A Crippling Love

I had some really interesting conversations with moms this week. I'm working on a concept to do a series of blog posts on motherhood. My plan is to feature a portrait each month accompanied by an interview with the mother. The inspiration behind this project is to better understand what it's like to be a mom, both for myself and for my work. I want to be a mom one day and I want to help moms celebrate their relationships with their children through my work.

One friend I was talking with the other day is a new mom. I asked her what was one thing she would want her child to know. She told me about how much she loves her son. She said it's almost a crippling love. You feel so bound to this little person that you don't want to ever be apart from them. She said having a son completely rocked her world- it changed everything.

She said the love she feels for her son is like no other. It's different from the love she has for her husband, parents, and friends. Having a son completely rocked her world. It absolutely changed everything.

I have a question for moms out there:  When was the moment you realized the love you have your child was different than anything else you had experienced?

The Joys of Painting Children

 

Lately I've realized how much I love to paint portraits of children. When I started this business, I just assumed that I'd paint men in suits like most other portrait artists. But as the years have gone by, I think I've really discovered my niche with children.

I have painted portraits of adults before, but they just aren't as fun and exciting as painting kids. I really love the kids I paint. I love the process of hanging out with them and getting to know them before I paint their portraits. I want to see where they hang out and what they like to do.

A friend I was chatting with the other day pointed out that it really makes a difference who the portrait painter is. When my friend was little, she had her portrait painted by an older man, and it was sort of awkward and uncomfortable because of their age and gender differences. They couldn't really connect.

The children I paint portraits of are generally pretty relaxed and comfortable. The portrait process is pretty foreign to them, and they tend to stiff up. They don't know how to act in front of a camera. So I make friends with them so they will open up and be natural with me.

In a way, I guess I feel called to paint children. I never thought of myself as a kid-person before, but the more I’m around them the more I appreciate their individuality and uniqueness. And plus they’re just really cute. I don’t have to make them look younger or thinner (I’ve “fixed" things like missing teeth before) but in general I don't do much changing because kids are perfect just the way they are.

A client of mine, Kristen, sent me the sweetest email the other day. She said that there was a group of people over for a dinner party at her house and everyone saw the portrait I did of her daughter Caroline. One of her friends and her husband both agreed that this was the first charcoal portrait they have seen (other friends of theirs have had some done by other local artists) that truly captured the child.  They commented that every other one they have seen had something that was a little "off" about it, but that I totally nailed it!

I could tell Kristen was really proud and obviously, it made me feel great.

By Kate Bradley 3 April 2014, 1:10 PM

Three boys, Three personalities

By Kate Bradley 3 January 2014, 8:45 AM Yesterday I had TRIPLETS Cannon, Tanner and Walter to my studio to sit for me for three full-length oil portraits I'm working on. I like to start each commission this way, spending some one-on-one time with each boy to study them and ask questions. It's like a "mini-interview." My goal is to get to know my subjects on a personal level so I can create a portrait that speaks to the individuality of each child. Then I can start to generate ideas for the different elements of the piece. I also love the idea of not only capturing the boys' likeness at five years of age, but also the things they were interested in at the time.

As I'm sketching I like to make notes, often focusing on one or two features that stand out and try to quickly capture those. ("quickly" being the operative word as little boys have nano-second attention spans)

All three boys love playing sports with their dad and to swim. They're "water babies," as mom Deede puts it. They each have blond hair and blue eyes, with similar but distinct features.

My impression of Cannon was that he was funny, but with a serious side. He volunteered to go first for the sitting. Walter is contemplative and serious, clearly the leader of the group. And Tanner just made me smile. He was very sweet and talkative.

Louise decided it was her turn.

Love, Connectedness, and Family

 

By Kate Bradley 7 December 2014, 10:21 AM

Like a lot of kids today, I come from a sometimes-great-sometimes-dysfunctional family. When I was in college when my parents separated. It was extremely painful the day I got that call from my dad. I was driving with a friend and had to pull over. Thankfully they have reconciled since then and are back together. So my story has a happy ending.

I love my parents dearly and I don't blame them; marriage is hard for the best of us. They did the best they could and sacrificed to make sure I grew up in a two-parent household. If it weren't for their support and encouragement, I would not be an artist today. For these reasons and many more, I consider myself extremely blessed.

But, I won’t minimize the effect that experience had on my life. So profound an effect, that the work I do is directly related to it. I can also say that the Lord in his goodness has given me healing and redemption.

We need family like we need air. Children get their sense of self-worth, their values, morals, and sense of belonging from their families. A happy family is a joy to behold. When one breaks down, the damage is devastating and can take a lifetime to repair. Maybe that's why the Bible tells us that true religion is to care for the orphans and the widows. They are the ones who don’t have family.

It wasn't until recently that I realized how much of an impact my story has had on my art. Of all the things I could paint- landscapes, animals, fruit- it’s children I choose. Painted children are valued children. Through my art, I hope to help people develop deeper and more meaningful family relationships. I feel so honored that I get to celebrate the gift of family in my work.

A Safe Haven

 

By Kate Bradley 26 November 2013, 8:36 AM

Yesterday I dropped off a portrait at the home of my client. You can read more about the inspiration behind this portrait here. She is hosting Thanksgiving at her house this year and the portrait will hang in the dining room for everyone to see as they fellowship together. When she told me this, I thought, Wow! This is so in line with the mission of my business- to help people honor and celebrate their family relationships through my artistic talent. As her family gathers together to celebrate and enjoy each other, here is a physical representation of that gift!

It also occurred to me that in seeking to celebrate family, I am affirming my belief in the importance and sanctity of family. Family is a blessing from God. I heard someone say once, it's a shelter and a haven from a cold world.

You see, family is very precious to me. I myself came from a broken family, and I see clearly the lasting effect it's had on my. Thankfully, God has been able to heal and redeem those wounds in major ways, but I still fight some of those demons. You're not beyond God's help if you come from a broken family, but it can be an uphill battle. There are no shortage of examples of the damage poor family life can cause. Family is our start in life- from it we get our sense of value, our sense of belonging, our perceptions, and our place in the world. And if I have my own family one day, I hope to cherish it above all and create the kind of environment that is a safe haven from the world. And it's my privilege to honor that through my art. What I do is not really about me, it's about honoring God and the families I paint.

This Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for the gift of family.