Nina Simone was definitely one of a kind.
She was a pioneer in the civil rights movement with her protest songs, she was feisty as hell and she was a woman full of soul.
I love painting big personalities and Nina definitely fits the bill.
When I paint artists I love to immerse myself in their lives. I listen to their music, watch videos of their live performances and interviews. It was fun to learn more about Nina than just her music.
She survived an abusive marriage, she battled with racism throughout her life and she even shot two people. Whoever said that artists were boring people? Heh.
This acrylic painting of Ms. Simone is on a 12x16" gallery wrapped, deep profile canvas. It is sealed with a soft gloss varnish and has hanging hardware attached. A truly beautiful piece that is available (at the time of publishing) in my online store.
Here's my favorite Nina Simone song (Ain't Got No /I Got Life).
Enjoy.