Paused In Time: A New Piece of Memory
Recently, I was working on a series of paintings that tells a story about my son Marty, a now six-year-old bundle of joy. I wanted to capture in watercolor some warm family memories of his childhood. This is the second artwork following the Wind Of Memories piece, and coincidentally, I finished it on the day of the FIFA World Cup final ☺️
I still remember the day when the photo that served as a reference was captured. It was back when we lived in San Mateo, and Marty was three. He got this new shiny soccer ball, the first one in his life, and he was so excited to try it! We went to the park near our home, and he was so happy to play with his new toy. A few weeks later, he tried his first soccer class… and it was a complete disaster, haha. He was probably too young for the team play back then, and he said that he would never-ever play soccer again. Well, guess what? Three years later, Marty is a rising star of soccer, this time on the San Ramon field! He still has that small soccer ball, and two new ones, and he loves playing with those during practice or with his dad.
I wanted to keep this subject simple, focusing on the boy and his emotions. That’s why I used a neutral background with a hint of the paving texture. I also couldn’t resist emphasizing the shadows. You can probably tell that I love painting shadows by looking at such pieces as Summer Ride and Afternoon Light. I hope that I was able to convey the feeling of joy and happiness on a sunny summer day, and that this piece will bring back warm childhood memories to whoever hangs it on their wall.
