Select 50 in the International Portrait Competition

Friendship, 30 x 40 inches, oil

This week is the Portrait Society of America conference, here in Reston, Virginia, and it is with a sense of honor that I will be attending and that the double portrait of my daughter and her friend was chosen as one of the top 100 entries of this year's portrait competition where 2,733 entries were submitted.

After six rounds of evaluation they selected 23 finalists to bring their work to the conference for on-site judging, 27 certificates of excellence for special recognition and a Select 50 work that had distinction.  My painting, Friendship, was part of the "Select Fifty" that made it through the multiple rounds over the three-day jurying process.

I am so grateful that this portrait received this distinction. Friendship is a painting long in the making, and I was inspired to create a double portrait that celebrates Naomi's long-standing relationship with her friend. They have been regular playmates since they were two years old and are still great friends. The photo references for this painting were taken during a playdate in June 2016 when I asked the girls to pose for me and to have fun with it.