This is an original oil painting called Couple and Baby. Some paintings are just studies; and some are more, like this one. As often happens, this image came from more than one source, at the same time. I had seen an article in the newspaper about a local couple who had gone through personal difficulty, in this case the husband's health problems. They were just ordinary people - not 'beautiful' people - and they were devoted to one another. It interested me to portray this kind of love - not the kind we usually see in the media. Around the same time, an acquaintance showed me pictures of her new grandchild, in a cradle; it seemed to fit with the couple, and I had a painting in my head. The image was gradually built up with semi-transparent layers of color, from darkest to lightest. The dark areas act like the lead areas in a stained glass window - making the color areas look brighter and almost translucent. The tiny areas of paint accentuate this effect. I like the yellow bush behind the couple - the color of forsythia, eternal spring. This painting is professionally framed with a simple, rounded natural wood frame.
