Daughter

Oil on canvas - 2010 - 45.5cm x 39.5cm (available, $500 USD)

My kids called our landlord’s mom “Tatti” and she was as sweet on all of us as any “aunt” could be. The idea for this portrait arose when we were having tea with her one day and she was telling us about her dad and his work as a Fes silversmith, crafting the traditional tea pots and trays that were before us.

She showed me this photo of him sitting in the throne room of the Al Hambra in Granada, Spain, and her face beamed with pride and affection for him. I asked if I could do a portrait of her and her father together and she agreed. The salon was quite dark, actually, so the sunbeam came from my imagination and her happiness at being his daughter. This is the joy of a girl who knows her father loves her and smiles upon her, even in the dark. Thank you, Tatti, for that lesson!