The Murphy Children

This painting was my first ever collage.  I love this portrait because I think it shows the very different personalities of the three children.  It was great to spend time with the family and learn about their personalities. Mrs. Murphy is really creative herself and she told me to do whatever I wanted. Her oldest daughter had already had a portrait done earlier. With that said, I felt like it allowed me to paint her more for her personality. When I spent time in their home taking photos of the kids, I was struck by how completely different their personalities were. I got this shot of her daughter almost by accident as she stood opening the mail on the front porch while I tried to get the boys to both look at me at the same time. I felt like the pose said something about her quiet maturity in contrast to their energy. The collage style allowed me to have the contrasting personalities and colors expressed in a small space.

I will always have a special place in my heart for this portrait .