"Origin"
Acrylic on Canvas
18x14"
December 2007

From The Artist:
This composition sprung when my 3 ½ year old climbed into my shirt one day! It was a particularly stretchy shirt and I obliged, tucking him in and feeling his smooth, warm roundness once again. We were both delighted with the pose and I knew I’d want to capture it somehow.

I like to show serenity and thoughtfulness in my paintings by utilizing closed eyes. I look at each composition as a design-piece as well as a painting with purpose, and I like to steer away from creating a figure that may try to look like someone I know (or me!).

In this painting, the mother’s eyes opened immediately and no matter what I couldn’t bring myself to paint them closed. Working with her, I realized why – she has a message for me – for us.

Despite my exhaustion from a busy holiday week and struggling to re-order and clean up Christmas Town (aka: my living room), this pair kept me working well into the night.