Mom and Dad in love
watercolour and black marker on Arches hot press paper
8 1/2 x 11 inches
Barbara Muir © 2009
(A drawing in watercolour. I don't have the
father's face right yet. His expression is
not the one of devotion he has in every
picture with his wife. The mother isn't
accurate either, but I'm getting to know her
face after drawing it quite a few times.
Photo reference for the Mom is better
because Dad was always taking the pictures.)
out the reason people want a portrait. Love is the most
common and wonderful motivator. Today I'm showing
you a little watercolour painting I did to study the
features of a couple whose children are deeply
moved by their parents' love story and cherish
the images of the two of them together. Looking at the
reference photos I can feel that love coming through.
In fact there is so much emotion in the photos, that
I need to do the drawings, so I don't get swept up in
the feeling and forget to paint.
My brother was telling me today that a long term
Harvard study of men discovered that the most
important factor contributing to a happy life
was love. In that case these two are definitely
enjoying a happy life in my painting.
Truth is most people who commission a portrait
are doing it because they love the person in the
portrait, or love the image of their family it will
create, or even as a gesture of loving themselves.
While I'm painting I like to concentrate on that
loving feeling. It makes my working life a very
happy one.
Have an understanding-the-importance-of-love day.
