Kayla and Joel



It was hard getting a photo to paint this portrait of my grandniece -- she was looking for pretty leaves on a mild New Year's Day and not interested in posing.  I made her "pop out" of the picture by contrasting colors, highlighting her blonde hair, and outlining her sweater with a green line.  Yes, she's wearing a tutu and a sweater.

I painted this from a photo taken by my sister of her grandson.  I like the idea that he's breaking out of the picture, plus the dynamic tension that comes from being off balance.  Making the branches look real was a challenge.