Painting people is challenging, intensely satisfying, and feels *important.* Something about the time, effort and care it takes to paint a person feels like I’m paying them a solemn honor- like the task of documenting them deserves my complete focus and greatest effort.

I started painting when I was 35, when my twins were 3 years old and I needed an activity to get me out of the house. (And maybe make me feel like a real person with interests and goals and talents- maybe even the person I was before I had kids?) I took a fantastic class on oil painting at a local gallery school, and at the time I remember it felt like I had discovered something profound. I’d used acrylic and gauche, but I found it difficult to make things look realistic in these mediums, which I repeatedly discovered was important to me. The illusion I could create with oil paint felt like magic.

I started with still lifes, but I really wanted to paint people, and I wanted them to look real. Before having kids, I had worked as a web interface designer, and it wasn’t long until my affection for design started to merge with my portraits. I’m striving to let this design voice out more and more as I hone my unique aesthetic.

And on that note, it’s truly a privilege to paint you and your loved ones. Thank you ♡