Grandmother, mother and child portrait
26 x 36
oil on linen
I have been honored to be a Boston portrait artist for over 20 years and one of one of the most interesting portrait commissions was of recently painting a portrait commission with three generations: a grandmother, mother and child portrait. In this case I was called from out of state in Florida by one family member to arrange this important three-generation portrait painting.
Planning is so important in group portrait paintings. You don’t want to over-manage and lose sight of the true personalities, however there needs to be some control of color palette. You don’t want a lot of clashing bright colors and patterns. I encouraged the three sitters to wear clothing that was harmonious and we had a good time setting them up at the mother’s home. I always like portraits where things are similar, but not, and enjoy working the nuances. The grandmother, mother and child portrait set up is delightful as you feel the relationship with three generations and in this case with all females was delightful.
A group portrait is all about relationships and my goal was for the viewer to feel the love and comfort between the three females in this grandmother, mother and child portrait. There is a quiet joy in these relationships.