The Lambertville Lachlan

[Chris Saper]

Unexpectedly, yesterday this informal portrait of my daughter, representing her at age three, was sold.

So rarely do we get to experience true ambivalence!

It is indeed spontaneous, and, I feel, loaded with stories to tell. I can see why they have been unable to forget this portrait for years. I love the loose painterly treatment in her hair.

So go paint another one!

[Terri Ficenec]

Garth, she's so sweet -- You must miss this little painting!

[David Draime]

What a beautiful little painting!! I love your restraint with the color in this one. And it has a Bouguereau kind of surface shimmer to it. Love it! Chris is right: paint another one.

[Sharon Knettell]

As I know how few paintings that I care to hang on to , I feel this little gem must have been one you were loathe to sell.

I love the color of her clothing against the neutral geometry of the fence.

[Garth Herrick]

Thanks Chris and Terri so much for your kind words. I do miss this painting. My daughter looks so much different now; tall and skinny. I'd still like to get her cooperation for an updated portrait. She'd be a bit of a challenge now.

Garth

[Garth Herrick]

Thanks so much David, and Sharon. You are so encouraging to me. Since I had looked at this hanging on the wall every day, I could not be objective as to whether it contained any merit or not as a painting, but being of my daughter at an age that has passed, it held a lot of personal value to me. With your encouragement I may find a way to explore painting another similar portrait.

Garth

[Kimberly Dow]

This is truly captivating.

I can understand the 'torn' feeling. I use my children for paintings also. Usually I dont feel attached, but if it stays on the walls awhile they start to feel like 'part of the family'.

We should all go and paint our children every chance we get - maybe we'll get to keep one or two!

[Linda Brandon]

What a lovely painting, Garth! And it reconfirms my own preferences in that an outdoor painting should have looser, fresher, more "shimmery" brushwork than does an indoor painting. I also love all the movement in the painting - the diagonals add a lot of interest. No surprise that this sold!

[Rob Sullivan]

I think the sale of this ushers in the need to revisit how your daughter looks to you through your "artist's eyes", as opposed to your "daddy eyes."

Great expressiveness abounds in this piece. She seems to say, "You done yet? 'Cuz I'm goin'!" Wonderful movement in the design and brushwork.

I regret to say that I have not painted my children. Seeing this piece tells me I'd better get on it.

[Garth Herrick]

Originally Posted by Linda Brandon

What a lovely painting, Garth! And it reconfirms my own preferences in that an outdoor painting should have looser, fresher, more "shimmery" brushwork than does an indoor painting. I also love all the movement in the painting - the diagonals add a lot of interest. No surprise that this sold!

Dear Kim, Linda, and Rob,

Thank you all for your kind comments and keen insights.

Kim: You are so right and set a good example for the rest of us. Are there ways of persuading family members to be more cooperative with requests to paint them?

Linda: Thanks! I really appreciate your insight about handling shimmer and brushwork in outdoor portraits. This makes perfect sense. Nature is in motion outdoors, and with full spectrum natural illumination, those colors really can dance and shimmer. You've just given me paradigm shifting insight about my current works in progress.

Rob: Thanks! The moment was quite fleeting and was gone in a flash. You know how little kids can be. Now let us both heed Kim's good advice and get some family portraits going!

Garth