I am enchanted by the works of the Renaissance art old masters; Most of my recent paintings were influenced by their works. I recently embarked on doing a series of paintings in the style of these old masters.

“Lady Merete of Norway” is the portrait painting of a young Norwegian lady I met at Art Awards and Exhibition in New York April 2018. I chose the portrait painting of the Queen of France, Elizabeth of Austria painted in 1571 by the French Renaissance artist - Clouet Francois as the reference for the “Lady Merete of Norway” portrait project.

Using the style of Renaissance portrait painters, I hanged the drapery in the front window overlooking the North Cape (Nord kapp), which is one of the remarkable landmarks of Norway - the country of the subject, at the background of the painting. He also painted sunrise in the background to depict the youthfulness of the subject. I captured the bright eyes and the broad smiles of the young lady with the “Mona Lisa effect” as her eyes seem to be gazing back at the viewers at any angle.

The message I want to convey to the young lady in this painting is that she should never see herself less than a Queen as she goes through life.