This is a portrait of Samara, who came to the United States from Ethiopia when she was just five years old. My husband and I had the joy of becoming American grandparents to Samara and three other beautiful Ethiopian girls. We loved taking them on adventures all across Colorado.
One day, while we were exploring the Rocky Mountains, I snapped this photo of Samara. Her sweet, joyful expression and gentle spirit instantly captured my heart, so I decided to paint her.
I wanted to convey her kind and thoughtful nature. Even as a little girl, Samara would always save some of her food from our outings to bring home and share with her mom. She was constantly thinking of others.
I painted this portrait on a marble gesso wood panel. The underpainting (shown below) was done entirely in the ten-value blue-gray palette known as azzuraccio.
