I remember when my children were young we would visit their grandparents. Usually their cousins would be there, too. Eventually it got too noisy with all of them there, so their grandmother would send them out on her back patio. There was a little table and an assortment of chairs. They would all sit together and eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and drink kool aid.

You will notice the sunlight on the patio with dark shadow around it, as well as light and shadow on the kids. They are grown up now, and have children of their own.

This was my first painting to be shown in a national juried show.

This is my daughter, Sarah, with her son, Brayden. I wanted to show the purity and sweetness of motherhood. She is wearing a white dress and Brayden is wearing a white outfit that my wife sewed for him. They are lit with soft, natural light coming in the window of their home. Their clothes are white with a little hint of yellow from the sun when you look at the right side. Half of their faces are in the light, while the left sides are in shadow. You do not see their eye on that side, but your mind automatically puts it in. The background is a cool color, but my daughter and grandson are warm and bright, giving a nice contrast. The upper right side shows the moulding of the stairway to give interest.

One of the most exciting places I’ve been is Gamla Stan, the old town section in Stockholm, Sweden. There are narrow walkways through five and six story buildings with quaint shops and restaurants. The royal palace is there, as well as the location where the Nobel Peace Prize is given. I have always loved the European sidewalk cafes. This one is right next to where the cruise ships dock and the tourists unload.

These tables were out in the sun. I was so impressed by the backlighting on the people that I wanted to portray it. The light made a halo effect on their hair and the edges of their clothing. There is an interesting effect if you look at the shirt of the standing woman. The sunlight makes a whitish-yellow edge, while the part in the shadow picks up the color of the sky. The same thing happens if you wear a white tee shirt and stand in the sun. The shadow side of anything white in the painting has the blue of the sky. The light in the man’s glasses and the shade of the background gives the effect of a very bright, sunny day.