Why I love painting children!

Hi Everybody!

So....children.... Children are not easy to paint, let me tell you.  I first painted a child for a commissioned portrait.  Honestly, I was a little scared at first.  Any artist will tell you when painting kids that you walk on a thin line.  This line waivers from painting a sweet looking child or the exact opposite and the kid will look creepy or a stunted adult.  It's very easy to go into way too much detail and you can loose the innocence and youth of the child. Below is my first commissioned portrait of a young 5 year old girl, Hannah.

"Hannah Gardner," Oil on Canvas 8"x10"

After I painted Hannah, I realized that I was able to accomplish the cute innocence of a child, no creepiness at all!  When this occurred, I realized that I didn't have to be afraid to paint children anymore.  I became extremely interested in Mary Cassatt, a great Impressionist Artist.  She lived during the same time as such artists' like Monet and Degas.  Cassatt was able to be successful during her lifetime in a "boys club."  This is what drew me towards children with their parents.  The relationship of a child's love towards their mother or father is a beautiful thing.  This relationship will help unfold the child's development and growth. 

With this, I never looked back and have made painting children one of my prominent subject matters!

"Mommy & Me," Oil on Canvas, 20"x16"

"I Treasure You," Oil on Canvas, 24"x18"

"Daddy's Little Artists," Oil on Canvas, 14"x18"