Valerie

This is Valerie. She's my wife. I met her about 15 years ago when she was the administrative assistant at the Montessori school my son attended. At the time, we were both married to other people but life takes interesting twists and turns. Seven years later I was divorced and Valerie had lost her husband to cancer and we bumped into each other at our favorite breakfast restaurant and got reacquainted. I asked her out to dinner and the rest is history.

This portrait was a little ambitious seeing that I just started painting it last night and it's 22"x30". I do things like that with these portraits but there was a space that I wanted to put her and it needed to be a big painting. Of course I didn't finish and it's still a little wet and I just photographed it and the opening is in 2 hours.

Valerie is the last of the 250 names I initially put into the "friend jar". Turns out there were a few businesses, friends with more than 1 account, and a couple of others that preferred to keep their faces off the internet. This project has been an amazing experience for me. It provided the structure I needed to improve my skills. I am especially thankful to all my friends. I feel like I've gotten to know you all in a deeper way through doing your portraits and I really do appreciate the kind comments, suggestions, and support you've given me. I plan on continuing to paint my friends and post them - just not at the same pace. See you at the opening!

22x30 watercolor. #240