Oil on canvas, 16”x20”, commission

This commissioned painting remains one of my favorites, particularly because it’s not posed. No forced smiles or staged expressions - just a shared moment of curiosity, connection, and play. There’s something timeless about the way these two children are absorbed in their own little world, completely unaware of the camera or the viewer.

I absolutely love when people send me photos like this…snapshots of real life. I can almost hear the waves breaking in the distance, feel the water and sand beneath their hands, smell the salt in the air. There’s a dreamlike quality to the light and reflections that makes the scene feel suspended in time.

It reminds me of childhood. These are the kinds of moments worth preserving in paint - unposed, honest, and full of quiet nostalgia.