Half-Hour Portraits This Weekend!

Half-Hour Portrait

And here is his sister. See the resemblance in the eyes? But for me, the most fun to paint were those lips!

Half-Hour Portrait

This adorable boy doesn't have his beautiful mom's coloring, but he sure has her eyes.

Portrait Commission

What can I say. I loved painting this gorgeous girl. She's the daughter of someone I went to high school with, and though we haven't seen each other in years (decades?!), I found resemblances to her father's features, as I remember them, as I painted her face, which was pretty cool. This was a larger, more in-depth portrait, which was a nice change of pace.

Procrastinating

It is hot today. I am working on a commission (not the one pictured), but it is hot, and I am procrastinating. I love the cute face I’m painting, but nevertheless, all of the following have seemed important enough to interrupt painting for:

1. Check to make sure the laundry hanging out in the sun is actually drying. (It is.)

2. Play with the cat.

3. Stretch.

4. Water the only houseplant left standing, as I am usually not that attentive a waterer.

5. Go searching for the paintbrush that I left somewhere on one of my previous peregrinations.

6. I think it’s time for a snack.

Portrait Commission

And here's the second of the two adorable brothers. I've just begun work on two larger portraits of these boys. Painting a second portrait of someone is always a little intimidating for me before I begin. I'll never just copy a painting, which is guaranteed to result in a dull, lifeless piece.  I start fresh looking at the person (or a photo). And there's always the big question in the back of my mind: Will it be as good as the original? Maybe someday I'll learn to trust that the second portrait usually does go pretty smoothly--I know my way around that particular face a little bit. But I guess a little bit of fear is good for keeping me focused; relaxing is another way to ruin a painting, at least for me. Anyway, the first of the larger ones is off to a good start!

Portrait Commission

I recently painted two adorable brothers. Here's the first. Isn't he a cutie pie? And I love, love, love getting responses like the one from their mother:

"Jessica, I just opened up my portraits and am over the moon in love with them!! They are wonderful and look so much like my boys!!! I'm dying!!!! They are amazing!! I love them! You have made me so happy!!"

How lucky that something I love to do can make someone else feel so good, too.