Painting Love and Loss

A majority of the commissions I receive for portraits come around the holidays, often featuring family members or beloved pets that are no longer with us. I think the holidays, a time when we gather with loved ones, make us more acutely aware of who is missing. From Thanksgiving through New Year’s, family is at the center of it all—and when someone is no longer there, the absence is deeply felt. It’s a time of reflection, of remembering.

While I can’t erase the pain of that loss, I do hope the portraits I create bring some measure of comfort. This, I think, is what I love most about what I do. Each portrait is not just an image; it’s a tribute, a small piece of immortality for someone who meant so much. Over the years, there have been many times when I’ve found myself shedding tears while working—tears of empathy and connection. Often, the recipients of the portraits cry too, and while I can’t pretend it’s not a grief-filled moment, I hope it’s also a moment of healing.

Because grief, though painful, is a sign of love. And in the end, I hope the portraits I paint do justice to that love.

In memory of Samuel Gomez.