Cute little boy in the grass

I took my own advice on inspirations for paintings and looked no further than one of my grandsons. Carter is just over a year old in this painting where he is sitting in the grass and looking cute as he always does! A photo taken by his dad, Andy was just perfect to work from.

The Wedding Gift

Actually, I had yet another very strong motive: I needed a wedding gift for Carter’s parents, my daughter Kaylie and her husband Andy who had eloped a year ago. We were unprepared with a gift at that time, and I set my mind to present them with a painting in the future. I wasn’t sure what the subject would be though I had a strong desire to paint the little guy. I mean, he was just so darn cute!  But would I be able to pull it off?  My recent paintings have been mostly landscapes. What good is a portrait painting if the likeness is not there?

The Face

I began with his face since I knew the success of the painting depended on its’ true likeness.  I struggled a bit here, painting the facial features over and over again.  But persistence and patience paid off. Eventually, I saw the little guy’s face that I’ve come to know and love! My husband Kris confirmed it. Hurray! The rest of the painting would be easy from here.   Days afterwards, I would head out to my studio and peer in at the painting in progress and seeing the likeness of the little guy, would bring a big smile to my face.

Grid Transfer Method

Here I’d like to share a good tip for enlarging a drawing or photo onto a larger canvas.  I printed the photo and folded into quarters and then in quarters again. I also divided the canvas into the same number of sections, and then was able to sketch the outlines of the body onto the canvas. In this way, I was ensured of an accurate transfer. And of course I only resorted to this after several attempts at drawing freehand unsuccessfully!

A Time of Innocence

And now I know that I must also paint my other grandchildren. No problem there!  They are all so incredibly sweet. What a joy it is to be a grandparent and watch these little ones grow. Though they don’t live nearby, I can feel a little closer to them while I’m painting them. What a good plan.

As Carter grows, I hope this painting will always trigger a memory of a time of innocence, when everything was new, and life was all a wonder to be explored.

Kaylie and Andy, I hope you enjoy this painting as much as I enjoyed painting it!