The Subject

I did this watercolor portrait of my daughter-in-law, Kate, as a present for my son.  The image of a woman calmly reading while cradled by the immense clawed limbs of a dragon suited the duality of Kate’s scholarly yet valiant personality. The grey dress contrasts with her beautiful pale olive skinned redhead coloring, while the dragon’s amber wings and gold trim on the dress bring out highlights in her hair, skin and unusual amber eyes, while the red book provides a composition anchor.

Fantasy Portraits

Fantasy portraits can be a wonderful way to show aspects of character that might otherwise go unnoticed. The freedom of mermaids, the mystery of witches, sylphs and wizards, the dignity of a stately elder knight…all these are beautiful and fun, but they can also have deep meaning to the subject and those who know them best. While I enjoy doing straight portraits, and always endeavor to go beyond a skin deep likeness into personality and even soul, the world of fantasy portraits can strip away the everyday disguise of fitting in that we all must wear to some degree.

About Commissioning a Portrait

If you are interested in commissioning a portrait, and want to chat about the possibilities, contact me here.