William, Age 6, Oil
Jennings, Age 4, Oil
OK, well they're actually the Frazee children, but can't you just see them hopping around and singing in lederhosen?
Doe, a deer, a female deer...
Seriously, though, when I first met William and Jennings I obviously couldn't wait to paint them, because they're both so beautiful!
I've known their parents, Robert and Courtney, for a while. I actually used to work with Robert at a wealth management company back when I was a 9-to-5er. We've always kept in touch, and I was thrilled when they reached out to me about portraits of their kids.
When I first sat down with them for a consultation at their house in Memphis, I asked why they wanted portraits now.
Courtney said she wanted to capture her kids at this age in a really significant way. She wanted something substantial that would last a long time.
She also hasn't been super good about getting their photos taken at each stage. (Lucky for her, I work from photos I take so she got those thrown in with the portraits:)
Besides spending time with the kids I paint, I always ask their parents about their personalities.
William is a really joyful child, happy child. He was very easy to photograph and he wanted to show me his drawings when we were finished. Jennings is shy and reserved. Her parents call her a "little bird." She's also a very middle child, they say.
And Laurel, their youngest, is equally adorable. I'll be doing her portrait too in a few years.
I loved getting to know these kids and capturing their sweet personalities at a really special age in their lives.
