Family Photos

All of our outdoor destinations are always filled with so many adventures and memories shared. Needless to say, I take hundreds of photos for one outing. Catching everyone looking at the camera with the proper joy in their eyes for the moment is a very special feat. I especially love when I catch the dog with his ears up, tongue out, or the whimsical light of mischief he has in his eyes. Then, let’s discuss having a toddler being captured with the enjoyment they have been expressing the entire trip, now there is a sweet treat for any photographer. So combine three humans, not including anyone we travel with, and our dog. I would say it is a chaotic symphony of pure magic to get wonderful photos. Hence, I love to sketch the feeling behind the photo in our little family book. I share glimpses of it here in the blog and I hope you enjoy it. For the picture below, my husband went through several transformations as I did not sketch this one out with a pencil first. He looked like Jesus for quite a while. Usually, his face is the least challenging for me to paint or draw because I stare at it so often. 

The dog is the next one that I can get spot on, as long as I get his emotion from the outing…I am usually on a roll. The baby, well…I stare at her the most as I am lucky enough to be a stay at home parent now. Her portraits are becoming like second nature for any medium I choose, and yet, they look a bit different every time, which I find enjoyable. Now…there is me…and I am laughing as I write this. Why are self portraits so difficult? In college, whenever I had to draw myself for class…I looked so stern and scary due to staring in a mirror to accomplish the assignment. Lately, I am drawing myself from pictures and it is becoming more adaptable for my hand to create my face. As long as I get the feeling we all had, I feel like I accomplished something. I really need to redo my husband for another memory of the redwoods though…that is what my notes say anyway. Have any of you struggled with self portraits, or even taking selfies? Or, letting another person take pictures of you? I know a lot of people from my generation and previous ones who have had a difficult time with this. It is nice to see the next generation be so open to sharing their face and story with others. I am slowly getting more comfortable with this. Thank you all for reading and have a wonderful Wednesday!

-Karen Hilliard

Also, if you would like another way to show support, I have a few options. “Buy me a coffee” which is a way for anyone to contribute to the creative process behind the paintings. Fuel the artist so to speak. Here is the link if you are interested. The funds go to supplies and gas to get out to the trails. I truly appreciate the support and the fact that you are liking these blogs, as well as my art posts. I am working hard to bring you all fresh content! Here is the link to my Instagram where I try to post daily. You can also find me on Facebook at my art page Karen Hilliard Art.

If you would like to, please leave your Social Media handle on the “Buy me a Coffee” page so I can thank you in my Instagram/Facebook Stories! 🙂

Thank you again for your support!