My latest painting, Sisters (2019), features my nieces, Leila and Amelia. They truly represent the bond of siblings and in particular, sisters.
Previously, I have painted family members from past generations. Such pieces include Vida (2017), Hilda (2017), Oma (2017) and of course, my iconic painting, Family (2014).
Yet I had not completed any portraits of children who were related to me. I adore my nieces and wanted a snapshot of them at this age. The girls are now aged 5 and almost 7 years old.
As such, I felt it was a good time to paint their portraits. In Sisters (2019), I wanted their individual characters and personalities to shine through.
Youthful expression
For this reason, when selecting their clothing colour, I made sure to take their preferences into account. Leila prefers colours like blue and purple. In contrast, Amelia is fond of pink and red.
Both girls have naturally curly, brown hair. Usually, Leila wears her hair in a high ponytail, while Amelia wears her hair in pigtails. They are fashion conscious and like to accessorise their outfits.
Therefore, I wanted their clothes to be eye-catching. As such, I used a bright and colourful palette. However, it was important that the clothing did not distract from their facial expressions.
To this end, in painting Sisters (2019), I created a simple but visually effective heart design. This also symbolises the love I have for my nieces. Like the girls, the designs are complimentary but not identical.
The result is a painting which reflects the inherently loving relationship between siblings. Each sister is her own person but together they make a great team. Although they may fight, there is always enough love to balance it out.
Sisters (2019) is a snapshot of my nieces as little kids. As with other family portraits, I hope this will serve as a memory of this precious time for years to come.