A unique commission came my way.  One of my collectors sent me a sepia-coloured photograph of his great-grandmother who died in 1861 giving birth to his grandfather.  He was curious if I would be able to paint her portrait.   Nancy Ann had lived in Ohio, was of Irish descent and had blue eyes.  She was wearing a headdress of that era, pearl earrings, a dress of heavy material with contrasting collar, and although her eyes were not distinct it was clear she was looking straight at the photographer.  The nose and mouth were overexposed and therefore practically nonexistent.  What an interesting challenge!  First I did an internet search to get a sense of the fashion of that day, what type of headdress was worn in that era.  I found very few examples, but at least it confirmed that it was a headdress she was wearing with possibly some of her hair showing.  From the photograph I was unable to distinguish where hair and head covering began and ended so I decided to leave it ambiguous in the painting.  Collars of all types were very commonly added to the dress a woman wore.