Um Kulthum

i'm in love with it, but it isn't over until she sings

I FINALLY started this painting. It’s been a long time coming now. I listened to some her music, watched some videos on youtube and printed some photos. I avoided the sunglasses because of two reasons: the first is that it’s been overdone and somehow the glasses came to represent her more than her voice. Secondly is: I’m a bit of a masochist. I think that I can accomplish it without the iconic glasses because I have faith in myself (crossing my fingers, mashallah mashallah mashallah and hope to die [rather, NOT to die]) and I like to give myself a bit of a challenge. Mind you the hanky is still there. My eleven year old son recognized the sketch as Um Kulthum. My daughter thought it was Mama Fatma (my granny).