18" x 20" original oil painting • Master Class Winner, November 2017 ArtMuse Contest • Purchase Award, 11th Art Renewal Center Salon • 3rd Place, 2013 OPA Fall Online • Southwest Art Mag Merit Award, 2013 Scottsdale Salon The scene in my painting Babysitters was a real-life moment I never would have been able to stage. Andrea and I had been visiting friends, and all of us were exhausted one day after a long drive. I was considering a nap, when I wandered into our friends' sitting room to find them already dozing. Mommy and Auntie were sound asleep, but our friends' 2-year-old son was held in the fringes of consciousness by a video on Auntie's iPod. Topping off the touching moment was the beautiful, cool window light bathing the trio. I knew I had to act quickly if I wanted to capture this tender-but-fleeting scene! I grabbed my gear and set up as quietly as I could. Sooner than I had hoped, the girls stirred, the little guy moved, and rest-time was over. Fortunately, it was not before I had noted some values on my canvas and taken a few photos. Scottsdale Salon ad in Nov. issue of American Art Collector Magazine It was a tremendous surprise and honor to learn my painting had received the Southwest Art Magazine Merit Award at the 2013 Scottsdale Salon! Thank you, Southwest Art Magazine, for sponsoring this award, and thank you so much, Bob and Curtice McCloy, for choosing my painting. I praise God for enabling me to paint this piece and for this incredible blessing!
