I've Got You Little Brother - SOLD

The love between siblings starts out strong and ends up strong.  Sometimes, usually during adolescence,  there are those "in between times" when we might grow in different directions and even choose being with our friends over our brother or sister's company.  But when all is said and done and we mature and life starts flying by at a faster speed than we could have ever imagined, we think back to that picture when we were together and you were my little brother and in a way, you always will be.

France and Sawyer - SOLD

I am honored when asked to paint for someone.  Someone asked me to paint the children of a friend as a gift to their friend.  The thoughtfulness of this gift touches me.  I usually send my first drafts of my paintings  to my daughter for her critique.  When I sent these her response was, "cutest kids ever!"

Lily - SOLD

This child is absolutely precious.  Have you ever heard the expression "cute as a bug's ear"?  According to my search on the internet it presumably came from the precept that the tinier the thing is  the greater it's chance of being classified as cute.  The expression suggests that what it is calling tiny is the image of cuteness.  The expression signifies someone, particularly a baby, who is beautiful or fascinating in a delicate way.  Scientifically speaking, the expression is meaninglessness, since insects do not possess ears.  For whatever reason the expression was created I could not help but think of it when painting Lily.  Her grandmother caught her in a very pensive moment and sent me a reference photo for this painting.  Every reference photo and cropped version on my computer I named "Lily Bug".   I think you will agree with me, she is as cute as a bug's ear!

Alice - SOLD

 The second day of the Art Colony we had two lovely models.  This is Alice, a beautiful young lady who was an excellent model.  For me the hard part of portraits is the balance between "saying too much" and saying "just enough".  Julee was excellent at instructing us how to give the viewer enough information without painting details to eyes, lips, etc. that take away from the finished portrait.  The portrait can become outlined and stiff.  I have studied and painted and painted to try and perfect a looser, more impressionistic approach to my portraits.  I was pleased with my Alice.

A Little Body Language

Sometime I come across a picture that just makes me want to paint.  This was one of those - the body language here makes me laugh and I asked the mom of Reese (the little girl in the picture) if I could paint this.  I love painting children but I find that I have to remind myself that when painting portraits the goal is to produce a "likeness" not a photograph.  Rosalind Cuthbert states that the question of what makes a good likeness is impossible to answer.  " If ten painters gathered around a single sitter their differing styles might produce radically different images, each of which might also be a good likeness. " I also like what Chris Saper says in the book, Painting Beautiful Skin Tones with Color and Light.  She says "Think of a portrait as a painting that just happens to star a particular person.  Without the interpretation of the artist to simplify information and decide what is important for the viewer, there's no need for a painting at all.  It would be faster and easier just to take a nice photograph and be done with it."   So if any of you are struggling with portrait painting....remember these words and be kind to yourself.