In March I had a serious injury and I haven’t been able to work for several months. See my July 16 post So I thought I would start sharing some of my earlier artwork with you.
This is Nancy Borylla's “Jake”, a very special and beloved companion who went to the Rainbow Bridge in 2018.
Nancy and I took a while to find the right photo of Jake for the portrait. Originally Nancy had sent me a pic of Jake lying down in grass and said how much she liked that photo - taken by a friend and so much better than her own snapshots. But I always ask my clients to send me all the photos that "speak to them", without worrying about whether or not it looks like a portrait. I made some suggestions about the ones she sent, and made a couple of rough layouts. Then she came up with one of Jake sitting and smiling up at the camera. I immediately liked it and said to Nancy that it would make a great portrait. She replied, "That's the face I love!". It was the first time I had heard emotion like that from her about any of the photos.
Choosing the right photo(s) to use is an important part of the process I go through with my portrait clients. I think we made the right choice. I love the happy look on Jake's face.
When I emailed Nancy a jpg of the finished portrait for her approval, I asked if she thought the "frosted" hair on Jake's chin looked too prominent. This was her response:
