10 Artists Magazine December 2019
Prime CREATIVE LIFE
m
y favorite modelsaremy
family members.Ever
since I beganpainting,
I’ve turned to those I loveasmyartis-
tic inspiration. The wallsofmyhome
are filled with modeling-sessions-
turned-to-paintings ofmychildren,
in particular, and recordtheirgrowth
from infancy to adulthood.These
familial works are morethanimages;
they’re memories, feelingsand
moments captured in paint—and
a testament to my creativejourney.GROWTH &
DEVELOPMENT
The journey into paintingandmother-
hood began at the sametime,soit felt
natural to focus on myson,Shawn,
and my daughter, Anna,assubject
matter. In their youngeryears,
I worked from a combinationof
photographic referencesandlife—
taking photos while theyplayedbut
relying on life for color.Through
these impromptu sessions,I learned
the importance of shootinglotsof
photos, allowing for organicposes
and play, and backing offwhenmy
“subjects” weren’t in themood.
Because my childrenwereusedto
being the subject of paintings,they
were comfortable withmodelingfor
art groups. When theywerelittle,
other artists would fussoverthem,
and they enjoyed the attention,which
helped Shawn and Annatobemore
confident in their own skin.
As the kids got older,theywere
paid a standard modelingfeeand
benefited from that. Theylearnedthe
importance of hard workanddoing
a job well, all while I learnedhowto
shoot and paint alongsidethem.The Model Family
Shawn Looking Forward
oil on canvas, 14xVianna Szabo reveals that it’s all relative
when it comes to prepping for portrait painting.