Ethan's Profile (study for portrait)

Ethan Signing (source photo)

 “You know your child better than I do.”
     How many times has a parent heard this from a teacher, doctor, guidance counselor?  As a portrait artist, I am well aware how little I know a child compared to her Mother who has seen every facial expression, hand gesture, the subtlest growth and change.  How much more does this rule apply to a parent of a child with a special need?  How important is a true portrait to a person who is oftentimes misperceived because of a disability facade?  How valuable is the painting of a portrait to someone who is living with a critical disease, knowing that he may be leaving those he loves?  How valuable is the portrait to those who love him?
          I try to paint the subject’s core.  The sample portrait here on the web site is of a boy with Autism.  I see him discover the world and then be limited by an inability to express his response to it.  And yet by talking with his Mother and observing him closely, I can experience his subtle communication and his wide range of emotions.  In the portrait, his face, his body posture, as well as the details and activity of the composition tell the story of this boy’s journey in the world.
         Many times, the idea of a portrait for someone with special needs is not even a consideration, what with the emotional and financial stresses involved in such routine.  I offer this, however, because I have seen people benefit from such a wonderful gift.  I have experienced this in my own life.
          Fees remain the same as those listed in “Beyond the Likeness,”
however consideration in the form of payment schedules or slight discounts for those caring for a special person, shouldering the financial weight and find themselves slipping a bit.

Adam Dancing With the Dogs

watercolor

I try to have the opportunity to meet my subjects or watch them in films and videos.  It's important to see  how people move and present themselves.  Everybody "dances." 

The son of a dear friend loved the sound of his Mother's voice.  Severely limited in his physical and communicative facilities, Adam nonetheless expressed a most profound love for the gentle rocking and music of his Mother's embrace and greeting.

Adam dances, surrounded by the lively and loving household in which he lives.

A customer came to me with a little collection of belongingswhich once belonged to his father-in-law.

He explained that his wife's forthcoming biethday would be the first she would spend without the presence of her Dad, who had died that year.   A flood had washed out everything but two small pictures and a medal of honor.  I fell in love with this man's grin.

Hankie's Grandpa

oil