Vintage romance: corps de ballet diptych painting

A dinky corps de ballet diptych. A delicate delight to add some subtle charm to a small space. This sweet ballerina painting also works well as shelf art. Gently created in a limited colour palette that gives it a hint of vintage nostalgia. 

Medium: Original oil painting on canvas

Dimensions: 2 panels to hang side-by-side, each 5 by 7 inches (approx.)

Completed: 2017

Artist notes: This painting developed from a ballerina greetings card I had sketched. I liked the way the proportions suggested a young dancer and decided to translate it into a corps de ballet diptych with a ballet concert feel.

People often assume my ballerinas are inspired by Degas. This is the only creation of mine where I can acknowledge a little hint of Degas. My sister had the Coppélia suite on a cassette with Degas' Ballet 1876 on the cover. The ballerina in his painting had some orange flowers nestled in the bodice and waist of her tutu. When I was creating this, it reached that stage when something was missing. My solution: adding that little pop of orange to the tutus.

I'd recommend framing this in either a blue-grey or dark wood floating frame to pick out the dominant colours.