Its funny how you run across things on Etsy that are just what you were looking for or better. In my search for portraits for my son's room redo, I found Sam's Etsy shop. It dawned on me to commission something and I liked her loose style. This was for the ORC linking event so I was a little terrified, but the commission exceeded my expectations. Sam mentioned to me that she is a student so I assumed that she is an art student but that is not the case.
Her work is really wonderful. Here is what she told me about her background: "I am a painter from Louisville, Kentucky and a current student at Western Kentucky University. I major in religious studies and minor in psychology and I do art on the side. Ever since I can remember, I have loved to draw, paint, and sketch. If it's creative and it involves color, I'm all over it. I work primarily with oils and acrylics and I specialize in portraits but I also dabble in landscapes."
Here is what she painted for me.
It is based on a photo of my son (now 18) when he was about 7 months old wearing a Tibetan hilltribe hat. I asked her to exclude the fabric in the background. Children are very hard to draw or paint without looking a little stilted but I think she captured that baby cuteness that I love.
Come back on Thursday to see the painting in situ and more of the art in my room redo for the ORC linking event.