A brother and sister for my next oil portrait painting. Hmm. How to portray them? Here’s the background story:

After discussing with me what she wanted, the mother showed me the clothes she had picked out for her hero and heroine. Dark blue and shinny bright pink. Terrific. Plus these colors would fit into the spot she had selected for the portrait to hang. Next, the photography for references.

As usual, we took many shots. With younger children, known generally for peeping “Are we done yet?”, we might consider only one or two poses before moving in for close-ups of the faces. However, with older children, we can usually shoot for the stars and try out several poses. Yes—brother and sister were a delight—interested and accommodating; Mother loved the development of seeing her children looking fantastic from 4 or 5 different vantage points. Even Grandmother had a lot to say. (As I implied, they are a close family.) The photos were all terrific. Good problem. We chose this pose because Mother, Grandmother and subjects all thought that it showed off their personalities—with attitude. They were each their own person, yet they had a family bond which was fine with them—they knew they could count on each other when needed.

Although the subjects are by far the most important element in an oil portrait painting, did you realize that the background is actually the largest part and always needs its own approach? I started inventorying the assets. You might have heard that I like to make the portrait seem comfortable in the surroundings that it will occupy. Colors that integrate are at the top of the list. The general character of the room that it will be in has a strong influence too, such as the style of the furniture and decorations. However, also very good, the client sometimes comes to me with a certain idea in mind that fits with the subject, like a beach scene, a woodsy background, a look from their back yard, or they might want an indoor painting that could have been done in their house with a few of their cherished, sentimental items. When I visited this family’s home one could not help but appreciate its aesthetics and comfort. It added to my creative ideas immediately as I envisioned the portrait. One of the things that I noticed was that the paintings hanging on the major walls—curiously—all had the same theme. Manicured gardens with paths leading to white-washed cottages. How about pulling in that theme to the portrait using my style of painting? I liked it. (I had once created a background to go with abstract art which was an interesting duo too. You can see this in my Children Oil Portraits gallery—#2) However, this notion wasn’t totally formed until I had the pose nailed down. Had we chosen a seated pose, for example, the background might have gone in a different direction. But with this pose, it would work. My client agreed.

At last, after the official “double, bubble, toil and trouble”, the painting was done. It was hung in its intended locale—the grand entrance foyer, on a wall above the stairs leading to the second floor. The framing chosen was 22k gold-leaf, museum-quality, hand-carved and hand-molded. You can see it in my frames gallery, #5, called “Baroque”. The client (in keeping with her fine aesthetic taste) also wanted a small fillet of black inserted on the inside edge. The frame definitely helped the painting capture the flavor of the curve of the staircase, the large crown molding, the high ceilings and the carefully chosen furniture.

Here’s what the mother said when she saw the final painting: “I love their eyes, their hands…. I love it all. I look into their eyes and I feel as if I can look right into their young hearts. The pose shows their cooperative spirit.
“When you realize it is an investment in art for future generations, you want the best. It is just magnificent.”

As I write this, school has restarted its evolution again and Labor Day is only a few days away. Any of you who have children that are at that perfect, beautiful age for remembering forever with an oil portrait should know that it is getting close to being the last chance to order such for Christmas—right now, or somewhat soon at least. Oil portraits are done by hand, stroke by loving stroke, with an adjustment of color for almost every dab. Think of it this way: order your 100,000 strokes now! [Is that what I do? Yep!]

Call 727-442-5553 and talk to me. (Never any pressure.) Or feel free to email in the middle of the night with your fuzzy bunny slippers on. There is also a place below for writing. Here’s to beauty and sentiment for all times of the year!

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When I received a call from Kelly and Brett to do an oil portrait painting of their two young children, I was pleased to hear that they had seen my recently received portrait of their friends’ two children. Kelly invited me to their home to show me just where they wanted to hang it. It was a focal point on the side of their living room that was big enough to accommodate a large painting. With the neutral color scheme of the room, their request for one of my brown and white monochrome jobs was decidedly savvy. (I told you how they had become popular, didn’t I? That was a technique that developed into a salable item while I was painting the Mother and Baby portrait reported in the blog “Custom Oil Portrait: Mother & Child.”)

Kelly then showed me another very visible spot in their house that she would like to make utilize for another portrait—one of her 17-year-old son . She warned me that it might not be easy to corner him to sit for me (thank goodness it would only be for photographic references—imagine if he had to come over every afternoon for 2-3 hours for a couple of weeks!), because he might have other ideas, but I took the challenge.

We decided to go formal for the children, and polo shirt it for the teen. The little boy, 7, and little girl, 5, came to our photo studio in their Easter best. They listened well and the photoshoot was painless, if not fun. Grant, 17, came over at a different time when he could fit us into his busy schedule. He turned out to be quite the gentleman, even though it appeared that he thought the whole procedure a little weird.

I planned my painting schedule so that the two portraits would be finished at the same time. The parents and young kids came over for the unveiling in my studio. Everybody loved them. I heard Kelly say: “That’s beautiful! I love the way you do the eyes. They have a twinkle—just like in real life. Time has stopped—we have them captured now. I am so thrilled.” Even the children thought seeing themselves portrayed in the painting medium was cool.

Later on, after the portraits were hung, Kelly called to say, “My son gave the ultimate compliment for a 17-year-old—he said, ‘Can I have that for my room?’” Of course it was a case of “Request Denied!”

Now, Fathers’ Day is coming up in about six weeks. In the oil portrait universe, this can be tight. But I have some creative ideas, so call, write, email—there’s always room for a little more beauty in this world, don’t you think? Till next time … here’s smiling at you.

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• Children Oil Portraits for Mother’s Day

What mother wouldn’t delight in a portrait oil painting of her children on Mother’s Day?

When Dave saw a clip on TV where I showed the client-artist experience of producing a child’s oil portrait, he conceived his idea— three beautiful blonde daughters captured in an oil portrait painting as a gift for his wife. After all, he hadn’t become a mastermind titan of business by watching the world pass him by.

He called me and told me of the surprise he was planning. I asked him if he would like the three together in the same painting or would he prefer to have them painted separately. He asked why would someone want separate portraits? —So they could each inherit their own, of course. Hmm…. That intrigued him, but then where would he hang them? This brought on arrangements for me to come to his house to check out the feasibility of three separate spots. Of course, while I was there, we heard the garage door open as the lady of the house was arriving. Well, it was definitely too late to scram. Dave picked up on the bewildered atmosphere that surrounded me and laughed lightly.

He quickly advised not to be alarmed, he often has clients over to his home office. When I met her I had changed my demeanor to nonchalance. I was actually glad now to have a concept of my future audience. The girls also raced through and I could see how totally cute they were. Fortunately, I had had the tour and was ready to give my advice which I did as Dave walked me to the car. After looking at the house, I didn’t envision the portraits hanging separately, but his large entrance opened into a high-ceilinged room featuring a grand piano. There was a wall that was visible to everyone entering from outside plus it had the added feature of being passed by the family many times a day as they accessed the family room/kitchen area. It was plenty big enough to hold all three paintings and with indirect natural light to boot.

Next came the photoshoot for my references. Easter had just occurred, so Dad and three scrubbed and giggly girls, ages 5, 7 and 9, arrived at my door with arms full of Easter dresses, hair combs, bows and petticoats. As we entered our photo studio, I helped the girls get themselves arranged. They were three sweet princesses—just shy enough to charm. We photographed them separately and then together.

This is how Mother’s Day came into the equation for this portrait: We had planned to photograph them in one picture and give him a photo of that to be part of his Mother’s Day offering. This had an additional advantage in that the girls, especially the youngest, only had to keep a secret for a week or two at which time they received their photo print and the whole adventure could float smoothly into the past behind them.

Later, as I worked on the paintings, I included the colors and atmosphere of their house in the backgrounds. I painted the girls as if in separate, possibly adjoining rooms. Meanwhile I got the framing underway— Dave chose 22-karat gold-leaf, hand-carved and hand-moulded, museum-quality frames that set off my work and suited the high-ceilinged piano entrance hall that the paintings were destined for.

When the portraits were done many months later, the girls were surprised, thought probably tucked-away memories surfaced. Of course for the thrilled mother, she was beside herself with joy. I wasn’t there but I heard about it. Surprise portraits are so much fun. You know your recipient is going to love them because they are so attached to the subject matter.

When Dave came to pick up the framed portraits for the big occasion, he had told me, “Oh, my god. Aren’t they wonderful! They’re beautiful. It’s like you took them and put them on the canvas. They’re everything I ever hoped they would be.” A bit later, he bought a gift certificate of my portraits to show appreciation to a business contact and he told me how his family enjoyed the girls’ portraits every day, though the subjects were outgrowing them by leaps and bounds.

Here’s to Mother’s Days! And while we’re at it–Father’s Days! All right–all special occasions. May there be lots of portraits. See what kind of portrait might suit you at my website. Call to talk to me at 727-442-5553. Email any time. Here’s looking at you!

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As we move along in the first few weeks of this New Year of 2011, I’d like to go beyond my oil portrait paintings and charcoal drawings and share my thoughts with you on a grander scale. Let’s stand way back and consider the whole subject of:

Aesthetics–worshipped, loved, appreciated, basked in by all levels and sections of all human cultures is part of the human experience in more ways than one might imagine. A work of art can communicate to presidents, clergy, tax men, teachers, lawyers, mothers, repair men, criminals, editors, street urchins, retirees, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, children–people singly and as a whole. Good-looking people are said to have an easier time in the world. The majority of successful people pay attention to their wardrobe choices. When a person gets a better job, he moves to a more aesthetic neighborhood and gets a sleeker car. People who feel they have no taste look up to those they feel do. When you have company over, you clean the house and put it in order. When you feel good, you pay more attention and put more energy into making things look good. We take vacations to beautiful locals. Our places of refuge to “get away from it all”,  calm down and recharge our energies are aesthetic. Cities that attract visitors have pleasing landscapes, buildings and gardens. A place with no aesthetics is termed bleak and a person feels less than wonderful there.

The power of aesthetics is very strong and innate to us as human beings. Whatever lifts the human soul is in the class of aesthetics, whether it is a bronze sculpture, a hand-woven wall hanging, a piece of blown glass, a cello recital, a pianist’s rendition of Chopin, an Italian opera, the poetry of Edgar Allen Poe, the works of Shakespeare, a Broadway musical, a ballet, a book, a simple tune, a delightful meal. Even massage, when administered artfully, gives an aesthetic impression.

Why does the human soul feel good around aesthetics? Could it be because their energies are kin to each other? The soul creates an energy. You know that when it leaves a body, that body doesn’t move on its own any more. You also know that when someone is sick, there is not much energy. When a person is sad, there is low energy and when a person is enthusiastic, there is a lot more energy there. Aesthetics also create an energy. It may be different from a spring rain, but it has a definite effect on you, just the same. It may not warm your body on a cold day, but it will please you so that you feel good and are more likely to add some joy to your next communication. Then your recipient feels better too and communicates positively to the next person. This ripple effect is noticeable with good or bad moods.

Naturally, if people feel better, they become more extroverted and they are able to interact more sanely, work harder, solve problems, etc. Extroverted means that you don’t just have to think, think, think and worry, worry, worry. Extroverted means interested in your environment and handling things to make them better… and more aesthetic.

You can’t have a quality life without aesthetics for very long. When you increase the aesthetics in your life, it goes better. Thus creating aesthetics is important for each of us to do on a daily basis. Supporting others who create aesthetics is also vital. Flourishing as an individual and as a society can only happen with aesthetics. It may seem as if life can go on without it—what does it really have to do with the basics of clothing, food and shelter, with the mechanics of transportation, computers, and oil rigs. I’m telling you that if that’s all you have, the bare basics, then you are living the life of an animal, a pack of dogs, a hill of ants, a school of fish—a life that has nothing to do with the human soul, who with its dreams fashions a civilization to be proud of.

Here’s to an aesthetic year, 2011. My wish for you is that you can create and enjoy a little more aesthetics every day. If as a human race of people, we also put our attention on this quest, we will have the resilience and spirit to face and handle challenges, and to create a better world for our children to grow up in.

Do you have any thoughts to add? Please comment below, email, call, write in Facebook—it’s your creation!

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Oil Portrait of Dale and His Dog Sunny

When Jan Johnson talked with me about commissioning a portrait, her husband, Dale, had recently retired from 3M Corporation as Director for Manufacturing. She thought she might like to have a custom oil portrait done of him to applaud him for his illustrious career. This would be a portrait for their home—it would show him relaxed.

I flew to Minnesota to photograph him with his dog, Sunny. Jan and Dale were easy going and gracious—Sunny wiggly and attentive. I asked to see the room where Jan planned that the portrait would hang, as I would probably factor that into my painting. It was the family room—homey/elegant with wood walls and brown leather furniture. Predominant color—reddish brown. Hmmm…. Greens, blacks and tiny bits of reds and oranges—but no blue. All right. Good….

Next, the photography. Dale dressed casually in a green plaid shirt. Green—excellent. Sunny had gotten a stick in one of his eyes the day before, so that one was half shut. No problem (not for me—but Sunny didn’t look bothered either). Of course the lake would be in the background of the painting, but the sun was not correct for that. (Did I mention that their house was on one of their state’s 10,000 lakes?) Again, not a problem—we just put Dale in the best position for the light (even if the house was in the picture behind him) and I would paint my lake view in later. Dale sat with Sunny while I shot 3 rolls of film. Those were the days that you had to travel to the photo store for development, so you wanted to take plenty of insurance shots to avoid a second trip. For every one of the 72 shots, as soon as it was done, Dale said something to Sunny and Sunny bolted out of there, ran in a huge oval about the size of the perimeter of a football field, then came back in a flash and sat down in exactly the same spot in perfect position ready for the next pose. LOL.

Also, while I was there, Jan asked me to take reference photos of her eldest grandchild, a pretty little 7-year old girl. Jan hatched the idea that I could paint each of her grandchildren as they reached the age of 7. These were to be head-and-shoulder poses for watercolors. I put the little girl on the sofa and let the brightness of the window do its magic for my light writing (that’s what photo graphy means, if you didn’t know). We faced each other (I with the camera, she with the pretty face) about a yard apart on the same sofa. The side of her head and shoulder met the incoming light in from the outdoors, and the other side was relatively dark. There’s nothing like a good shadow on part of the face for painting it—it’s the shadows that make objects look 3-dimensional.

Before I left Minnesota, I met all the family that lived nearby and I left with a warm and friendly feeling to communicate in my portrait of their family’s head.

Back at the ranch and into the painting, there were 2 matters that I knew that I was going to handle. One was the plaid shirt. So much detail and it can steal the focus of the painting if you’re not really careful. The second was the “no blue” in the family room where it was to hang. I like that kind of problem. I like integrating my portraits with life when I can. It’s all part of that catchy but true-in-my-opinion saying, “Living is an Art”.

Oh, and how can I forget, the poor doggie’s half-closed eye. But as you can judge for yourself, I addressed them both—in my own way.

Hand-painted portraits are their own genre for sure. The portrait artist often gets to hear from his/her subjects and their families. I paint to communicate and it’s the greatest reward to get their response. Here’s what Dale and Jan shared with me:

You capture a “feeling” in me that is more than the expression on my face; the painting conveys an “inner peace” that I certainly feel. Sunny, as you know, is my constant companion and, again, you captured the spirited and happy dog that he is. Your portrait was the target of many observations and constant discussion at my retirement party, greatly appreciated and admired by all. As you can tell, I am greatly pleased with my painting and want to thank you for all your effort and talent that made it possible.

We now have my husband Dale’s portrait hanging in our family room. Recently we had Dale’s retirement party where many friends viewed your work. I wish you could have been there to hear the comments. People were particularly impressed that you had truly captured Dale’s personality on canvas. And Sunny’s spirited personality really jumps out as you view the painting. The detail in your work from the gleam in Dale’s eyes to the plaid in his shirt will ever serve as a wonderful, lasting reminder of this important time in his life.

Okay—Onward and Upward. The Rockwell Portrait Artist Strikes again. Stay tuned for the next installment. In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you … your thoughts … how about: original art, family keepsakes, a name for this portrait … have at it!

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Oil Portrait of Children at the Beach

Two beautiful grandchildren. Favorite photo. Oil portrait needed!

The Anconas were both musicians and although retired, they gave of themselves to support music for the children of the public school system. Besides the weekly classes, they produced a grand production each year from their 300 recorder students, chorus, soloists, auditions, trips, etc. Their Yearly Holiday Letter had this report: “Our home, strewn with costumes, audio cassettes, and props again looks disenchanted. When we’re painting and making backdrops and up on 20-foot ladders, mounting the scenery and adjusting curtains and lights and mikes, the faculty looks askance. Our bones look awkward and we look tired. The students look pleased and the parents look entranced. We are completely consumed. Our other option is the rocking chair at home, which hovers ominously and is beginning to look more pleasant. This year the city gave us a commendation, but the students give us more in their accomplishments.”

This is the couple that asked me to paint their treasured grandchildren. After years of collecting photos of the little cherubs, and doing creative things with them such as the calendars with the children featured newly each month, now was the time for that extra special something. An oil portrait. When they found me they showed me the perfect picture of the kids at the beach—the little girl in her hat and the little boy complete with his teddy bear. They knew just what they wanted as they motioned for it to be “yea big”. The plan was for this to be a Christmas Present for the children (the parents of the grandchildren).

While I was painting the portrait, we got to know them. Such a totally dear couple! He travelled briefly to Albuquerque that year with the Doctors’ Orchestra. In the summer they spent the month of August in their annual apartment rental on the Champs Elysée in Paris and had their grandchildren visit them. Back at home, she ran the music lessons with his help at the school and told me of a young Russian girl—a protegé at the piano, who could only practice at home with a paper keyboard spread across the kitchen table…. After a while, you guessed it, she raised the money to get her a piano.

When the portrait was done, it was my new favorite (which is often the case actually). Of course  they couldn’t part with it as they had intended. They opened their hands and exclaimed, “The children already have the kids with them every day—we get this!” Fair’s fair.

The Rockwell Portrait Painter paints again…

I look forward to having a new adventure painting your portrait—call, email (see gray contact buttons at top right of this page), visit my website with over 100 paintings on it. Looking forward!

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Children Oil Portraits: The Skater

When I met Alyssa she was just 9 years old and quite the skater. Her mother, singer and writer Raven Kane, was doing everything that she could to be the good mom and help her daughter to reach her goals. Difficult for any mother to get up at 4:30 in the morning, she took her to skating rinks an hour or two away to the best instructors. Raven and Alyssa’s father, David Campbell (arranger, composer, conductor with over 450 platinum albums) were accustomed to the life of Hollywood musicians with evening schedules. Yet, their daughter had a passion, and they made it possible, no matter what. Thus a painting of her skating was the indispensable memory that was to be recorded of this phase of her life.

Gerry & I travelled up the mountain to Lake Arrowhead, California, the location of Alyssa’s training rink. She and her mother met us there. I didn’t waste any time and started by taking pictures of her getting ready. (The one donning her skates was too good not to paint, so later I made a 9×12 oil of that just as an aside.) Then she went out onto the ice and warmed up before she showed off with her graceful poses. Of course I tried to shoot her from the edge so as not slip flat on my you-know-what, but that meant Alyssa had to approach me, do something spectacular very quickly and then turn around and scram before she landed on the cement siding. It was challenging, it was exciting, it was funny, it was cold! The skaters’ world….

The painting didn’t get done for a year and a half (due to the jobs I had to finish ahead of it). When I was getting close, Raven, who had become a friend of mine, suggested that I photograph Alyssa’s face newly because she was so much happier now. We did that and she definitely had a new glow. Then I had to use this reference of a 10-1/2 year old and blend it into the 9-year-old face and still keep her young. That’s why I get the big bucks, isn’t it?

When it was done it was hung in the music room—the pulse of the house—near the grand piano. Raven phoned and I thank phone machines for their indelible memories: “Everybody just loves the portrait. We sat and looked at it for hours. I keep going back just to hang out and look at it more.” Then David told me, “The textures in it give the entire image life.”

The Rockwell Portrait Painter strikes again…

Don’t forget your story and your portrait, of course—call, email (see the gray contact buttons at the top right of this page) and my website with over 100 paintings on it. Looking forward!

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Children's Portrait of Mischievous Little Boy Painted by Jessica Rockwell

Norman Rockwell was more than just a great painter and illustrator. He actually was responsible for making available to everyone in an easy-to-understand and even enjoyable way the memories of a simpler and more hopeful life that doesn’t seem to exist today. I recently learned of someone else who wants to remember Norman Rockwell. He is Scotty Ingram and he was a child model for the master. In fact, he made a website (see below) to help keep these “memories” in mind and Norman Rockwell himself “Relevant, Recognized and Remembered.” I’d like to share some of the points that he makes, interwoven with my own because they fit so well together.

When we look at a Norman Rockwell painting, we realize that this was our country and it was good. If we had it then, we could have it again—an environment where children are safe; a nourishing family life; adults working together to build a community that is beneficial to all. (View some of these paintings here.)

In fact, there is even a word that has been coined, “Rockwellian,” to describe the utopia of Rockwell’s paintings.

No one would deny that there were indeed a lot of horrible things going on in Rockwell’s life time: two world wars, Nazism, racism in this country, etc. He painted some of his stories to alert people that they might join together for change.

If we put our attention on the bad, we end up feeling sour and not wanting to move or do anything. In fact, that’s why Rockwell’s art was so appreciated. He gave us hope that there is still some human goodness left, even in the face of monumental suppression.

In today’s world, the suppression seems more covert: we are hypnotized by TV and we are deluged daily by bad news in the media from all over the world. (The many good things achieved every day are mentioned only in small print or in the back of the publication.) I think we are withdrawing more and more into our shells. (How many people even know their neighbors in today’s world?) When you look at Rockwell’s pictures, you get that great feeling that he intended. Even from years ago, it reaches you now—you smile, you feel better, you get energy, you want to do something good, make someone else feel good, make your community better. If everyone in the world would get these feelings, can you imagine the impact it could have?

(I spoke with Scott Ingram yesterday and he is making a new website that will be completely free. However, you might want to visit his old website which is still up, Norman Rockwell Club, just to see  the 4 free videos that are very interesting.)

As for that portrait that you’ve always wanted, I’m still here—727-442-5553, info101@rockwellportraits.com, and of course my website with over 100 paintings on it.

Till next time… the Rockwell Portrait Artist paints on!

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