"My Man, Aidan"

I generally stay far, far, away from even attempting drawings, sketches, or especially, paintings, of family members, because everyone just says, "it doesn't look like him/her," and turns the conversation elsewhere; but I couldn't resist the temptation on this one.

The picture I took of Aidan, six, at McDonald's caught my eye with the way the shadows and the so-so-serious pose he struck for me, so I did a watercolor sketch of him earlier (I think it is probably posted on this blog back a few weeks), and it was clear that the family, including myself, didn't really think it looked a whole like him; but it might in another ten years, or more. And then, "what's for dinner tonight?"

So, anyway, I got to looking at it again and decided since I've been doing all these funky Modigliani Knock-Offs (my term), I ought to give him another try. Now, no one in the family, especially his mother, my daughter, has seen this yet, but I think it looks alot more like him than the watercolor sketch did. Not perfect, closer. "So what do you think of the unrest in the Middle East?"

I had a real problem with his left shoulder, the one on the right, as he is actually just slightly leaning forward and that shoulder is closer than the other. It just looks deformed here. Oh well.....onward and upward. "Do you watch American Idol?"

acrylic on 12x16 canvas panel