Kids change constantly. This we know from how frequently we need to buy them shoes. So…so…often. Thank goodness for the fb marketplace. I’m sure I’m not alone in only being familiar with the phase that they’re in. As in, I know what an eight year old and four year old are all about, but if a two year old strolls over I won’t remember if they can hold up their end of a conversation or if they can eat a whole grape yet (the answer is no! Not until they’re 10). So clearly, I have a hard time remembering my kids’ behaviors, let alone what they looked like. For that reason and more, I’ve really enjoyed drawing them through the ages and having a reminder on my wall of how their hair stuck straight up until they were 1 ½, or how much they resemble a little gnome early on. The portraits I draw also capture the expressions I know them for at certain periods. Having a decently sized, nicely framed, original artwork of my little ones, in a way, honors their childhood. I can’t manage to print from my phone, and if I did, they would sit in their sleeve for months before being filed away into a memory box/tomb. For some reason putting effort into a portrait seems more doable to me. Kind of like how I would make an entire dress before managing to sew a button on a shirt. They’re gifts to myself and ones that I treasure, because really, who knows better what you want than you? 

As an added bonus, I work in a gallery/frame shop/art supply store where we also have an archival giclee printer. Yes, it’s a one stop art shop. This means I can make high quality art prints of my portraits on beautiful cotton watercolor paper. Bing, bang, boom, gift for the grandparents. If this is something you’re interested in having included with your portrait, just let me know!