I happened to take this photo of Grant at his Grandparent’s Derby Party. He was contentedly playing while sitting on his father’s lap. I blocked out the surroundings and increased the lighting on his face. I purposely kept the painting loose while attempting to capture the sweetness of his face. When painting children, skin tones need to remain translucent with subtle variations of color. Because of this, I used a totally transparent palette, with no opaque paints. His eyes were painted with multiple layers of color, again in a loose fashion to give them a watery quality.

This painting is currently on display at the Middletown Branch of the Louisville Free Public Library and will be there until Sept 7th, 2010.

Image Size: 15×11″ Purchase: NFS ~ Please contact me for questions regarding commissioned portraits.