Brotherly Love

My friends Lillian and Jamie both are the photographers of a company called "The portrait parties," in which they plan party dates to snap pictures of families and children. There was a photograph of Lillian's children that Jamie had taken during one of the parties, and when they showed it to me I begged them permission to paint this gorgeous photograph. They gladly agreed!

I haven't had many commissions to paint, but as an artist I can't just wait around for the next person ask me. I have to (and want to)be constantly perfecting and practicing my art, and I especially need portraits to practice on for when I actually do get commissioned, since that is the subject I'd like to focus more on in my future. With each painting I get better, and I'd like to think that I did nail this particular one really well.

These two cuties are brother and sister. Even though this is technically black and white, I made the daughter's eyes a bit more blue, making them pop. Also to keep it a little fun I tinted the background a bluish purple. A black and white painting doesn't have to be completely colorless, does it?

There is so much love in this picture, and while I was in "the zone" as I'd like to put it, I was playing nothing but happy, bubbly, uplifting music with every stroke, to keep that sweet, happy feeling in myself and what I was expressing on paper. Since music is every bit as important to me as my paints, there was one song I had discovered on pandora.com while painting that captured my feelings during this painting session. It was called "In the Mirror" by Yanni. Have a listen.

Thank you Jamie and Lillian for this opportunity, maybe we can do another one of your photos in the future.

Here's a closeup on this little girl's eye...Don't get lost in it!!