you are the brightest star in the venetian sky

I am attempting to paint an 18th century courtesan in Venice. some christians may sneer at my interest in the subject, but at that time, the only women who were allowed any independence and education were the courtesans. and they became what they were because their family blood wasnt good enough to get them a "good" marriage. it was a time when men made all the rules, married uneducated boring women, and only truly enjoyed the company of the educated courtesans. its a testament to what happens when men ignore their responsibility to protect women, but thats another story. I respect the courtesans of that time because they made a hard choice, and sacrificed for the ability to educate themselves, and put food on the table for their families. they were often the breadwinners for their parents and siblings! but, on to the art itself.
It started with a sketch, I was wanting to sketch a fleur de lis, and somehow the sketch evolved into this woman, then the canals of venice sort of drew themselves around her.

I began to block the structure in, my who painting is seeming to slant, so I have lots of work to do still to go over and correct that.

still slanting, thats my next chore. also the foreground was painting before I really figured out the light source, so I need to repaint it completely, and the house across the canal is boring to me, so my brain is churning with what to do there. also in the works, thinking about a large clay pot holding some sort of big flowering plant. the girl comes last. that will be quite a challenge!