You are a truly talented individual.

[Jane Coram]

Hi,

Well thanks for the kind words, although a lot of my work is more luck than judgement.

I totally rely on my three best friends to keep me going -- Mr Cadbury, Mr Crunchie and Mr Kit Kat. I owe them everything. I'm also very old, so I've had a lot of practice.


Janie

xxxxx

[corey123]

Hello Jane,

No Mr. Hershey?

Anyhow, well done again. Wounderful artwork and the best of its kind.

[kensei]

Hi Jane, I remembered having some kind of exchange with you about Frances and Alice so I just went looking and found it on the "Who is in the photo?" thread under MJK, where you said you were going to have a go at Frances so I encouraged you to do Alice as well. So glad you are adding them to the collection. Incredible work once again on Frances, she looks like such a lady it is difficult to reconcile with the account of her final hours. Can't wait to see Alice!

[Jane Coram]

Hi,

To tell you the truth, I always paint the victims how I think they would have looked if life had treated them more kindly. I suppose technically, if I wanted to be accurate I should have painted all of them looking ill and rough, but I think they suffered enough indignities in their life without adding insult to injury, so all of the portraits are how they would have looked if they'd had happier lives. Doesn't make up for what the poor women did go through, but it doesn't hurt either.

Much love


Janie

xxxx

[Stephen Thomas]

Blimey that is a challenge. I might have to email you about how far you want me to go on it restoring it, but I think I can do something with it. I'm always up for a challenge!

I'll post up the result here anyway. I'm shaking in my boots a bit, but fingers crossed I can restore it to its former glory, I'll do me best anyway.

Thanks for that, Jane. You are most kind. As the picture was created with cutout bits of paper and there's no light and shade I thought it would be quite easy to draw an outline and fill it in with the relevant colour. I wouldn't have dreamed of asking to lumber your good self with a hard job but I still think it might be do-able. The lady who is the subject of the picture looked rather like you and she tragically died in the long hot British summer of 1976.

[AmmanValleyJack]

wow tbh I hadnt heard of these paintings until the Frances one was auctioned at the conference. having looked through them they are amazing. Are you a professional artist Jane or just a very talented amateur?

Frances looks beautiful. wow.

[Jane Coram]

Hi Amman,

I've been a professional fine artist for over 40 years. It beats working for a living. Lol.

Hi Stephen,

I'm just starting the restoration on the painting you posted up. It's not as bad as it looks when you get up close! I'll put the results up when it's done.

Hugs

Janie

xxxx

[Stephen Thomas]

I'm just starting the restoration on the painting you posted up. It's not as bad as it looks when you get up close! I'll put the results up when it's done.

That's great to hear, Janie and as I said, there's no hurry at all.

You are doing me a big personal favour here and I really appreciate it.

xxxxxx