Thank you all very much! Because of the photos, circumstances, and the fact that I'd never met him, this painting was a challenge. I read a lot about him online, and studied pictures of him until I felt familiar enough to paint him, not just copy a photo. I wanted Andrea and her boys to be satisfied, and thankfully they were.
Garth, with Thomas I painted from a plaster cast that I bought from Sculpture House a couple of years ago. But it's funny that you said that you'd thought about sculpting a head before painting it. I've been working on a painting of a little girl and I really missed having a solid reference. So, I checked everywhere to find a plaster head of a child. Nothing. After reading through Heidi's website (very informative), I decided to make my own. I was surprised -- it actually didn't turn out half bad. But that's another thread.
thanks again!
Renee