the splash of summer

This week, we have a splash of joy, with a new summer (different-kind-of) portrait for a beloved family. Some projects turn into traditions, and some clients turn into friends. This is the case with a family I’ve had the joy of illustrating year after year — capturing the essence of their bond in hand-painted watercolor portraits.

 

This year marks yet another chapter in our shared story, and it’s one full of sunshine, laughter, and splashes of summer fun. As always, the portrait is a celebration of them being together, this time in a complete formula, with all four of the family members (minus the four cats) in a scene inspired by a treasured photograph — a candid moment of playfulness during a day of water activities.

Set against a backdrop of nature, the family is caught mid-laughter, playing in a lake and being wildly happy. It’s these raw, joyful, unscripted moments that bring the most heart into a painting. Translating that energy into watercolor was pure magic — the blur of motion, the shimmer of water, the freedom of summer. This piece became not just a portrait but a memory painted into permanence.

Over the years, these portraits have become a sort of visual diary for this family — each one a snapshot of where they are in life, what they love, and how they love. It’s incredibly special to be trusted with such a meaningful tradition.

Here’s to another year of making memories — and painting them.