Painting 26

This one's a sad painting for me because it's of my friend who's no longer here. It's been 2 years since his death, but I still have his number programmed into my cell phone. Sean was a very special friend, but fought many demons throughout his life and he was gone too early. I think of him often and miss the laughter we shared and the good times we spent hanging out together. The painting was from a photograph that appeared in his hometown newspaper right before he died and I knew immediately that I would paint it as a way to have him with me and to honor him. It was challenging to paint with the reflections of the wet sidewalks, the car in the background, the folds in his clothes and the dog. I wanted to get the painting right, but the most important part was his face. I had to see him in the painting for it to be successful and in the end I did. It took a long time to paint this and I felt a lot of pressure doing so, but I'm so glad because it makes me happy to see him in this setting with his treasured dog in a moment of peace and solitude. I hope he found his peace.