A Portrait of Ray at Lake Tahoe

I painted this watercolor portrait of my brother-in-law Ray. It's been years since I've painted an actual person  but when my nephew asked if I would paint a watercolor for him using an old photo of his father how could I refuse. As I painted this, many memories unexpectedly poured into my thoughts. Each part of his face especially the eyes was so important to capture his warmth and kindness he showed to others. Ray never meant a stranger and he always made anyone he meant feel important. Ray's love for the outdoors needed to come across too, so for this portrait I used cold press paper to bring to this watercolor the outdoorsy ruggedness of Ray while hopping to show his gentle kindness on the inside. Such a beautiful face of a beautiful man. You will forever live in our hearts.