The Von Trapp Children

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.

Trusting God with your kids

Noah Peterman, Age 2 1/2, Charcoal, Memphis, TN

My collector Ale says her biggest fear as a mom is not having any control over her kids' lives.

Ale is the mom of two precious boys, Sam and Noah.

"I love them so much and I fear that something bad is going to happen to them. I often fear that they are going to get a terrible sickness.  Or that someone is going to hurt them," she says. 

"So many wrong things going on with our world that my source of worry can really be an endless battle."

So how does Ale keep her worries at bay?

"Prayer is really the only way that I can deal with all my fears. It is nice to know that God has absolute control of my boys' life," says Ale.

Sam Peterman, Age 2 1/2, Charcoal, Memphis, TN

My other collector, Lauren, says the biggest lesson she's learned as a mom is that her kids are going to be who God means for them to be, not matter what you want them to be.

So in all areas of their children's lives, these moms have learned that God is the one in control. 

Many of the moms I work with say they just couldn't be a mom without their faith. It's about learning to trust God every day in the lives of their kids.

It's what saves their sanity – knowing there is a God who loves their children even more than they do. 

After all, He's the one who gave them to you:)

Your kids will be who God means for them to be

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:)

A little boy who likes books

Henry Bush, Age 6, Oil on canvas

I few years ago I painted this portrait of a six year old boy named Henry.

And I keep returning to it because I think it perfectly encapsulates what my mission is, which is to help children feel loved and valued for who they truly are.

I do that by getting to know them, interviewing their parents, and then capturing that in a portrait. A portrait that celebrates them and only them.

I get asked all the time if I do group portraits. I don't, and this is why: my work is all about celebrating an individual child, making him or her feel loved and special.

And the fact is, you just can't do that in a group portrait.

So Henry's portrait and all the other kids I've painted are just about them and only them.

The real Henry

Henry was so cute, just a really calm and sweet child. He loves books, as you can tell. He was particularly into a series called the Magic Tree House, and he told me all about it as I was doing his portrait.

Henry is sitting on the couch, relaxed with his legs folded up underneath him. He has a calm and pleasant expression because he's doing his favorite thing.

The colors also reflect his personality. The soft blues and whites serve to emphasize his calm and happy demeanor.

But then his dark vest really makes him pop, so he's the center of the portrait. He's the focus.

I know his mom Katherine will treasure this special age in Henry's life as he gets older, and I hope he know how loved and valued he truly is.