Oh Baby!

Oh baby! Oh dear! That’s what my painter friends said when I told them I had a commission to paint a five month old. Wait till he’s older, like three, when the face is more developed. But it was a commission and by now it was sounding like a real challenge as well. My interpretation of a commission is to make the painted face look as close to the real person as possible. Another friend of mine calls this type of commission “Lick Lick Lick” meaning you use a tiny brush and you lick at the piece till you get it right. And as I neared the end of the painting, that’s exactly what I found myself doing; tiny brush, my nose practically in the painting, using my dozens of reference photos to try to understand certain areas better. It’s not my favorite way of painting but you’ll do just about anything, short of giving the devil your soul, to get the painting just right. That’s one way to be satisfied. When I delivered the painting to the mom, she said, “Oh baby!” and she was very happy. That’s another way to be satisfied. And I am.