Laura

Oil on paper

12 by 16.5 inches

Laura has red-brown hair and brown eyes, an upturned nose and an alabaster, wrinkle-free forehead

Laura has a tattoo

Laura has a tiny hole in her dress

Laura wears careful makeup

Laura takes little, shuddering breaths from time to time, revealing how difficult it is for her to maintain her robust and upright posture

Laura makes me think a little of my great-grandmother Laura who was, my father says, a ball of energy, cleaning, cooking and raising her eight children in a shed

Laura works full-time, but finds time to draw and model

Laura wears red shoes with bows on them Laura, I think, enjoys being painted