From my Pallete: Watercolor portrait of Maddie & Evan

Recently I had the honor of painting these two beautiful children. Their mom entrusted me with this task and I am so glad she did. It was a delight to painting their smiling faces and capture the light in their eyes. There is something quite special about painting children. I imagine what they might have been doing when the picture was taken. And when it is two children like this I imagine what kind of relationship do they have. And what captured me the most about this portrait was the loving pose between the brother and sister. They truly look so relaxed and not at all like their mom said, "Hey put your arms around your sister and smile. No smile like you mean it." No, this picture does not portray this at all.This picture portrays a close bond of love. You can see it in the relaxed arms the boy has around his sister. He is older and he looks like a protector. You can also see it in the crinkling of their eyes as they smile and how the little girl is leaning into her brothers arms.  

As I painted this portrait it made me think about my brother growing . Boy did we fight, a LOT. But nobody said anything bad about the other one. We loved each other as much as we fought. And it also made me think about my children and the kind of relationship they might have as they grow. Will they mostly fight like I did growing up with my brother or would they have more patience for one another. Will I be yelling at them, "Hey hug each other and smile like you mean it?" Or will I capture moments like this mom did. I'm sure there will be a balance of both. But I can hope the latter is true for most of the time. Regardless of how it turns out watching the bonds of siblinghood grow has so far been an amazing experience. I hope you enjoy this painting as much as I enjoyed painting it.

I am available for portrait work. I paint children and pets(click on children &/or pets for more information).