"Young Woman with a Water Pitcher" is one of my favorite paintings by Johannes Vermeer. This is my version of his masterpiece. 

I've no idea how Vermeer went about creating his works. Even though I have read a great deal about his colour theory and his manner of layering colours and his compositional arrangements, I have no way of knowing how he truly worked. Whether he used a camera obscura or not is irrelevant to me. He had a style and ability which goes beyond that of his peers, whether immediate or across the ages. I never attempt to mimic the style of any artist I interpret. My individual style is too strong and too ingrained within myself to deviate very far. But this painting is a good example of my current methods in oil where I create a series of glazes on top of an initial composition done in somewhat brighter tones. Then element by element I obliterate the underlying image with colour and then bring it back to my satisfaction.

I have changed the tablecloth to a stylized version of the Marvel's Avengers whose movies I love. Next to the water pitcher is a green glass pitcher my mother gave me which now sits in my kitchen. The mask on the table I found in a Halloween store and reminds me of a female version of my Guy Fawkes mask that I incorporated into another Vermeer painting. I affectionately call it Evey in honor of the film "V for Vendetta." The stained glass window is from my own home, made by my mom, which is a sidelight and compliment to my Clara Bow window. The picture hanging on the wall is a crayon resist I did quite a while ago. On the chair is slung my favorite blue coat. And if you look close at the finial on that chair you will see a tiny Harry Potter head.

Oil on Canvas 18" x 24"