Molly Keras, Age 3, Oil
I've painted portraits of all three of Lauren's girls – Molly, Jane and Nellie.
I've loved getting to know these girls, watching them change and grow over the years. They were just 3 1/2 when I painted them, and now Jane and Nellie are eight (wow!) and Molly is 4.
I'm sure Lauren could tell you how amazingly fast it all goes by.
She's says the most important lesson she's learned from motherhood is that "Your kids are going to be who God meant for them to be no matter what you want them to be; you cannot force them to be someone or something they're not."
The sooner you embrace that, she says, the happier you AND your kids will be!
I really love that, because the reason I do these portraits is to help kids feel loved and valued for who they truly are.
Nellie, Age 3, Oil
The truth is a lot of kids grow up trying to fit it, to be someone they're not. In my own life I've felt ashamed of who I was and where I came from, and I don't want any child to experience that.
So I create portraits that capture the personality of a child, in a special time in their lives, to show them how much they are loved and valued.
Now I know that it takes a lot more than a portrait to make a child feel loved, but I truly believe it's a unique expression of love that really makes them feel special.
Jane, Age 3, Oil
I know that through the love of parents and God, a child can move out into the world with confidence, not afraid to be who they are.
I'm just happy I can contribute to that in a unique way:)