Brenda One

The series was to be pastels.

I wanted to work from the same easel that I have on my wall, next to the window, where I do my paintings.

I set up the couch as far from the easel as possible. I covered it with a white sheet.

For the first session, I asked Brenda to sit down and make herself comfortable. I let her choose the pose. I wanted the first pose to be her most comfortable expression of herself.

Each session took three hours — with ten-minute breaks every twenty minutes.

I was so excited by the prospect of doing this, that I was shaky.

Brenda told me that she is an opera singer.