This is a commissioned piece, used as a surprise wedding gift.  They were thrilled. 

Once in a while you get a commission that really seems impossible.  A friend asks for you to paint a portrait from an old b & w photo, combine it with another photo, and use the style from a Dutch 18th century master. To be honest, I was terrified.  I was going into completely unknown…

One of the hardest and easiest faces to paint is your own. If you’re surrounded by relatives, you are familiar with most of your features; you might have the same nose shape as your son, eyebrows like your father, chin like your sister, mouth like your grandmother. But it’s also infinitely difficult because every color…

One of the most exciting part of my new life as an artist is that people want me to paint their faces. This lovely lady asked me to do just that. I was able to capture her graceful countenance and produce a family heirloom for her as well.