The Sleeping Child

The sleeping child 22 x 28 - Acrylic on canvas - 2006

When my daughter Leigha Ann was a little girl, she would fall asleep anywhere, anytime. I would find her sleeping in the middle of the living room, under a table, in her highchair. Once, I found her on the rocking chair of her bedroom. I took a photograph of the priceless moment and eventually used it to create my first painting.  I will never forget the feeling of when I traced her little features on the canvas; it took my breath away. I used Golden heavy body acrylics for this piece and applying the many layers of paint remain fresh in my memory to this day. When I have a hard time finding sleep, I visualize applying the transparency of Alizarin Crimson and that is the last thing I remember.