Posthumous Portraits

[Garth Herrick]

Mary,

I had a simlar commission 15 years ago:

A six year old boy, with a modeling career, was struck and killed by a bus on the way to school. His aunt commissioned me to paint his portrait for Mother's Day which was just a week away! She gave me his favorite Izod shirt and favorite Transformer plastic monster toy, which she had stealth-fully "borrowed" from his room. She also gave me a series of studio photographs from modeling sessions.

With four days left I had no time to waste. I filled the shirt up with soft tissue for a prop and laid the toy against it at the nipple level. I determined the best reference photographs were when he was age four, with blond hair covering his ears and a tiny tail. Besides I felt representing him at age four would remove by two years any associations with the tragedy at age six. I had no stand-in for the arms and hands, so I just made them up.

I finished the painting in four days, a record for me, and delivered it perfectly wet, along with the supporting materials. I wasn't sure a Mother's day surprise was the best plan of intentions. For months there was just dead silence. Finally about a year later the boy's mother gathered the courage to call me and tearfully acknowledged she was deeply touched by the portrait. It was worth the wait.

I have no advice to add beyond the good advice posted above.

Best of luck,

Garth