Beautiful at Any Age

I often hear from prospective clients their concern over what age they should be painted or should have been painted, as if there is a perfect age for a portrait! “I should have been painted before I was 40!” more than one person has told me. Thank goodness not everyone feels that way. If given the chance, an artist can find what is beautiful or handsome about people at every age.

Recently a wonderfully dignified lady came to me for a portrait. I’m not quite sure how old she is, but I would say near 80. An artist herself, she enjoyed the idea of seeing how I would interpret her in paint.

She arrived in a full-length fur coat and a string of pearls about 6 feet long! Having experienced a good and interesting life, she, like most, has weathered its ups and downs. One traumatic “down” was losing a child to leukemia; another was surviving a near-fatal car accident more than 30 years ago. After lying in a coma for weeks from a serious head injury, she was left basically paralyzed on one side of her face. With a positive outlook on life and the knowledge of a second chance, she impresses you with a combination of determination and elegance.

I am excited to know a person who has embraced her years of life lived, in large part, as one of the greatest assets of her beauty. I hope I captured her just as I found her…beautiful. I am most thankful for another memorable encounter. It’s a privilege to be a portrait painter.